First early signing period expected to be busy in Central Georgia, nation
By Michael A. Lough
centralgasports@gmail.com
The first early signing period for football starts on Wednesday, with Houston County’s Trey Hill among the first to put pen to paper.
The Bear offensive lineman has a 9 a.m. ceremony planned in the school’s media center.
That’s the same room where former and future teammate Jake Fromm signed financial aid papers to attend Georgia 59 weeks ago.
Many of Central Georgia’s top prospects are expected to sign Wednesday, but that won’t lessen too much the flurry of activity on the regular National Signing Day on Feb. 7, 2018.
Taylor County running back Lyn-J Dixon decommitted in mid-season from Tennessee, and will commit and sign in one sitting on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the school auditorium.
Dixon, injured much of the season, is down to Clemson and Oklahoma State.
Clemson has nearly 20 Georgians on the roster, while Oklahoma State has four, including former Fitzgerald running back J.D. King, who as a 5-11, 205-pound freshman is second on the team with 466 yards on 97 carries.
Teammate quarterback Gunnar Watson long ago committed to Troy.
Baldwin multi-sport standout Jatavious Harris made his decision on Monday to attend Louisville for football and track. Harris was a state track champ in Class 4A in the 100 and 200.
Peach County will send off a stellar trio on Wednesday, all through of whom will graduate early and enroll in college for the second semester.
Wideout Kearis Jackson, recovering from a late-season wrist injury, will sign with Georgia while linebacker JaQuez Jackson becomes a rival at Georgia Tech. And place-kicker Mitchell Fineran is assured a trip home every other year as a Samford Bulldog when the team of Maconite Chris Hatcher plays at Mercer.
Signing Ceremonies
(based on information solicited from teams and coaches; to be updated throughout the signing period)
Wednesday
Peach County
5 p.m., school auditorium
Kearis Jackson, UGA; JaQuez Jackson, Georgia Tech; Mitchell Fineran, Samford
Warner Robins
1 p.m., lunchroom
Christian Armstrong, Florida State
Central Georgia Prospects
(a to-be-updated list of many area recruits and where they’ve committed; the list includes players expected to sign either during the early period or February period. It will be maintained and updated from now until the Feb. 7 signing day with commitments).
The number listed is the number of stars that service has given the player, and their state or national ranking; 247Sports rankings: junior college players from Georgia are ranked, high school ranking is among high school players; ESPN lists the top 100 per state
High School
Christian Armstrong, Warner Robins, OL, Florida State
Rivals: 4, No. 38 state, ; 247Sports: 3, No. 44 state; ESPN: No. 54 state
Quay Betha, Jones County, OL
Drake Bolus, Jones County, RB
JeCory Burks, Perry, CB
Trey Brown, Macon County, WR
Lyn-J Dixon, Taylor County, RB, Oklahoma State or Clemson
Rivals: 3, No. 44 state, ; 247SPorts: 4, No. 33 state; ESPN: No. 22 state
Mitchell Fineran, Peach County, PK, Samford
DeQueze Fryer, Jones County, WR
Antonio Gilbert, Peach County, QB
Dorian Gorham, West Laurens, LB
Travis Glover, Dooly County, OL
Jatorian Hansford, Mary Persons, LB, Missouri
247Sports: 2, No. 220 state
Jatavious Harris, Baldwin, WR, Louisville
Rivals: 3, No. 51 state, ; 247Sports: 3, No. 53 state; ESPN: No. 47 state
Trey Hill, Houston County, G, Georgia
Rivals: 4, No. 10 state, ; 247Sports: 4, No. 6 state; ESPN: No. 6 state
Jaquez Jackson, Peach County, LB, Georgia Tech
Rivals: 3, No. 65 state, ; 247Sports: 3, No. 109 state
Kearis Jackson, Peach County, WR, Georgia
Rivals: 4, No. 20 state ; 247Sports: 4, No. 16 state; ESPN: No. 5 state
Omar Jones, Westside, WR
Jeremy Horton, Veterans, ATH, Tennessee-Martin
247Sports: 3, No. 196 state
Marcus Jolly, Northside, ATH
Bobby Kelly, Warner Robins, LB
Desi Lester, Dooly County, WR
Christian Meadows, Macon County, OL, Florida State
Rivals: 3, No. 63 state, ; 247Sports: 4, No. 28 state; ESPN: No. 13 state
Tavores Pearson, Westside, DB, Army
Shamarcus Redding, Peach County, DB
Teldrick Ross, Jones County, ATH
Tobe Umerah, Stratford, DE, Stanford
Rivals: 3, No. 45, state ; 247Sports: 3, No. 48 state; ESPN: No. 35 state
Gunnar Watson, Taylor County, QB, Troy
Rivals: 3, No. 91 state, ; 247Sports: 3, No. 128 state
138
Trevon Woolfolk, Peach County, RB
Junior College
Quen Head, Mary Persons/Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, LB
247Sports: 3, No. 95 nation;
Isaiah Johnson, Northside, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
247SPorts: 3, No. 63 nation
Willie Jordan, Northside/Highland (Kans.) CC
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