It's how many games you win, and not how many college coaches come watch your games, but the two have some correlation. Here are the 10 teams we think have the most high-profile college recruits on their rosters. The ratings listed are from Rivals.com.
*1. Archer: The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAA and in the top 25 nationally in six polls for tangible reasons. This is a team shimmering with seven major Division I players - LB Donta Evans (committed to Ole Miss), OT E.J. Price (4-star), WR Kyle Davis (4-star), DB Dylan Singleton (Duke), DT Kobe Smith (Kentucky), DB Isaiah Pryor (Ohio State) and RB/DB Jamyest Williams (4-star). Price and Davis are rated among the best 10 senior prospects in the state.
*2. McEachern: Perhaps it should be 1A and 1B. McEachern's top senior prospects are DT Julian Rochester (Georgia), TE Christian Roberson (Mississippi State), DT Andrew Tarver (Florida International), WR C.J. Windham (Middle Tennessee), RB Sam Jackson (Georgia Southern), WR Tyler Simmons (3-star) and OL Tremayne Anchrum (3-star). Those are the seniors. Juniors include QB Bailey Hockman (Georgia), WR Tyler Smith (4-star) and DB Jaytlin Askew (3-star).
*3. Grayson: The Rams have the most highly recruited defensive line in the state. DE Bryce Morais (Boston College), DT Chris Martin (Georgia Tech) and DE Mykelle McDaniel (Florida, Georgia and South Carolina lead) are all big recruits. TE Ryan Carrierre (Charlotte) is one of four two-star recruits. Junior QB Chase Brice might become the biggest recruit of all. Rivals rates him the No. 6 pro-style QB nationally in the class of 2017.
*4. Peachtree Ridge: The Lions will have at least four major D-I signees in February. Committed are DB Baylen Buchanan (Louisville), DB Chad Clay (Georgia) and RB Malik Staples (Louisville). DB Nigel Warrior (4-star) is the highest-rated recruit on the team. A similar class is coming behind it. DB DeAngelo Gibbs is Rivals' No. 1 safety nationally among juniors. LB Breon Dixon is a 4-star player. LB Kam Jones and ATH Connor Heyward are 3-stars.
*5. Woodward Academy: AJC Super 11 RB Elijah Holyfield (4-star) leads a group of four certain D-I seniors. The others are DB Antone Williams (Duke), LB Max Richardson (Boston College) and WR Jacob Robertson (3-star). Juniors WR Josh Johnson and ATH J.R. Pace also are 3-stars.
*6. Mays: WR Randrecous Davis (Georgia) leads a group of five committed Mays players. The others are CB Monquavion Brinson (Syracuse), MLB Tobias Little (Missouri), OLB Myles Reid (Miami of Ohio) and DT Marquez Daniel (Army). WR Corey Reed and WR Norman Price are 3-star juniors.
*7. Carver (Columbus): QB Jawon Pass (Louisville) leads a senior class of three top recruits. The others are DB Javontay Smith (North Carolina) and DT T.J. London (Louisville, N.C. State offers). Junior LB Giovannia Moore reportedly favors Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State.
*8. Calhoun: TE Landon Rice (Auburn) and OL Jack DeFoor (Ole Miss) are committed to SEC schools. Junior DB Baylon Spector (Clemson) is the third high-profile recruit. Two-star recruits include QB Kaelan Riley (Mercer), LB Jireh Wilson (Wofford) and OL Drew McEntyre (Army, Navy, Air Force offers).
*9. Buford - The Wolves have three major Division I recruits. That's very good for Class AAAA, but a far cry from the 2014 team, which put eight players into major Division I schools and five others into mid-majors. The current senior class includes ATH Xaier Gantt (Georgia Tech), DT Shug Frazier and ATH Brett Shepherd (both 3-stars). LB William Dale Craig (2-star) is committed to Middle Tennessee. There are two other 2-star recruits.
*10. Roswell - Linebackers Tre Lamar (Clemson) and Tyrone Hopper (North Carolina) are committed. OL Cameron Whiteman (Harvard), QB Quintarius Neely and DB Marcelino Ball are 2-stars. Among juniors, DB LeAnthony Williams (Auburn leads) is a 4-star, and DB Xavier McKinney (Alabama offer) is a 3-star.
Others worth noting ...
