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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