Super 11 pick Deuce Geralds is two-way standout with ‘outstanding’ leadership

Collins Hill is where Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter first earned his chops as a two-way standout at cornerback and receiver. Now the school has another player getting attention for playing both sides of the ball.

Deuce Geralds, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior at Collins Hill, is an all-state player on the defensive line who provides game-breaking skills as a running back. He has the strength and quickness to overpower and elude opposing offensive linemen, as well as the speed and power to line up in the backfield and blow past the opposition’s secondary.

Consider him a plus-size version of Hunter. He’s even working on a backflip for those postgame celebrations.

“Travis was very electric in what he does,” Collins Hill coach Drew Swick said. “Deuce is physical, has a technique and his leadership, helping bring guys in, is outstanding.”

Geralds, an AJC Super 11 selection, recently announced his commitment to play at LSU. He had 55 offers and chose the Tigers over Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Ole Miss, where his father, Daverin Geralds, played from 2006-09. His grandfather, David Geralds, played for the Houston Oilers before starting a long career as a college coach.

He goes by Deuce because of his position in the family and because it happens to be his favorite number, which he wears on his jersey. And it isn’t uncommon to hear the Collins Hill student section chant, “Deuuuuuuuuccce” during the game.

“I started hearing that in youth league and it carried all the way to high school,” he said. “I love the chant. It gets me hyped up for the game.”

Geralds can still remember realizing how he discovered his two-way skills. It was during rec ball that he picked up a fumble — “the first time the ball actually touched my hands,” he recalled — broke some tackles and ended up returning it to the 1-yard-line.

“Ever since then I realized I was an athlete,” he said. “I wasn’t just a one-dimensional player. And after that I remember they put me in at fullback and had me running the ball, even though I was a lineman.”

One of his most memorable runs came last year against Woodward Academy, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A. Geralds broke a 40-yard touchdown run to break the tie in the final minutes and give his team a 21-14 win. He finished the season with 211 yards rushing on 33 carries with eight touchdowns.

“Most people don’t realize how athletic and fast I am when I’m running the ball,” Geralds said. “I took off on the sideline (against Woodward) and I think I hit like around 20 mph. People were like, ‘Whoa, I didn’t expect that.’”

And while it’s fun to run the ball — and the idea make Geralds’ big smile grow even broader — his future is on the defensive line.

He has built an extraordinary resume during his three seasons at Collins Hill. He had 56 tackles, 10½ sacks and 17½ tackles for loss as a freshman. He had 81 tackles, 14 sacks and 30 tackles for loss as a sophomore. He had 114 tackles, 13 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 36 hurries as a junior.

Collins Hill is helped by the presence of Katrell Webb on the other end of the defensive line. He had 68 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 2024.

“You’ve got him on one side and Deuce on the other, so you can’t double them both,” Swick said. “His growth in leadership has been tremendous.”

Now that the recruitment phone calls and text messages have ended for Geralds, he is eager to help the Eagles get back to the state title game for the first time since winning it all in 2021. Last year Collins Hill finished second in Region 8-6A behind Buford and lost in the quarterfinal round to eventual champion Grayson, a team they defeated in the season opener.

“We’re coming back more mature and when we get down, we’ve got to make sure we stay together, keep our composure, make sure we remember we’re still a team,” Geralds said. “Just keep fighting. I feel like we’ll do a good job with that.”