GHSF Daily is expanding its Four Questions feature this season beyond head coaches to other voices in high school football. Today's interviewee is Rusty Mansell, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports for the past eight years. He is the director of player personal for the Elite Classic All-Star games in Georgia and is a member of the Adidas All-American selection committee. A native of Rome, he was a starting tight end for Pepperell's 1990 Class AA championship team.
Rusty Mansell, recruiting analyst
1. What are your best memories as a high school player, and how did that influence what you're doing today? "Playing high school football at Pepperell changed my life. I was never a college prospect. I was a typical high school football player that was on a great team. Playing for Lynn Hunnicutt taught me to push myself not only in sports but in life. I am a firm believer in team sports and especially football for this reason. It teaches you to push yourself for the betterment of a team. That carries on in life to your job, etc. If you are a problem to your coaches and teachers in school, most likely you are going to be a problem in the work world. I truly believe that."
2. What is the most memorable high school game that you've seen or played in? "Probably the best game I ever played in personally was winning the state semifinals against Early County at the end of the game at the 1-yard line, where we forced a fumble to seal it. We won 21-20 and went on to win the state championship the next week 42-8. Both of those games are great memories. Standing on the field celebrating with a small town and family probably is still to this day my favorite personal sports memory. That Roswell-Grayson state title game has to be up there for the last game ever in the Georgia Dome. What a game to end that place!"
3. Who is the most underrated Georgia high school player/prospect this season? "I think Knox Kadum, the quarterback at Rome. The kid has done nothing but win and play his best in the biggest games. In the two games against Buford the last two years, he has been the best quarterback on the field by far. He has simply produced. Ask the Stockbridge, Warner Robins, Carrollton and Buford staffs about him. I am sure they will be glad when he is gone."
4. Who is the best Georgia high school player that you've ever seen? "I think watching Trevor Lawrence over the last few years, he is just different in what he can do. I think the country is about to see what everyone here has known a long time - he is elite, special and an upper 1-percent type kid. I saw some things on the sidelines from him talking to teammates and coaching players. That is God-given stuff inside you that only a few have. Others that stand out in my memory are Quincy Carter, Deshaun Watson and Justin Fields that I saw in person, knowing they were different-level talents after games."
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