Nine of the consensus top 100 prospects in Georgia are tight ends. That’s twice what’s expected considering that tight end is just one of 22 starting positions on a football team.
By comparison, there are only seven wide receivers in 247Sports Composite’s top 100 for Georgia this year, and some high school teams start three or even four of those.
The nine marks the most top-100 Georgia tight ends in the modern era of recruiting rankings, which is essentially this century.
Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio, whose 6-foot-3, 225-pound tight end, Tyrus Washington, is committed to Arkansas, said this year’s high number of blue-chippers could be the high-water mark in a cycle, or a trend to combat spread-savvy defenses that have become faster but not necessarily bigger.
“Offenses have really started to realize the advantages of using a true tight end again over the past five years or so,” Fabrizio said. “Maybe 10 years ago, that same kid was playing defensive end or outside linebacker, but now when you are lucky enough to have that kid who is big and strong enough to put his hand on the ground next to an offensive tackle and block, but also athletic enough to run routes and catch, more and more people are choosing to use him at tight end to create matchup issues for defenses.”
Washington didn’t catch many passes last season – only 15 – but four went for touchdowns, and he’s a premier blocker.
This is the fourth in a series of 10 articles that recognize the best players by position. These tight ends are the newest additions to the Georgia Power 100.
*Bennett Christian, Allatoona: Christian (6-6, 235) committed to Ohio State just before the 2020 opener, and his stock has only risen. A four-star recruit, he’s now the highest-rated prospect in Allatoona history. Christian made GACA all-state after catching 20 passes for 250 yards for a Class 6A quarterfinal team that ran 72% of the time. Christian’s father, Bill, played at Tennessee.
*Martavious Collins, Rome: Collins had 25 receptions – the most of any Georgia freshman on MaxPreps last season – for 329 yards while making the all-region team for a Class 6A playoff qualifier. Collins (6-4, 235) has an offer from Georgia, making him the first Rome player under coach John Reid to have a Power 5 offer before his sophomore season.
*Oscar Delp, West Forsyth: Delp caught 43 passes for 730 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games last season for a 9-4 Class 7A team. He’s 6-5, 220, with 4.66 speed in the 40 and rated the No. 2 TE prospect nationally by 247Sports. He is Forsyth County’s highest-rated 247Sports Composite recruit ever, edging Georgia freshman and former teammate Dylan Fairchild by .0002 points. Delp is uncommitted.
*Jake Johnson, Oconee County: Johnson is the state’s consensus No. 7 senior prospect at any position and the No. 1 TE prospect nationally, according to 247Sports. He caught 32 passes for 743 yards and nine touchdowns for the Class 3A runner-up last season. He’s 6-5, 225 and has committed to LSU, where his brother Max is a sophomore quarterback.
*Lawson Luckie, Norcross: Luckie (6-3, 225) is the top-rated junior TE prospect in Georgia and a top-200 national prospect. He caught 35 balls for 389 yards and three touchdowns for a 13-1 Class 7A team last season. He is uncommitted.
*Jack Nickel, Milton: The AJC’s first-team all-state tight end in Class 7A, Nickel (6-4, 230) had 23 receptions for 279 yards and a touchdown and was better known for his blocking – “consistently finished his blocks by driving the defender 10-plus yards down field,” Milton coach Adam Clack said – for a run-first Class 7A region champion. Nickel, formerly pledged to Notre Dame, committed to Michigan State last month.
*Cole Spence, Mount Pisgah Christian: The consensus No. 100 senior prospect in Georgia, Spence had 42 catches for 466 yards and a touchdown in 2020. He also had 6.5 tackles for losses for a Class A Private playoff team. He’s 6-6, 220. He committed to Vanderbilt in April. He also had several Ivy League offers.
*Holden Staes, Westminster: Staes played only six games last season, missing a couple injured, and had 14 receptions for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a team-leading 6.5 sacks. Staes is the No. 6 TE/H-back prospect nationally, per ESPN. He is 6-5, 235, and committed to Notre Dame in May. He was previously committed to Penn State.
*Tyrus Washington, Lee County: Washington had 15 receptions for 159 yards and four touchdowns on a Class 6A runner-up that got 79% of its total offense on the ground. He had 15 knockdown blocks and made first-team GACA all-state. Washington committed to Arkansas last month.
*Daequan Wright, Perry: Wright is a great overall athlete who played wide receiver and running back last season, rushing for 189 yards on 24 carries and catching 47 passes for 486 yards and six touchdowns for a Class 4A quarterfinal team. Wright averaged 16.4 points in basketball and ran an 11.14 100 meters in track, pretty swift for a 230-pounder who’s 6-4. Wright committed to Virginia Tech in June.
Previously: Wide receivers | Up next: Offensive linemen
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