Class AAAAAA could claim one of the nation’s top high school football players during the 2017 season.
Harrison quarterback Justin Fields finished as the No. 2 senior prospect nationally, behind only Cartersville quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Fields had his season end prematurely when he suffered a broken finger in October in a victory against Dalton, but he has long since recovered and is currently taking part in spring practice at the University of Georgia.
Class AAAAAA isn’t expected to have a player with those lofty rankings this season, but it does boast 10 rated among the top 100 players in Georgia.
Here are those players, listed with their current Georgia ranking in the 247Sports composite ratings. All ranking numbers listed below are from the 247Sports composite list, unless noted:
15. Justin Eboigbe (Forest Park): The 6-foot-4.5, 263-pound strongside defensive end has made a name for himself despite playing for a program that has gone just 3-27 in his first three years of high school. Eboigbe is ranked No. 9 nationally at his position and No. 121 overall. He has received 27 offers, with the strongest interest reportedly coming from Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma. Forest Park's 2-8 record last season under first-year coach Martez Edwards matched the program's best since the 2002 team went 3-7.
16. Jalen Perry (Dacula): The 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback/wide receiver was named the region player of the year and an AJC first-team all-state selection after helping lead the Falcons to the Region 8 title. Perry led Dacula in all-purpose yards and had three interceptions and 14 passes defensed. Perry is the No. 14 cornerback nationally and the No. 131 overall player. He had 19 reported offers but committed to Georgia in October. Dacula finished the season 7-5 and reached the second round of the playoffs.
27. Warren McClendon (Brunswick): McClendon, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive tackle, was named first-team all-Region 2 and AJC all-state last year for a team that finished 7-3, the Pirates' most wins since 2010. McClendon is ranked No. 24 at his position nationally and No. 252 overall. He has received 22 offers, with Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and South Carolina reported to be the top pursuers. His uncle (Willie McClendon) and cousin (Bryan McClendon) were both standouts players at Georgia.
33. Treron Collins (Hughes): Collins, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety, had 38 total tackles and nine passes defensed for a Panthers team that had three other defensive backs (Aaron Finch, Telly Plummer and Rashad Ajayi) earn all-region honors. Collins is rated as the No. 28 safety nationally and the No. 326 player overall. He has received 20 offers, including Georgia Tech and several other ACC and SEC schools. Hughes went 7-4 last season and finished in third place in an unusually deep Region 5-AAAAAA.
34. Derrick McLendon (Tucker): The 6-foot-3, 220-pound weakside defensive end had 21 tackles, including four for losses, for a defense that allowed just 10.1 points per game last season, second-best in DeKalb County behind Cedar Grove. McLendon is rated as the nation's No. 25 weakside defensive end and No. 331 overall senior prospect. Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Georgia appear to be the leaders among 24 offers, with Alabama reported to be the favorite. Tucker was a semifinalist last season and finished 12-2.
55. Logan Cash (Winder-Barrow): Cash, a 6-foot-3.5, 252-pound strongside defensive end, earned all-Region 8 and first-team all-state honors for a Winder-Barrow team that finished 9-3, its best season since 1993. He recorded a team-best 101 total tackles (40.5 for losses) and 23.5 sacks. Cash has 12 reported offers, from schools that include Appalachian State, Georgia State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Washington State. He is ranked No. 37 nationally at his position by 247Sports and as the No. 567 player overall.
66. David Spaulding (Bradwell Institute): The 6-foot-2, 175-pound cornerback had 35 tackles and two interceptions last season for a Bradwell Institute team (6-4) that just missed out on a playoff berth but recorded its most victories since 2009. He was named an all-Region 2 selection. Spaulding is ranked by 274Sports as the nation's No. 70 cornerback and No. 766 overall prospect. He reportedly has received his first two offers within the past six weeks, from Georgia State and Mercer.
85. Tra Wilkins (Stephenson): Wilkins, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound outside linebacker, will be a key part of a Stephenson defense that is looking to improve on its performance from 2017, when it allowed 16.45 points per game, the most since 1999. Wilkins is rated by 247Sports as the No. 84 player at his position and the No. 872 senior nationally. He has a reported 26 offers, including Alabama, Georgia and eight other SEC schools.
90. Zach Owens (Pope): Owens, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver, had 658 yards receiving on 37 catches for a team that passed for just 88.4 yards per game last season. He also rushed for 622 yards on 60 carries and led the Greyhounds with 1,379 all-purpose yards. Owens, a second-team all-Region 7 selection, is rated No. 111 at his position and No. 927 nationally. He committed to Georgia Tech last week over offers from Troy, Maryland, South Alabama and Texas-San Antonio.
97. Mataio Soli (Douglas County): The 6-foot-4, 225-pound weakside defensive end earned first-team all-Region 5 honors last season after recording 77 total tackles (20 for losses) and 18 sacks and helping Douglas County to a 10-2 season, its best since 2005. He is ranked No. 70 at his position and No. 1,004 overall nationally. Soli has received 25 offers that include Georgia Tech and seven other ACC schools plus five SEC schools, but his recruitment appears wide open.
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