Sports
10 best high school OL: It could be Georgia's best position
It could be called the year of the tackle in Georgia high school football. There are 13 tackles in 247Sports’ composite rankings of the best 50 college prospect this year for the class of 2015 – and six of those didn’t make the AJC’s list of the 10 best high school offensive linemen in the state.
There are another four offensive guards in Georgia’s top 50, and two of those didn’t make the top 10.
Today’s list, the fourth in a series of articles that recognizes some of Georgia’s best players by position, highlights Georgia’s deepest position in 2014.
There are a couple of no-brainers. Mitch Hyatt of North Gwinnett and Chuma Odoga of McEachern are each rated among the top five tackles prospects in the nation.
McEachern coach Kyle Hockman on Odoga: ‘’He is the fifth offensive lineman from McEachern in the last five years with a full scholarship. At this stage of his career, he is the best of those. Great kid, smart (1200 on the two-part SAT). Big, physical, but most of all, he has great feet. Weighs 280-plus, but moves like he is 230.’’
North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire on Hyatt: ;;Mitch is a complete lineman. He has size and length to go along with being a really good athlete. He is effective as a run blocker and a pass blocker, and he can play out in space on screens, etc. Mitch is one of our
strongest players in the weightroom. Great work ethic, very intelligent, coachable.''
Also rated among Georgia’s top 50 prospects overall are Dallas Warmack of Mays, Kaleb Kim of Mill Creek and Nick Wilson of Milton. All were all-state in 2013.
Milton coach Howie DeCristofaro on Wilson: ''Due to his lacrosse back round he has good change of direction, starting and stopping and eye-hand coordination. He is also a very smart young man who has been offered by Stanford and has been accepted academically by them. No small accomplishment. He is the complete package.” He is on the same level as (current Auburn defensive lineman) Carl Lawson was when he was here. I don’t say that lightly.''
Milton coach Shannon Jarvis on Kim, a rising four-year starter: ''His explosiveness off the ball is one of his greatest attributes and what has propelled him to becoming such an elite linemen. As great of a player as he is, though, he is probably a better teammate whose passion for the game can elevate that of those around him."
The other five also are expected to play at the Division 1 level, probably at BCS schools, but are not as highly rated as several other line prospects in the state. It is their pedigree as high school players and their value to their teams during their careers that gave them the nod.
Stephenson’s Javon Barnes, recruited as a defensive lineman, is a good example. Barnes was his team’s most productive offensive lineman in 2013 ahead of teammates that went to ACC and SEC schools. He made first-team all-state in 2013. He’s only 6 feet, so won’t be getting major D-1 looks as a blocker.
Randy Robinson of Lovejoy is a similar player. Undersized in height, Robinson has started in 42 games, 37 of them victories.
Troup’s Mitch Mathes is another rising four-year starter who made all-state last season.
‘’Mitch is proven over time,’’ Troup coach Lynn Kendall said of Mathes, who helped his team set a school record for rushing yards last season. “His production has been high every year, and he keeps getting better. He’s smart, quick, powerful and the leader of the offensive line.’’
Buford’s Nick Polino, a three-star recruit at guard, was the best offensive lineman on a team that scored a state-record 707 points last season. Sprayberry’s Bailey Sharp, who will be a three-year starter, was under the radar for a struggling team in 2013 until performing well at Georgia Rising Senior All-Star Game.
That leaves off a pretty impressive list of players destined for major D-1 schools. Those include Bailey Sharp of Sprayberry, Cole Minshew of Coffee, Malik Mackey of Mays, Sage Hardin of Marist and Kwan Stallworth of M.L. King, Brandon Sandifer of Northside-Warner Robins and Saquan Reese of Jenkins County.
The top 10 offensive lineman in Georgia high school football.
*Javon Barnes (Stephenson): Barnes was named a first-team all-state lineman in Class AAAAA last season, although most of the recruiting services project him as a defensive tackle in college, mainly because of his size – 6 feet, 300 pounds. He is listed as the nation’s No. 66 defensive tackle prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior graded 94 percent in 2013 with 41 pancake blocks and 15 “key blocks” that led to touchdowns for a Stephenson team that finished 9-3 and reached the second round of the playoffs. Barnes reportedly has an offer from Boston College and interest from about six other programs, primarily ACC schools.
