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Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Freshman impact: Who makes one?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County produced 23 Division I signees in February, the most in at least the last 20 years and possibly ever. But how many of those freshmen-to-be will actually see the field this fall?
Last year, Grayson’s Brandon Erwin started all 14 games for Purdue at safety and would be named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
At Connecticut, Berkmar’s Terence Jeffers moved into the starting line-up midway through the season and flourished. The 6-2 freshman wide out caught 17 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
So which 2007 signee will make the biggest impact this fall?
Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward (Peachtree Ridge): The Buckeyes return only one starter on the defensive line, but have several players with experience back.
Central Florida receiver Sidney Haynes (Peachtree Ridge): Coach George O’Leary’s team returns just three receivers who earned letters last year and only one senior pass catcher. If he grasps the scheme quickly, Haynes has the size and confidence to compete for playing time immediately.
Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran (Brookwood): He was as dominant as any player in Gwinnett this year. But, at Georgia, Curran will be hard pressed to find any playing time right away. At 5-11, can he play linebacker in the SEC or is a switch to strong safety imminent?
Georgia running back Caleb King (Greater Atlanta Christian): King will have his work cut out for him, if he wants to see the field as a freshman. He’ll first need to qualify academically, before trying to work his way into a crowded Bulldog backfield featuring seniors Kregg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown and hotshot redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno, who was impressive in Georgia’s spring game.
Georgia punter Drew Butler (Peachtree Ridge): The son of former Georgia kicker Kevin Butler will have a chance to win the starting nod at punter. Junior Brian Mimbs is the frontrunner, although kicker Brandon Coutu out-performed him in the spring game. Coach Mark Richt doesn’t want to have Coutu handle both the punting and place-kicking duties. So if Mimbs doesn’t solidify his position as the starter, Butler could be the guy.
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