There will be a rare head-to-head collision of Georgia’s No. 1-rated college football prospects in this weekend’s state championships at the Georgia Dome.
Norcross High School defensive end Lorenzo Carter, who is ranked as the state’s top senior, will square off against North Gwinnett offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt, who is projected as the No. 1 junior. The two Gwinnett teams play for the Class AAAAAA championship at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
This is the second showdown this season between the 5-star recruits. Carter and Hyatt had some intense moments against each other, including a personal foul and one ripped-off helmet, when North Gwinnett won 36-17 on Sept. 13. After the game, Carter sought out Hyatt to give him a handshake and hug.
Carter, 6 foot 5 and 230 pounds, has Georgia, Florida and Alabama as his recruiting leaders. He drew plenty of attention after registering 19 sacks as a junior, though he has only recorded eight this year.
“Lorenzo has been great this season,” Norcross coach Keith Maloof said. “When you’re a great player — and you saw it with (Jadeveon) Clowney at South Carolina — you come in with great numbers, you have 19 sacks one year, the next year you’re not going to do the same.
“I mean, it’s hard. It’s hard when they’re putting two guys on you, they’re holding you, they’re cutting you, they’re holding and yanking on you. They are finding all kinds of ways to do stuff. But overall, he’s had the stats. He’s getting in on tackles and he’s making plays.”
The 6-6, 270-pound Hyatt has Clemson, Auburn, Georgia and Ohio State among his early leaders.
“Mitch is a tremendous football player,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “He plays every snap in every game and every practice. He works hard at his trade all the time.”
Here’s a look at five other prospects to watch this weekend:
- Lance Austin, quarterback, Lamar County: Lance and his twin, Lawrence Austin, are committed to Georgia Tech, along with teammate Qua Searcy. Lance has 1,924 all-purpose yards while his brother has rushed for 1,348 yards at tailback. The 5-8 seniors also both start in the defensive secondary. "I think if those guys lived in the metro area, they're probably recruited a little bit more," Lamar County coach Franklin Stephens said. "Their heights and all those different things played a part in it. But in the end, it worked out for them (at Tech)."
- Evan Berry, defensive back, Creekside: Evan and his twin, Elliott Berry, are the younger brothers of NFL star Eric Berry. They will follow in the footsteps of their father and famous sibling to play at Tennessee. They've felt pressure because of Eric's successes. "One thing we talk about is that their brother, Eric, has done some great things, some things that are kind of hard to repeat in life," Creekside coach Olten Downs said. "We may not get the individual attention and awards he has received. But we can get the team goals and awards he wasn't able to accomplish (in high school)."
- Detric Dukes, linebacker, Tucker: Dukes made an early commitment to Louisville but ended up switching to Georgia last summer. "The college scouts love his size and speed," said Tucker coach Bryan Lamar. "You just don't find many linebackers at 6-1, 235 pounds who can run really, really well. He's got a great temperament, but he's extremely physical. He is the pulse of the defense and he gets everybody going."
- Milan Richard, tight end, Calvary Day: He's the nephew of the most famous football player in Georgia history, Herschel Walker, and had a chance to play for the Bulldogs. However, Richard wasn't ready to make his decision before the spot at UGA was taken and he wound up committing to Clemson over Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. "If we can get him the ball in the open field, he looks pretty darn good when he catches and runs with it," Calvary coach Mark Stroud said.
- Dontavious Russell, defensive tackle, Carrollton: The 6-3, 280-pounder originally committed to Georgia last April but recently backed off the pledge to look at Auburn, where his uncle played football. He plans to visit both schools after the season, according to Carrollton coach Rayvan Teague. Russell has 78 tackles, 10 1/2 tackles for losses and 7 1/2 sacks.