*Chuma Edoga (McEachern): Edoga was the top offensive lineman on a McEachern team that had a 1,200-yard passer (QB Ty Clemons) and two 1,100-yard rushers (Clemons and RB Taj Griffin). The 6-foot-4, 285-pound senior is a five-star recruit who is rated among the top three tackle prospects in the nation by Scout and 247Sports. He graded at 90 percent with 35 pancake blocks last season and was named first-team all-state in Class AAAAAA. McEachern finished 11-3 and reached the state semifinals. Edoga has more than 20 scholarship offers from BCS schools but recently committed to Southern Cal.
*Mitch Hyatt (North Gwinnett): The 6-foot-6, 275-pound senior is a five-star recruit who is considered one of the nation’s top offensive line prospects, ranked as the No. 1 tackle by Scout and the No. 2 tackle by Rivals and 247Sports. Hyatt was a first-team all-state selection in Class AAAAAA last season and was voted offensive lineman of the year by Gwinnett County coaches. He paved the way for an offense that averaged 229 yards passing and 142 yards rushing. North Gwinnett went 13-2 and lost to Norcross in the state final. Hyatt has offers from more than 15 BCS schools but has committed to Clemson, where his uncle (Dan Benish) played.
*Kaleb Kim (Mill Creek): Kim, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound senior, is a four-star recruit who is rated among the nation’s top 30 offensive tackles, including a high of No. 14 by Rivals. He had an overall blocking grade of 88 percent for the season with 37 pancake blocks and led the way for an offense that averaged more than 420 yards and 40 points per game. Kim was named first-team all-state in Class AAAAAA last season. The Hawks finished 6-4 and were likely the best team in the state that failed to reach the playoffs. Kim committed to Auburn last week.
*Mitch Mathes (Troup): Mathes is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound senior who was named first-team all-state in Class AAAA last season. Troup finished 6-5 and reached the first round of the state playoffs. The three-year starter had 40 pancake blocks and was the leader on an offensive line that paved the way for the Tigers’ 3,500 yards rushing, but he is also considered an outstanding pass protector. Mathes has received scholarship offers from Mercer, Old Dominion, Army and Alabama-Birmingham but also has received interest from several SEC and ACC schools.
*Nick Polino (Buford): The 6-foot-4, 270-pound senior is a three-star recruit who is rated as the nation’s No. 26 offensive guard by Rivals. He graded 89 percent with 122 knockdowns and was named first-team all-state in Class AAA last season for a team that scored a state-record 707 points. Buford finished 15-0 and won its ninth state championship in 13 years. Polino also played defensive line and recorded 32 tackles and a sack. Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Virginia are among about eight schools that have made offers, and he has received interest from several other BCS schools, including Georgia Auburn, Tennessee and Notre Dame.
*Randy Robinson (Lovejoy): The 6-foot-2, 320-pound senior center has started all 42 games of his varsity career, helping the Wildcats compile a 37-5 record during that time with two appearances in the state championship game. Lovejoy was 10-2 in 2013 and reached the second round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs. He graded 97 percent with 110 pancake blocks last season and was named first-team all-state by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. Robinson recently won the shot put at the Clayton County Track and Field Championships. He reportedly has received interest from about eight colleges, including Georgia, Auburn, Arizona and Indiana.
*Bailey Sharp (Sprayberry): The 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior didn’t get much fanfare a year ago playing for Sprayberry, which finished 2-8. But some viewed him as the best lineman at the Georgia Rising Senior All-Star Game in December. He’s come on as a college prospect since then. He is the No. 35 prospect in the state in the in the 247Sports Composite rankings, and he’s rated among the top 40 offensive tackles in the country. Sharp played his freshman season at Thomas County Central and grew up an Auburn fan. He committed to the Tigers earlier this month.
*Dallas Warmack (Mays): The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior is a four-star recruit who is listed as the nation’s No. 9 offensive guard prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He graded at 83 percent with 31 pancake blocks and was named first-team all-state in Class AAAAA. Mays finished 8-4 (second place in powerful Region 6-AAAAA) and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs. Warmack has about 10 scholarship offers, mainly from schools in the SEC and ACC, but committed to Alabama last summer.
*Nick Wilson (Milton): The 6-foot-3, 280-pound senior is a four-star recruit who is listed as the nation’s No. 14 offensive guard prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was named first-team all-state in Class AAAAAA after grading at 88 percent with 81 knockdowns and 37 pancake blocks and allowing no sacks on 126 passing plays. He is one of the state's strongest players with personal bests of 340 in the clean, 375 bench press and 605 below parallel squat. Milton finished 8-3 and lost to state runner-up North Gwinnett in the first round of the playoffs. Stanford is reported to be the leader in his recruitment, but Wilson has about 15 offers from schools in the SEC and ACC.
