Key, Weems among several transfers who could make big impact

The trend of impact transfers continues to shape high school sports in Georgia, and football certainly gets its share of offseason movement among top players.

Here are several transfers who are expected to make a big difference on their teams in 2014:

*Jeffrey Allison, Hughes:  Allison made all-region in 6-AAAA as a sophomore middle linebacker last season at Banneker, where he made more than 100 tackles. Arkansas, South Carolina and Auburn have shown interest. He joins a defense with returning all-state players D'Andre Walker and Montavious Atkinson and a fourth high Division I recruit in Jeremiah Culbreth.

*Chad Clay, Peachtree Ridge – Clay is ranked the consensus No. 23 prospect in Georgia and No. 20 cornerback nationally among juniors by 247Sports. He comes from Walton, where he caught 39 passes for a team-leading 534 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore.

*Aaron Cochran, Mays – Cochran, a 2013 all-city pick, is a tight end who has committed to Louisville. He left Grady, which is rebuilding after the scandal that found the football team had some 14 student-athletes were not living legally in the Grady school district.

*Arden Key, Hapeville Charter:  Key was a first-team all-state defensive lineman in Class AAAAA last season for M.L. King. He also was named the Region 6-AAAAA defensive player of the year. Rated the consensus No. 13 prospect in Georgia, Key has committed to South Carolina. He moved to Hapeville Charter, a program in just its fourth season, and one coming off a 1-8-1 season. At Hapeville, Key joins another South Carolina commit, safety Antoine Wilder, and three-star wide receiver Datraun Wilder.

*Sam Letton, Walton:  Letton, a tight end, is the son of Bill Letton, Walton's new offensive coordinator. Bill Letton, the head coach of Lexington Catholic the past eight seasons, is a nice catch. But so was Sam. He is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior with offers from Kentucky, Toledo and Western Kentucky.

*Nekyle Lundie, Stephenson – Lundie, the wide receiver who committed to Nebraska last week, came from Tucker. Lundie was Tucker's leading receiver last season with 14 catches in 15 games. Stephenson is a run-oriented team as well, but passed twice as often as Tucker last year. Lundie and Dexter Neal, a preseason all-state pick, now form perhaps the best WR combination in Class AAAAA.

*Nate Mays, Dalton:  Mays, a linebacker who committed to Wake Forest last month, transferred from Gordon Central, where he was a first-team all-Region 5-AAA player on an 0-10 team. He also made the Rome News-Tribune's all-area first team.

*Cody McPeek, Fannin County:  When new head coach Jim Pavao hired an offensive coordinator, he also got an all-state candidate on the offensive line. McPeek, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman, was an all-state player in Kentucky last season and has a Division I offer. His father is Garry McPeek, a former head coach in Kentucky.

*Trevon McSwain, Lambert:  McSwain, a 6-foot-7 defensive end (sometimes listed as 6-8), left Lanier, where he led a 9-3 team in sacks with nine and was first-team all-Gwinnett County alongside Dante Sawyer and Lorenzo Carter. McSwain is rated the No. 55 senior prospect in Georgia in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is committed to Duke.

*Charlie Patrick, Mays - Patrick is a running back and safety who has committed to Georgia State. He led Carver of Atlanta in rushing last season and was first-team all-city.

*Landon Rice, Calhoun: Rice, one of the top 40 players in Georgia's class of 2016 and the consensus No. 12 tight end nationally, is committed to Auburn. This summer, he moved from Darlington to Calhoun, where he expects to have more balls thrown his way. "I'm playing in the slot at Calhoun," he told al.com. "I'm out in space catching balls. When I walk in a room, people are like, 'Man, that's a big kid.' But I can move. I can run and catch passes." Rice is not the first prominent Darlington-to-Calhoun transfer. The Da'Rick Rogers-Nash Nance receiver-quarterback duo, part of Calhoun's 2009 state finalist team, also had attended the Rome private school.

*Zantravious Shields, North Oconee:  Shields left Prince Avenue Christian after rushing for 827 yards and 12 touchdowns and making 65 tackles on defense for a 10-2 team. Shields was a first-team all-state pick at defensive back by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He return to North Oconee, where he spent his sophomore season.

*Delvin Weems, Tucker:  Weems rushed for 1,233 yards and 21 touchdowns last season for Sandy Creek, which finished 11-1-1.Weems is rated as the nation's No. 15 all-purpose back by 247Sports. He is committed to Marshall.

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