Georgia football: The best high school players in the Peach State class of 2021

After missing out on several in state prospects in the class of 2020, it’s believed Georgia football will attempt to close off the borders once again for the 2021 class.

If Kirby Smart and the Georgia football coaching staff can shut opposing teams out of the state of Georgia this year, the Bulldogs will runaway with the No. 1 class.

The Peach State currently has eight players ranked inside the 247Sports Composite top 100. With four positions represented in the state’s top five, and another spot occupied by an athlete, Georgia won’t have to worry about prioritizing one player over another. Who are the five best prospects in the state of Georgia? Where do they come from? And what would they bring to Georgia’s 2021 recruiting class?

Brock Vandergriff – Quarterback – Prince Avenue

Starting at the top is a player who goes to school only 20 minutes from Sanford Stadium. In fact, that played a big part in his decision to commit to Georgia back in January. Prince Avenue quarterback Brock Vandergriff originally committed to Oklahoma, but he pulled out on New Year’s Day citing a want to stay close to home.

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Vandergriff is a pocket passer, but he’s not going to stay in that box. He has good size already and uses that size well in multiple ways. Vandergriff has a strong arm, a great presence in the pocket, and he’s tough to stop when he has to scramble.

Amerius Mims – Offensive tackle – Bleckley County

Going from one school 20 minutes away to one school two and a half hours away to find massive offensive tackle Amerius Mims at Bleckley County High School. Mims is a prototypical left tackle. He’s a giant at 6-7 and he’s pretty athletic despite weighing over 300 lbs. Like all high school juniors, he needs to gain some more size and work on technique. But so much of his game is already refined and he has physical qualities that can’t be taught.

Deion Colzie – Wide receiver – Athens Academy

Going back to the Athens area, this time to Prince Avenue’s bitter Region 8-A rival Athens Academy. That’s where Deion Colzie has made his name as one of the best wide receivers in the nation. Colzie is already committed to Notre Dame, having pledged to the Fighting Irish back in October. Keep in mind, Georgia upped its game recruiting wide receivers in November, culminating in two more receivers joining the 2020 class. Plus, Georgia’s offense is undergoing an overhaul with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

At 6-4, Colzie already knows how to use his superior size. His long strides help him gain separation downfield. He uses his long arms to stiff arm defenders after the catch, and to block in the running game. But he’s also added to his game with a good head fake to get open off sudden cuts.

David Daniel – Athlete – Woodstock

Another player who has already committed to Georgia is Woodstock’s David Daniel. He’ll most likely play defensive back in college. Daniel doesn’t have fantastic speed, but he does have an outstanding burst of initial speed which helps him make plays that seem out of his range.

Daniel probably won’t start immediately at Georgia, but he’ll certainly play on special teams where he has proven to be a game changer in high school. He’s a great gunner on punts, good at tracking down kickoff returners, and has even blocked a few kicks.

Smael Mondon – Outside linebacker – Paulding County

Over at Paulding County High School is linebacker Smael Mondon. He’s listed as an outside linebacker, but he would play inside linebacker in Georgia’s 3-4 scheme. He’s very much that Monty Rice or Roquan Smith type of linebacker. You don’t want to hype of a high schooler too much, but Mondon is a can’t-miss player.

Mondon is one of those inside backers who can make plays anywhere on the field. Even as a junior this past year, he already sees the field very well. He is fast, difficult to block and he finishes when he gets to the ball carrier.