Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Greg Smith highlights a few of the best prospects from the Southeast that he saw in person this fall.
MORE IN THIS SERIES: Mid-South | Midwest
*****
TUESDAYS WITH GORNEY: Power Five coaches that are hot - or not
FINAL 2023 TEAM RANKINGS: Comprehensive (overall) ranking | High school/JUCO ranking | Transfer portal ranking
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer portal player ranking | Transfer portal team ranking | Transfer Tracker | Message board
*****
There are times when you look out onto a field and know instantly who the best player in the building is. Seeing Zayden Walker during warm-ups was like that. The 2025 OLB is a top 20 player in his class for good reason, and he could be higher.
Walker is a terror off the edge and is fast enough to speed rush around tackles. But he’s got enough strength to hold up in run support as well. He’s being recruited by every top school from coast to coast. However, Georgia seems to be standing out right now. To show the level of player he is, the Bulldogs’ defensive staff believes that he could be a great inside linebacker for them in Athens.
*****
There is probably a higher expectation for players when you know they are going to certain schools. If a quarterback is committed to play at USC right now you expect him to dominate. The same goes for Alabama wide receivers, as it has had an incredible run of high-level pass catchers during coach Nick Saban’s run at the school.
Mandarin (Fla.) High School standout Jaime Ffrench could be the next one up in Tuscaloosa. Ffrench has good hands and speed and he is exceptional after the catch because of his agility and balance. He’ll need to add weight in college, but all the tools are there for the Florida native.
The Tide will have to fight to keep him in their 2025 class, though. Ohio State, Florida State and Miami are not going away anytime soon.
*****
It’s not a surprise that Schley County is one of the favorites to win the A Division in Georgia high school football this year. Teams will see Zayden Walker coming off the edge, but if they do get the pass off it’s best to avoid top 100 ATH Jalewis Solomon.
Solomon is a ballhawk on defense with strong cover skills. He has good size and isn’t afraid to hit, so he can hold up in run support as well. The South Carolina flip from Auburn shook things up a bit, but coach Shane Beamer’s program sees him as a lockdown cornerback.
The question now is if Auburn is out of time to flip him back, or do any other schools try to get in the mix with him? Wherever he lands, someone is getting a heck of a football player.
