Simmons on the Road: Five that shined over the weekend
With the 2019 high school football season officially kicking off in much of the south over the weekend, Rivals.com Recruiting Analyst Chad Simmons was back on the road eyeing the talent.
He took in five games in person from Thursday to Saturday and he names five prospects that really stood out to him.
This list is based on the Lithonia vs. Forest Park, Peachtree Ridge vs. Lanier, Kell vs. Mays, Walton vs. Norcross and North Gwinnett vs. Colquitt County games that were scouted in person.
Carter was all over the field, especially in the first half. He is a top 100 prospect, and he showed why against one of the fastest offenses in the state Saturday. He was strong in the box against the run, he was very effective when asked to blitz the quarterback and he played very fast and physical. He finished with over half a dozen tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack in game one. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State and others are on his list early.
You may look at the numbers and think, OK, that was an average game, but if you were there, and watched Downs for four quarters, you'd understand why he made this list. The North Carolina commit is almost uncoverable in the slot. He is so quick, he sets defensive backs up, he runs precise routes and his hands are golden. He finished with 76 yards on nine receptions. It is easy to see why schools like Georgia Tech and Penn State are still working hard to flip him from the Tar Heels.
It was an easy 51-0 win for Lithonia over Forest Park, and Jones did not have to play much in the second half, but the Georgia commit continued to show improvement and the ability to play fast and with more consistency. Jones has been in that five-star discussion for some time and he played like a highly ranked offensive tackle Thursday. He showed great feet, better balance and the ability to fend off the smaller, quicker edge rushers. Auburn and South Carolina are two schools Georgia will have to fend off.
If you look at Thornton's offer list, it looks like he is under-valued and under-recruited. Yes, he has some offers, but look for more Power 5 schools to show interest as we progress through the season. He had a drop or two early Saturday morning against Kell, but finished very strong. Thornton had 10 receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He has good size, he has a nice burst and his recruitment should pick up.
Webb did what elite linebackers do on Friday nights — do it all. Webb was pressuring the quarterback all night, he was setting the edge against the run, he was dropping into coverage and he was blocking kicks. What is scary about Webb, is that he still has so much room to develop physically. He is a very smart player, he plays fast and he will be out in Norman this weekend for an official visit to Oklahoma. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and others are very much in the mix.
OTHER NOTES
— Georgia Tech commit Jaquari Wiggles played well. He played both sides of the ball and finished with a sack and tackle for loss.
— Rush end Jared Ivey is a long, lean guy on the edge and his length and quickness were on display Saturday. He finished with a sack and a couple tackles for loss.
— Quarterback Jaycee Harden is a quarterback to watch this fall. He throws a nice ball and he should put up big numbers in the Colquitt County offense.
— Daijun Edwards is a strong Florida State lean and he had a couple of nice power runs in the final quarter to help Colquitt County defeat North Gwinnett. He wasn't asked to do much in this game, but when he was, he delivered.
— Mays cornerback Durante Jones was solid in coverage much of the game against Kell. He has good length and could project as a boundary cornerback or free safety on the next level. He has visits to Akron and Kent State coming up.
— Jordan Hancock is a 2021 cornerback at North Gwinnett to know. He recently added an offer from Pittsburgh and he has come on over the last six months. He has a chance to be one of the top corners in Georgia next year.