Carrollton has DE Michael Boykin (Louisville) and junior OL Case Cook (ACC, SEC offers) and five others are 2-stars or more. ... Colquitt County has one major D-I prospect. That's Ja'Quain Blakely (Tennessee). Three others - WR Kiel Pollard, WR Qwazavia Lee and LB Dee Walker - are 3-stars that could work themselves into that position. DB Rakeem Hightower is rated a 2-star. ... Houston County WR Darion Anderson is committed to Georgia, and junior QB Jake Fromm is a 4-star recruit. ... Lanier's senior class is led by DT Derrick Brown, the No. 1 recruit in the state, and three 2-stars. The junior class has 3-stars LB Juwuan Jones, LB Tyler Taylor and DE Michael Allen. ... At Lee County, OL Chris Barnes (Georgia), QB Garet Morrell (Marshall) and DB William Bryant (Arkansas State) are committed, but the Trojans' top recruit is junior DT Aubrey Soloman, Rivals' No. 3 defensive tackle in the class of 2017. ... Newton has a slew of 2-star recruits. Committed are DB Jacobi Francis (Memphis), WR DeAndre Huff (Miami, Ohio) and DB Tay Gowan (Miami of Ohio). Two juniors - RB Kurt Taylor and LB Jaquan Henderson - are 3-stars. ... North Gwinnett has WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (Southern Cal) and five 2-stars. Three are committed - RB Kameron Pickett (Miami of Ohio), OL Alex Mollette (Marshall) and WR K.J. Hancock (Miami of Ohio). Two juniors - OL Chris Sibilia and LB Drew Jordan - are 3-stars. ... Two Pace Academy juniors - WR Trey Blount and OL Andrew Thomas - are 4-stars. DE Anthony Trinh (Princeton) and OL Timothy Coleman () are seniors. ... Stephenson TE Dennis Wonnum is committed to Iowa State, and DE Michael Pitts is going to Cincinnati. Juniors DE Aaron Sterling and DB Carlito Gonzalez (Auburn) are 3-stars. ...Tucker features LB Tabarius Peterson (Louisville) and DE Cecil Stallings (South Carolina), plus 3-star junior LB Brian Stozier. ATH Akeam Peters and QB Garrett Ribgy (Harvard) are 2-stars. ... Westlake senior DB Ronnie Blackmon (Colorado) and juniors LB Jaden Hunter (4-stars) and WR A.J. Terrell (3-stars) are certain D-I players. Westlake has three other 2-stars.
Chick-Fil-A Battle of the Borders
Stephenson has more alumni in college football than any other Georgia high school. The number was 57 in 2014. So it will be unusual Saturday when the Jaguars play a team with far more blue-chip prospects.
American Heritage, the defending Florida Class 5A champion, has five players who are rated 4-star recruits by Rivals.com. One is Brian Burns, a defensive end high on Georgia's wish list.
Stephenson, in what coach Ron Gartrell calls a rebuilding year, has only two sure-fire Division I recruits, and neither is a 4-star.
"It's different for us," Gartrell said. "It started off last year when we played Miami Central [and lost 22-21 to the eventual Florida 6A champion]. They were loaded at every position. We come back this year and American Heritage is like a small college team."
The other teams playing in Saturday's four-game Chick-Fil-A Battle of the Borders at Hallford Stadium will have similar blue-chip disadvantages.
Hallandale, ranked No. 2 in Florida's 5A, has eight players committed to Division I schools. Hallandale will play Cedar Grove, ranked No. 6 in Georgia's Class AAA. Cedar Grove defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson and linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse are the only Rivals 4-stars playing among Georgia's four teams.
In the other games, unranked Tucker plays Godby, ranked No. 4 in Florida's 5A, and fifth-ranked Marist of AAAA plays Coconut Creek, ranked No. 13 in Florida 5A.
Marist's 17-14 victory over Godby was Georgia's only victory in the 2014 event.
Schedule
Saturday at Hallford Stadium, Clarkston
11:45 a.m. - Coconut Creek vs. Marist
2:30 p.m. - Hallandale vs. Cedar Grove
5:30 p.m. - Godby vs. Tucker
8:30 p.m. - American-Heritage vs. Stephenson
Stadiums honor Godfrey, Welsh
Two old stadiums are getting new names this season. DeKalb County's Panthersville Stadium will be named William "Buck" Godfrey Stadium in honor of the retired Southwest DeKalb coach whose record of 273-89-1 made him the winningest coach in DeKalb schools history. In Thomson, Luther Welsh Field at the Brickyard will be dedicated formally on Sept. 18. Welsh won 323 games in Georgia and state titles at Thomson in 1984, 1985 and 2002.
Atlanta Touchdown Club all-metro team
The Atlanta Touchdown Club recently released its preseason all-metro Atlanta team for 2015.
Offense
QB - Bailey Hockman, McEachern
RB - Elijah Holyfield, Woodward Academy
RB - Russell Halimon, Allatoona
OT - E.J. Price, Archer
OT - Devin Cochran, GAC
OG - Chandler Tuitt, Sandy Creek
TE - Sam Letton, Walton
WR - Kyle Davis, Archer
WR - Josh Imatorbhebhe, North Gwinnett
WR - Major Bellamy, Central Gwinnett
ATH - Dylan Singleton, Archer
PK - Alex Barbir, South Forsyth
Defense
DT - Derrick Brown, Lanier
DT - Antuwan Jackson, Cedar Grove
DT - Julian Rochester, McEachern
DE - Charles Wiley, Stockbridge
DE - Tomon Fox, Collins Hill
ILB - Tre Lamar, Roswell
ILB - Tobias Little, Mays
S - Nigel Warrior, Peachtree Ridge
CB - Chad Clay, Peachtree Ridge
CB - Jordan Griffin, Jonesboro
S - Marlon Character, Grady
P - Anthony Lotti, West Hall
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