Auburn Maryland lead for LB

Junior To Watch: Justin Boyle

School: Acworth (Ga.) Harrison

Position: Linebacker and running back

Size and speed: Boyle is 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.

Statistics: Boyle ran the ball 55 times for 360 yards, scoring five times as a junior. He also caught 10 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He was unsure of his defensive stats.

Favorite schools: Boyle likes Auburn, Maryland, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, in that order.

Skinny: As a powerful, versatile player, Boyle has established himself as one of the top players in Georgia. He has six early favorites and one or two really stick out.

"I just visited Auburn," said Boyle. "I had a really great time and I like the coaching staff a lot. Auburn has great facilities and they're going to have a very good team next year."

Another school high on Boyle's list in Maryland.

"They have a good atmosphere around the football program and I'm going to be visiting the school in two weeks. My grandfather played football at Maryland.

"My dad played at South Carolina and I think they're going to have a better year next season. Wake is on the rise with their new coach and Georgia Tech is real close to my house. Vanderbilt offers a great education. A couple of other schools that I'm looking at are Tennessee and Clemson. They both have winning programs. I got invited to the Titans combine in Tennessee."

Because of spring break, Boyle has already had a chance to visit Vanderbilt, Georgia Southern and Auburn. He has also planned to visit South Carolina soon, and Maryland not long after. He will also be visiting Georgia Tech, Clemson and Tennessee all throughout the week. Where do most schools think Boyle will best fit in on the field?

"I'm not really sure yet," said Boyle, who already has an excellent frame at 16 years old. "Schools have said that I could play anywhere from safety to linebacker or running back. I have plenty of time to grow so I'm only going to get stronger."

Does he know where he will camp this summer?

"I think I'm going to camp at Auburn and probably Maryland or Georgia Tech if I have enough time. Our team goes to a lot of camps together, so I'll have to coordinate everything I do on my own."

Boyle's Harrison squad has won their region three consecutive years and will make a push for their fourth next fall after finishing 12-1 in 2002. They lose a lot of depth, but with players like Boyle there will be plenty of talent on the field to do the job.