There are no five-star quarterbacks in Georgia this season, no Justin Fields, no Trevor Lawrence, no Jake Fromm, no Davis Mills. But there's hope.
Marietta's Harrison Bailey and Oconee County's Max Johnson are the No. 2 and No. 4 pro-style prospects nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. That's among juniors.
"Max and Harrison are going to be compared like Justin and Trevor being in the same class for a long time," 247Sports recruiting analyst Rusty Mansell said.
Bailey is the better known as a high school player. Against Pebblebrook last year, he passed for a school-record 465 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown with 40 seconds left while playing with a broken collarbone (diagnosed after the game). He came back for the playoffs and led Marietta to the quarterfinals and passed for five touchdowns in a 51-41 loss to eventual champion North Gwinnett.
Though not as athletic as Lawrence, Bailey is compared to the former Cartersville star because of their height and strong arm. Bailey is 6 feet, 5 inches, but heftier (220 pounds to 205) than Lawrence.
"Harrison definitely has the big arm in a big frame," Mansell said. "He has lost some weight and he is back 100 percent. I love that he does not care about his ranking, even though he is considered a top-100 player in the country across the board and should be. He is a leader. I have seen it in games even when injured. I watched him coaching players last season. He has great touch and he is very smart. I think Harrison is about to have two very big seasons at Marietta coming up."
GHSF Daily will publish its 10 best at each position for the next nine issues. The players' status as recruits is a factor, but these choices are made largely on production as high school players. (Some top quarterbacks whose rushing and passing yards were nearly equal last year might show up in next week's list of 10 best ''athletes'' and ''two-way'' players.)
*Harrison Bailey, Marietta (6-5, 220): Bailey missed seven games because of injury last season but played six and completed 126 of 210 passes for 1,885 yards and 21 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Bailey is uncommitted but reportedly favors Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee.
*Max Brosmer, Centennial (6-2, 195): Brosmer, an excellent touch passer, was 231-of-341 passing for 3,750 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions as a first-year starter. The Knights were 8-4 last season. Brosmer has some Division I college interest and at least one Ivy League offer.
*Evan Conley, Kell (6-1, 205): Conley played hurt last year, when he was 179-of-285 passing for 2,240 yards and 22 touchdowns. He stayed in the pocket to stay healthy. Look for him to branch out and resemble the sophomore who rushed for 917 yards at Pope. Conley is committed to Appalachian State.
*Dylan Fromm, Warner Robins (6-0, 200): Fromm was the Class AAAAA offensive player of the year in 2017, when he was 289-of-455 passing for 3,505 yards and 35 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions as a first-time starter. He's not as tall as brother Jake, so he isn't the same college recruit. Fromm is committed to Mercer.
*Gavin Gray, Calhoun (5-10, 170): He's not big, nor even fast, so colleges haven't fully bought in yet, but Gray is a tough high school quarterback who hangs in the pocket and makes his throws. Gray was 235-of-369 passing for 3,358 yards and 32 touchdowns as quarterback for the 2017 Class AAA champions.
*Max Johnson, Oconee County (6-3, 210): Johnson, the son of former Florida State and NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, was 124-of-235 passing for 1,918 yards and 10 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season as a sophomore on a 5-6 team. His reported leader is Miami, whose head coach, Mark Richt, is his uncle.
*Knox Kadum, Rome (6-1, 180): So much talent has surrounded Kadum these past two years that many failed to realize he was a major reason for the Wolves' back-to-back state titles. Several mid-major offers show that colleges were paying attention. Kadum completed 71.2 percent of his passes (114-of-160) for 2,046 yards and 23 touchdowns with only three interceptions. And he's rushed for more than 700 yards each of the past two seasons. That includes a 147-yard rushing effort against Buford in the semifinals last year.
*Bo Lawson, Dooly County (6-1, 185): Lawson was the Johnny Manziel of Georgia high school football last season, but without the notoriety. He was 128-of-198 passing for 2,543 yards and 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions for a 5-7 Class A team. Throw in Lawson's 1,574 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns, and you've got perhaps the state's most exciting player. Lawson has an offer from Colorado State.
*Aaron McLaughlin, Buford (6-5, 215): McLaughlin shared the backfield with three Division I running backs last season, and those backs had a handful of D-I offensive linemen up front, so the offense wasn't designed for a freshman quarterback. But McLaughlin, a top-100 national recruit among sophomores, is the most talented pure quarterback that Buford has had. A pocket passer, McLaughlin was 137-of-250 for 1,773 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions last season.
*Jordan Yates, Milton (6-0, 195): Yates is a three-star quarterback who is committed to Georgia Tech. He's a proven talent in Georgia's highest classification. The Milton senior was 130-of-223 passing for 2,011 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions last season. He also rushed for 893 yards and nine touchdowns.
Coming Thursday: Running backs
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