Georgia QB/ATH can do it all

Junior to Watch: Joe Lewis Mingo

School: Homerville (Ga.) Clinch County High School

Position: Dual-Threat Quarterback/Athlete

Size and speed: Mingo is 6-foot-1, weighs 185 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds.

Statistics: As a junior, he passed for 1,400 yards with 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,070 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Honors: Was selected to the first-team Class A all-state team.

Favorite Schools: Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Florida.

Skinny: Clinch County coach Cecil Barber says he doesn’t usually like to throw outrageous amounts of hype at his players, but he feels like he’s got one good enough to live up to it in Joe Lewis Mingo.

“Joe reminds everyone of a Michael Vick type quarterback,” he said. “Now, that’s not saying he’s as good as Michael Vick or anything like that, but the way he plays really reminds you of him. He's a big kid, strong as an ox, and he can really run. He’s as elusive a kid as I’ve ever coached. You just can’t get a good shot at him. He makes things happen even when nothing’s there, just a real exciting kid to watch play.”

Barber said Mingo is equally adept running or throwing the ball, which makes him a nice prospect for today’s ever-popular spread offenses.

“He can really hurt you in a number of ways,” Barber said. “We run a lot of option and a lot of spread formations where he can run or throw. He’s extremely dangerous in the sprint-action rollout where people are forced to make a decision what they want to do with him. If you sit back, he’s going to run it and get a bunch of yards. If you come up, he can zip it in there and hurt you down the field. He’s almost impossible to defend.

“A lot of people are looking at him as an ‘athlete,’ too, just based on his size and strength and speed. He could wind up being a real good receiver or return specialist depending on where he goes.”

Mingo accumulated almost 2,500 yards in total offense and accounted for 36 touchdowns in leading the Panthers to a 15-0 record and the Class A state championship.

Schools taking notice of his ability include Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Florida, among others, Barber said. “He gets letters from those four every week. I think he likes all of them quite a bit.”