Georgia jumped on in-state athlete first

CAMILLA, Ga. — There are athletes in south Georgia too. You just have to look a little harder for them sometimes.

College coaches fly in and out of Atlanta because the talent pool is rich and because they can see 10-15 schools a day when they are allowed to be out on the road evaluating and recruiting each year. There is some real talent south of Macon too.

More coaches need to head south to check out James Thomas out of Mitchell County.

He is a 6-foot-3, 190 pound athlete in the 2020 class that plays quarterback for his high school team, but projects as a wide receiver on the next level.

Georgia and Tennessee are two schools that found him early.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: "Georgia was the first school to offer me and I have already been there a few times," said Thomas. "I like the coaching staff, I like the environment and it feels like home already. When I am there, I feel like I am a dawg — like I am already part of the team.

"It is great on game-day. It is awesome. The crowd is big, everyone is hyped up and the fans are always loud. I was there for the Auburn game in 2016 and it was awesome. I loved it.

"As a kid I always liked Georgia. Justin Scott-Wesley played at Georgia and he played here at Mitchell County too, so I really watched him a lot. Georgia has always had good plays and I have always been a fan, so when I got the offer, it meant a lot. For them to come down to my school when I was a freshman, that really meant something to me.

"I have a lot of interest in them and it would be great to go there because it is the home-state school and my family would be able to see me play."

RIVALS REACTION: Georgia being the first school to offer Thomas means a lot to him. He knows about the Georgia program and he has followed a lot of the Bulldog players. He has visited Athens a handful of times and he will likely be back for G-Day this spring. Florida State is another school Thomas is high on. He was on their board when Jimbo Fisher was the head coach, but he has not heard from the new staff yet. He attended a game in Tallahassee last season. Look for his recruitment to pick up this spring and into the summer as he gets to camps and showcases his ability and raw talent.