Some states are as far as five weeks into the 2018 high school football season. So, who has looked good in the early stages? We examine the Southeast region to find several early season standouts from the 2019 and 2020 classes whose stock is on the move.
Watching Allen fly around at the linebacker position is impressive. He is a jumbo-athlete with some real upside. He is committed to Clemson as a tight end, but he could play defense for the Tigers too. His father played at Georgia, so football is in his blood and the Tigers quietly swooped in got this one. He is a young senior at Calhoun (Ga.), so he still has developing to do physically and we could look back in a few years and be talking about this one.
We saw him early in the season and he did not disappoint. It was his first start and Ashford made the most of it. The two-sport athlete out of Hoover (Ala.) threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns on ESPN against Pinson Valley. He has great size and arm strength and, if he plays this season like he did in game one, Ashford will find himself in the Rivals100. Auburn, Clemson (no offer), Georgia and Mississippi State are high on his list. He grew up in a family of Alabama fans and the Crimson Tide are evaluating him.
Auburn commit Johnson is off to a great start in 2018. He has already surpassed 500 yards receiving and he has shown he can be a real weapon for the Tigers in their offense. Johnson is a perfect fit for the slot position with his size, quickness, elusiveness and ability to make plays in space. I saw him play against Cedar Grove (Ga.) where he had well over 100 yards and showed what he can do on the big stage. Auburn looks to be a great fit for him.
The Michigan running back commit has been putting up big numbers his entire high school career, albeit against lower level competition in the state of Tennessee. But earlier this season he had a huge game against Memphis power Whitehaven, a team loaded with future FBS players on both sides of the ball. Gray nearly single-handedly led his team to victory and while we have been cautious because of his competition level and size, it’s clear Gray has earned another move up the rankings.
Another running back from the state of Tennessee, Hodge is a class of 2020 prospect with great size for and a hard running style that make him tough to bring down. Right now, he only has major offers from Tennessee and Louisville, but after coaches get a chance to see his film it’s going to be hard for several other programs that feature a big back not to offer. Expect him to move up the charts at his position when it comes time for the next rankings update.
