Southeast Spotlight: Prospects with rising stock this summer
Organized football activities started to return in June, and prospects who have been waiting for months to showcase their talents have been back on the field at camps and combines across the country.
Rivals has covered many of those events, and looks now at several Southeast prospects whose stock is on the rise after summer performances.
*****
THIS SERIES: Midwest prospects with rising stock this summer
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
This is going to be a big fall for Bryce Archie. All looks to be on track for the high school football season to be on time in Georgia, and if so, Archie’s offer list could change in a hurry. He has offers from FAU, FIU and Pittsburgh, but he should be in double-digits.
He sat behind Florida commit Carlos Del-Rio last year, but Archie is now the starter, and a lot of eyes will be on him. We have scouted him already this summer, and he has impressed. He has grown a little, he has filled out some, his arm strength is still impressive and his overall game has improved. His offer list right now does not reflect the prospect he is.
*****
Jake Johnson is one of only two tight ends in the 2022 class rated as a four-star, and that may be too low. Johnson made impressions on Rivals at camps in the past, when he attended with his brother Max Johnson, a 2020 LSU signee. The younger Johnson is wanted already, and he could end up in Baton Rouge as well.
We recently watched him work out, and Johnson’s dedication during the quarantine period showed. He has increased strength, he looked a little more explosive and still has those long arms and sticky hands. LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and many others are in pursuit. He could be the No. 1 tight end in the 2022 class.
*****
J.C. French is a quarterback we have seen three times in the last month. This young man is out working on his craft and he has impressed more each time. His arm strength has really improved, and more than anything, the confidence is shining through.
He has always been smart and viewed as a good decision-maker, but the other parts of his game are really evolving. He has offers from Akron, Wake Forest and William and Mary, but he is under-recruited. Once schools see him this fall, his list will grow rapidly.
*****
A 2022 prospect, Carson Haggard has clearly put in work since the shutdown began. He’s added considerable muscle and looks miles more comfortable throwing on the run than he did as a sophomore. Most notable, however, is his increase in size. Haggard is now pushing 6-foot and starting to fill out his frame.
Haggard has been working with famed quarterback trainer Tony Ballard and the results are showing. There’s little doubt that the Miami-based passer can help an FBS team.
*****
Raymond Cottrell has long been on the recruiting radar, but we had a chance to see him work for the first time at the FBU Top Gun Camp in Naples earlier this month. It’s abundantly clear why colleges like the long, physical wideout, as his change of pace is incredible for a receiver of his size. Cottrell is obviously still a little raw, but his explosiveness and sure hands give him a chance to be a special player.