Robby Pruitt has been a high school football coach for 37 seasons and has won 353 games and seven state titles. When someone of his stature says he never has coached anyone “tougher, quicker or better,” that conjures up images of a major Division I prospect.
But Antonio Dawson is 5-foot-3, 135-pound running back. Dawson is a senior at Coffee High, the undefeated third-ranked team in Class AAAAAA.
“If he was 5-11 or 6-feet and 190, he would pick his school,” Pruitt said. “He’s really quite amazing for his size. I think you could ask any of our opponents and they would tell you the same.”
Major college football has outgrown smaller kids. The average 5-star running back is already 200 pounds as a high school senior. The average blue-chip tackle is 6-5.
But undersized players — with Dawson as a prime example — continue to be worth their weight in gold on Friday nights.
“Players like this,” Pruitt said, “are what makes a winning team — good, hard-working kids who love the game and team.”
Some of Georgia’s best teams are led by them.
Eagle's Landing Christian won the Class A private-school title last season with 5-9, 170-pound running back Keaton Mitchell, who rushed for 2,509 yards. He has 968 all-purpose yards — 12.1 yards per touch — in four games this season.
“I feel like he is going to end up at a Group of Five [mid-major Division I] school and go to the NFL,” ELCA coach Jonathan Gess said. “But yes, the big schools think he is not big enough. He is the best running back I have coached or seen.”
Credit: John Amis
Credit: John Amis
Heard County won Class AA in 2018 with a linebacker who is 5-9, 175, but without college offers. Jai Wright, now a senior, had 103 tackles, 20 for losses. He has playing some running back this season.
“This kid plays harder than anyone on our team,” said defensive coordinator D.J. Curbow. “I told our team [last year] that if they all played as hard as Jai that we would not have any trouble winning that title game, and they did.”
Mill Creek coach Josh Lovelady says wide receiver Parker Wroble is the best all-around offensive player he has coached in 24 years in the highest classification. Wroble is 5-8.
“Power 5 coaches say they love his film and how dynamic he is, but size is a concern,” Lovelady said. “Also, some of the Power 5s only take a Parker-sized kid once every few years. They will have one or two 5-8 receivers, but the rest of the roster will be 6-foot and taller.”
Wroble is committed to Air Force. He’s fortunate. Roswell has offensive lineman Matthew Copeland, who his position coach, Scott Hamilton, considers the equal to the major Division I prospect who lines up beside him. But Trey Zimmerman is 6-6, 295 and committed to North Carolina. Copeland is 5-11, 270, with no offers.
“If Matthew was 6-4, he would have 50 offers,” Hamilton said. “I would say that he and Trey combine to make one of the best, if not the best, offensive line combos in the state. Five Matts would make a dominant offensive line.”
A disproportionate number of these small- to normal-sized standouts seem to be sons of coaches. And those aren’t stars such as Brock Vandagriff of Prince Avenue Christian or Tate Rodemaker of Valdosta. Those coaches’ sons are 6-3 and destined to become D-I quarterbacks.
But consider Colby Smith, son of Madison County coach Chris Smith. He’s 5-10, 165, but a four-year starter and two-way player with more than 300 yards rushing, 300 passing and 30 tackles this season. Ryan Hurst, son of Pepperell coach Rick Hurst, is a two-year starter at cornerback. He’s 5-8, 140. David and Joshua Dallas, the twin sons of Trinity Christian coach Kenny Dallas, are 6-0. Not short, but the elite QB prospects these days average 6-5. David passed for 303 yards, 150 of that to Josh, in a game last week.
If colleges don’t notice them, opposing coaches will.
K.J. Starnes was voted the Region 2-AA defensive player of the year last season. He’s 5-8, 155, and plays for sixth-ranked Swainsboro. Richmond Hill defensive tackle Shaquan Brooks made first-team all-region as a sophomore despite his size — 5-8, 260. Aerian Stephens of Turner County is 5-8, 150, and was first-team all-region. He’s his team’s leading tackler for the second year running.
Hephzibah cornerback Ronald Coleman III is 5-6, 150, but a four-year starter who made first-team all-region and placed top four in the GACA state weightlifting competition in the 141-150 weight class.
Wesleyan defensive lineman Jackson Turner is 5-9, 210, but has been “an unblockable force up front for us,” said coach Franklin Pridgen. Turner intercepted 5-star quarterback Vandagriff to help seal Wesleyan’s upset of Prince Avenue Christian earlier this month.
Glynn Academy running back Nolan Grant, first-team all-Region 2-AAAAAA, is 5-7.
“We are a gun, triple-option offense, and Nolan has been our dive-back, pitch-back, slot receiver, punt-and-kick returner and did a stint in 2018 as a wildcat QB,” said Glynn receivers coach Chris Warnet.
Yet many of these will never play a down after high school. At Coffee, Pruitt believes they deserve more credit for what they’re doing now.
“Going to the next level and playing college football is awesome and a huge blessing, but the bottom line is most kids don’t,” Pruitt said. “I think we often overlook the importance and worth of the solid program player, a kid who comes to workouts and practice every day with his sleeves rolled up wanting to get better and who plays for his team and community. These type of players are becoming harder and harder to find because of the what’s-best-for-me attitude that’s so prevalent in our culture now. But when you do find the good solid high school payers with the character and work ethic and unselfish team-first attitude, you usually have a good ball club.”
Major D-I size
These are the average heights and weights of the top 10 college football prospects at each position this year, according to 247Sports:
QB — 6-4 ½, 215
RB — 5-11 ½, 203
WR — 6-1 ½, 190
TE — 6-4 ½, 229
OL — 6-5, 286
DL — 6-4 ½, 294
DE — 6-4 ½, 265
LB — 6-2 ½, 228
DB — 6-0 ½, 190
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