Five-Star Checkup: How are players from Georgia faring this season?
Every Monday during fall, we will check in on five five-star prospects to see how they’re performing and if they are living up to the lofty billing that led them to be ranked at the top of the Rivals100. This week we focus on five former five-stars from the state of Georgia who are playing key roles for their teams this season.
MORE 5-STAR CHECKUPS: Defensive linemen | Freshmen | Florida products
As a recruit: Brown took his recruitment all the way until Signing Day with Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State and Tennessee all getting official visits. Many projected Brown to Georgia, but in the end the Tigers won out, landing his commitment in a nationally televised announcement.
What he did this week: Brown has been a contributor since Day 1 at Auburn, and he seems to be getting better on a weekly basis in 2017. In Saturday’s blowout victory over Georgia, Brown showed flashes of dominance in the center of the Tigers' defense. He finished the game with four tackles, including chipping in on a sack. Brown has 39 tackles on the year, along with 2.5 sacks. He looks to be the next Auburn defensive tackle bound for a stardom.
As a recruit: A native of South Georgia, Solomon didn’t get the type of hype that a player of his caliber would normally receive during the early part of his recruitment, and he surprised many when he committed to Michigan during the summer prior to his senior season. But his first commitment to the Wolverines didn’t even last three months, and it seemed like Alabama or Georgia would end up with Solomon in the fold. But Michigan did a nice job getting back into the picture and earning Solomon’s signature on signing day earlier this year.
What he did this week: As the year as gone along, Solomon has become more and more of a factor in the Wolverines' defense. In Saturday’s win over Maryland he recorded just one tackle, but was once again was a disruptive force. On the year, Solomon has 13 total tackles, but six of them have come in the last three games. Now a member of the starting lineup, it’s hard to imagine Solomon ever going back to the bench in Ann Arbor.
As a recruit: After flying under the radar early in his high school career, Terrell saw his recruitment explode in the spring of 2016. Offers rolled in from all over the country and his recruitment came down to a battle between Florida, Auburn and Clemson. After visiting all three programs multiple times, Clemson surged ahead and landed Terrell’s commitment just prior to the start of his senior season.
What he did this week: Despite being a true freshman on the defending national champion, Terrell has carved out a role during his first year on campus. In Saturday’s win over Florida State, Terrell was pressed into action early in the second half and he didn’t disappoint, going toe-to-toe with Florida State’s best receiver, Auden Tate, for most of the second half and finishing with two tackles and one pass defended. On the year, Terrell has 11 tackles and five passes defended, as well as one interception. He looks well on his way to becoming a star in Death Valley.
As a recruit: After picking up a number of major offers, Lamar’s recruitment came down to three schools, Clemson, Auburn and Alabama. After visiting all three programs during the spring of his junior year, it was the Tigers who landed his commitment prior to the start of his senior season.
What he did this week: After playing primarily as a reserve on Clemson’s national championship team as a true freshman, Lamar joined the starting lineup, and he has had promising results this season. In Saturday’s win over Florida State, Lamar had four tackles, one sack and also forced a fumble. On the season, Lamar ranks fourth on the team in total tackles (52) and has four sacks. Clemson continues to reload on both sides of the ball, and Lamar looks like an emerging star for the Tigers.
As a recruit: Fromm emerged as an FBS prospect early in his high school career, but it was Alabama, not Georgia, that initially showed Fromm the most love. That hard work led to an early commitment to the Tide, but once Kirby Smart left Tuscaloosa for Athens, Fromm became a prime target and eventually flipped to the in-state Bulldogs.
What he did this week: Fromm didn’t have the best game in Saturday’s loss to Auburn, but that doesn’t mean the five-star QB isn’t still having a remarkable freshman season. In the loss to the Tigers, Fromm completed 13-of-28 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown in the first game of the season where he looked like a true freshman. On the season, Fromm is completing 63 percent of his passes and has 15 touchdowns with four interceptions and has also run for three more scores. Fromm drew plenty of comparisons to Aaron Murray as a high school prospect, and by the time his career in Athens is over, Fromm will likely be remembered just as fondly.
