NOTE: To follow today's UGA football recruiting news, please click here and BOOKMARK the AJC's new DawgNation UGA football site
If anyone knows just how good Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall prospect in 2018, is, it would be his primary target on offense.
That would be Miller Forristall, a 3-star tight end from Cartersville High School, who spoke to the AJC on Wednesday. The Alabama commit didn’t hold back when prompted for his honest assessment of the 6-foot-5, 191-pound sophomore quarterback.
“Well, I’ll start with this,” Forristall said. “I went to The Opening this year and I threw with the best of the best. And I swear to you this, you could bring Trevor Lawrence out there this year and he could compete with all those kids. Not a doubt in my mind he can go out there and throw with the best of them.”
Last year, 5-star quarterbacks Jacob Eason (Wash.) and Shea Patterson (Fla.) were in attendance for the event.
Lawrence, who’s already reported 15 offers, is considered by some to be the best quarterback in the state, regardless of classification. As a freshman at Cartersville, he completed 187 of 310 passes for 3,042 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.
“There are days in practice where he’ll throw a ball, and all the coaches will turn around just dumbfounded,” Forrister said. “They’ll look at each other like, ‘Did that really just happen?’. He’s 15. He’s 6-foot-5 and he’s 190 pounds and he can move. I’m telling you, he’s special. He’s been a lot of fun to play with.”
Now, let’s move on to some recent happenings around the state of Georgia and the SEC.
Anchrum’s father, Tremayne Anchrum, Sr., confirmed to the AJC that his son did, in fact, receive an offer. Though there hasn’t been any contact between the two parties, Anchrum, Sr., says the Yellow Jackets have his son high on their board.
What are the chances Tech can swing the 6-foot-3, 268-pound guard? I would venture to say it’s unlikely, given that Anchrum is set to announce his decision on Oct. 12. He’s also considering enrolling early.
I think Georgia Tech is a little late.
2. Close decision between UVA and Georgia Tech for DB
Georgia Tech lost out on a 3-star safety from Wesleyan High School this past summer in Jordan Mack.
The UVA commit spoke with the AJC about his recent commitment and says the decision wasn't an easy one. Mack, who reported several offers, acknowledged that his decision came down to UVA, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech.
When prompted about the Yellow Jackets, Mack offered nothing but high praise for the program, particularly for defensive coordinator Ted Roof.
Though he’s a firm commit to the Cavaliers, know this: Wesleyan is located in Gwinnett, an area where Roof has had a lot of successes (he grew up there). And just last year, UVA had a commitment from Buford’s David Curry, a 3-star receiver, before he flipped to the Yellow Jackets.
I’m not suggesting that he could flip, and Mack gave no indication that he would, either. Just some food for thought.
3. Clemson commit says Auburn was his No. 2 school
You probably didn't know that Tre Lamar, a 4-star linebacker from Roswell, is totally into drag racing. He even got involved in a push-up contest at an NHRA event this year.
You may also not have known that Lamar, who committed to Clemson in July, was also considering Auburn, a school he acknowledged to the AJC was his No. 2 choice.
What worked in the Clemson’s favor?
“I just felt a little more at home with Clemson,” Lamar told the AJC in an interview. “It was the atmosphere, the culture of the school, and the people around it.”
4. Georgia TE talks Alabama commitment, martial arts
Remember Johnny Lawrence from The Karate Kid? That's Miller Forristall, a 6-foot-5 tight end out of Cartersville High School, who just so happens to have the build of Rob Gronkowski.
In an interview with the AJC, Forristall, a 3-star prospect, opened up about his commitment to Alabama and how he’s practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu for over 10 years.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 6-foot-5. Am I making myself clear?
Forristall says he’s unsure whether he’ll continue his mixed martial arts training when he enrolls at Alabama in January. And for good reason. Can you imagine how that conversation might go with Nick Saban?
SMU commit David Moore may have relocated to Georgia last year, but his Texas roots are undeniable.
The AJC caught up with Moore, a 3-star quarterback from Milton High School, who detailed why he’s chosen to return to Texas to continue his football career.
It’s an interesting read on an underexposed recruit who’s transferred schools not once but three times. Recruiting circles believe he was a steal for Chad Morris and the staff at SMU, who envision him becoming to SMU what Robert Griffin III was to Baylor.
When Luke Elder suffered a knee injury during LaGrange High School's spring scrimmage, he was told it would take six to eight months to recover. It was the kind of news no recruit wants to hear.
But the 3-star offensive lineman, who committed to UNC over the summer, says he was fortunate enough to have a strong relationship with the schools he was considering. He opened up to the AJC on Thursday about his recovery, which schools stuck by and why he chose the Tar Heels.
Miller, a 3-star defensive back, transitioned from receiver to defensive back at the tail end of his junior year. He’s been hearing from several schools since then, including Wake Forest, Louisville and South Carolina.
But he’s underexposed. A scout I spoke with said he has all the tools — length, size, aggressiveness — to be a Division I defensive back. He’s 6-foot-2 and has an understanding of the receiver position that not many defensive backs have.
Keep him on your radar.
8. Highly touted QB has two SEC schools in his top 3
Class of 2018 quarterback Joey Gatewood of Bartram Trail High (Jacksonville, Fla.) announced through Twitter on Thursday his top three, a list that includes LSU, Auburn and Florida State.
Gatewood, who's considered a strong lean to FSU, is definitely a name to keep an eye out for over the next two seasons. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound quarterback has a four-star ranking with 247Sports, which lists him as the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in his class.