Combine helps Georgia RB boost stock

An impressive showing at a recent combine may lead to some added attention for one of the Peach State’s top players.

“I had a really good performance at this new combine they did over at Stephenson High School,” said Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview running back Brad Lester. “I ran a 4.36 in the 40 and I had a 42-inch vertical. There were coaches there from Florida, Miami, Georgia and Georgia Tech – plus a whole lot of other schools – so I think that’s going to help me.

“I wasn’t hearing all that much from Georgia before then. Back in May, they were showing me that much attention. But they’re sending me a lot of letters now, and I’m supposed to go to their camp on Friday. I think there’s a chance I might get offered a scholarship while I’m there.”

Coming off a junior season which saw him rush for 1,630 yards and 15 touchdowns in helping lead Parkview to the Class 5A state championship, Lester (5-11, 183, 4.4) has drawn scholarship offers from Auburn, Notre Dame, Duke, South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia and Northwestern. He’s also receiving interest from Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Ole Miss and Kentucky, among others.

“My top five right now are Auburn, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia, South Carolina and Michigan,” he said. “Auburn and Tennessee are tied for my top spot. I like them the most because I’ve been to their camps, I like the running backs coaches a lot, and they have good running offenses. They really put the focus of their offense on the running back, and they always put a lot of good running backs into the league.

“Notre Dame is a school with great tradition and I like their coach a lot. I talked to them in May. I hoping to get more calls from them later on this summer.

“Georgia, like I said, would definitely be one of the schools I considered if I got a scholarship offer. We’ll have to see what happens this weekend.

“South Carolina is a program where I think I’d have a good opportunity to make an impact and get some early playing time. And I like their recruiting coordinator a lot, coach (Paul) Lounsberry. I’ve enjoyed talking to him. I thought the campus and the facilities were nice when I went there for a game last year.

“I don’t have an offer from Michigan yet, but I’m thinking about them. They said they’d like to see my first two or three games this season, then let me know about a scholarship. It’s another school with good tradition and a good offense for running backs.”

Lester maintains a 2.8 GPA and is awaiting his test scores. He’s projected as a full-qualifier.