There have been 29 Georgia high school quarterbacks since 2001 who have been rated four-star or five-star recruits in the 247Sports Composite. No pair of them has ever faced off in a high school game.
That is scheduled to change Sept. 11, when Prince Avenue Christian and Brock Vandagriff travel to face Rabun County and junior Gunner Stockton. ESPN was planning to televise it, although those plans are in limbo since the GHSA pushed back the regular season two weeks. Still, it remains one of the more entertaining games on the 2020 calendar.
Georgia’s production of elite quarterbacks is increasing rapidly. There have been 23 four-star or higher QB prospects in the past 10 years compared to only five in the 10 years prior. Here is a look at 10 of the state’s best quarterbacks for 2020.
*Jalen Addie, Warner Robins: Addie, the successor to Dylan Fromm, was 141-of-269 passing for 2,341 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior for a 13-2 state runner-up. He rushed for 593 yards. He was the AJC’s first-team all-state quarterback in Class 5A. He’s 6-3, 210. Addie has mid-major and FCS offers.
*Jacurri Brown, Lowndes: Brown rushed for 1,561 yards for the Class 7A runner-up last season. A junior, he’ll be a three-year starter. He hopes to take another step as a passer this season. He was 107-of-190 for 1,340 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019. He’s the No. 13 prospect in Georgia and No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the country among juniors, according to 247Sports.
*Bubba Chandler, North Oconee: Chandler was a Georgia baseball commit until May, when he chose football and Clemson, which loved his athleticism and 6-foot-4 frame. Chandler had no major football offers until then. North Oconee coach Tyler Aurandt was formerly on the staff at Grayson under Mickey Conn, who coaches safeties for Clemson. Aurandt persuaded Conn and Clemson’s staff to take a look at Chandler’s film, which showed a remarkable athlete with great upside. Chandler was a starter on North Oconee’s baseball and basketball teams as a freshman. In his first season as a football starter last year, Chandler was 111-of-205 passing for 1,763 yards and 22 touchdowns for a 10-2 team. He rushed for 426 yards.
*Carlos Del Rio, Grayson: Del Rio transferred in the offseason to Grayson, where he and wide receiver Daejon Reynolds will form a duo that is committed to Florida. Del Rio completed 135 of 211 passes for 1,792 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions for McEachern last season. He rushed for 572 yards.
*J. Ben Haynes, White County: White County coach Tim Cokely has had eight quarterbacks sign with FBS programs and says, “J. Ben is as good as any of those.” Haynes was 168-of-278 passing for 2,179 yards and 17 touchdowns for a 5-5 team last season. He rushed for 981 yards and 17 touchdowns. That’s more than 300 total yards per game. Haynes has small-college offers.
*Sam Horn, Collins Hill: As a sophomore, Horn was 196-of-301 passing for 2,326 yards, 22 touchdowns last season on a 6-5 team that lost to four top-10 Class 7A opponents. He has emerged as a top-100 national recruit among juniors. Tennessee is his reported leader.
*Aaron McLaughlin, Denmark: McLaughlin led 2-year-old Denmark to its first playoff berth last season while completing 134 of 220 pass attempts for 1,997 yards and 17 touchdowns. He rushed for 284 yards. McLaughlin, the consensus No. 15 pro-style QB prospect nationally among seniors, committed to N.C. State in May.
*M.J. Morris, TBA: Morris left Carrollton last month and has been linked to Pace Academy, which he attended through middle school, but it’s unofficial. Morris is the No. 2 dual-threat QB prospect nationally among juniors, according to 247Sports. (He’s also No. 2 in Georgia behind Rabun County’s Gunner Stockton.) Morris has offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU and others. As a sophomore, Morris was 131-of-216 passing for 2,186 yards and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions for an 11-1 Carrollton team. He rushed for 379 yards.
*Gunner Stockton, Rabun County: Stockton is the No. 1 dual-threat QB prospect nationally among juniors, according to 247Sports. The only other Georgia players to finish No. 1 in the consensus ratings at the position were Justin Fields and Deshaun Watson. Stockton has thrown for 6,390 yards and 77 touchdowns over his freshman and sophomore seasons. That puts him within sight of Trevor Lawrence’s state records of 13,902 yards and 161 touchdowns. Stockton also has rushed for 1,835 yards and scored 36 touchdowns. Stockton narrowed his college choices to South Carolina and Georgia last week.
*Brock Vandagriff, Prince Avenue Christian: Vandagriff is a five-star recruit who committed to Georgia in January. He played only eight games last season but was 151-of-211 passing for 2,471 yards and 31 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Because of a leg injury, he stayed in the pocket. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,001 yards.
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