The state of Georgia has produced some of the nation’s best talent throughout the past several decades. On both sides of the football, skilled Georgia high school football recruits have turned into college national champions and often found great success in the NFL. Here are the 10 highest-ranked recruits in Georgia high school football history, starting with the best.
1. Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Grayson)
Nkemdiche entered college scouts’ field of vision early in high school with his stature and dominance. He recorded 18 sacks during his junior year and helped lead the Rams to a state championship. Despite a senior campaign in which he didn’t statistically improve, Nkemdiche made a large impact on the nation, enough to earn him a perfect 1.0000 rating on 247Sports. This marked him as the best player ever to come out of Georgia and tied him at the top of the list of highest-ranked recruits ever.
2. Trevor Lawrence (QB, Cartersville)
Just behind Nkemdiche came standout QB Trevor Lawrence with a 0.9999 rating. Lawrence showed flashes of brilliance in his sophomore season with 26 touchdowns, but solidified his status as the nation’s best quarterback with a 51-TD season as a junior. By the end of his award-laden high school career, Lawrence had broken Deshaun Watson’s passing yards and touchdowns records. It was no surprise to any Cartersville native that Lawrence went 1st overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Jaguars.
3. Justin Fields (QB, Harrison)
Had Fields graduated as part of any other class, he would have topped the list of highest-ranked recruits among QBs in Georgia. However, both he and Lawrence left high school in 2018, meaning Fields’s 0.9998 rating would only be good for second. Nonetheless, Fields torched the Hoyas’ opponents, racking up almost 70 touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Just like Lawrence, Fields was drafted in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft after a prolific career at Ohio State.
4. Trenton Thompson (DT, Westover)
Unlike the top three recruits, Thompson didn’t play at a high-profile school, staying at Westover to dominate opposing offenses to the tune of 74 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in his junior and senior years. He was named National Defensive Player of the Year with a 0.9992 rating and stayed close to home by committing to UGA. He eventually declared for the 2018 NFL Draft, but went undrafted.
5. Eric Berry (CB, Creekside)
Berry’s experience as a track athlete for the Seminoles paid off on the football field, as he swarmed opposing wide receivers. During his senior year, Berry helped the Seminoles achieve an undefeated regular season and hold all but one opposing offense to under 15 points. Berry committed to Tennessee and went on to have an emotional, yet dominant NFL career that involved a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he overcame against all odds.
6. Brandon Miller (DE, Miller County)
Miller played on both sides of the football in high school, but his tackling excellence earned him recognition from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs. He was considered one of 2004’s best southern recruits, but Miller’s production tapered at UGA. He notched only two NFL tackles before his subsequent retirement.
7. Arik Gilbert (TE, Marietta)
Gilbert’s high school career was the perfect combination of talent and coaching. At Marietta, he had the privilege of catching passes from fellow star QB Harrison Bailey, which helped him rack up an astonishing 1,760 yards as a senior tight end. He was named Gatorade Football Player of the Year with a 0.9972 rating (making him the highest-ranked tight end recruit ever) and committed to LSU. He now plays for the Georgia Bulldogs.
8. Jadon Haselwood (WR, Cedar Grove)
Haselwood (0.9967) wasn’t just a reliable receiver for the Saints; he was also clutch. Never was this more evident than in the 2018 3A state championship, when Haselwood snagged the championship-winning reception in the game’s waning seconds. It was the most appropriate high school career-ending highlight for a go-to receiver. Haselwood currently plays for the Arkansas Razorbacks after transferring from Oklahoma.
9. Myles Murphy (DE, Hillgrove)
Murphy burst on the scene as a senior, earning a 0.9965 rating in large part due to his size and block-shedding abilities. He was one of the few bright spots on a Hillgrove team that struggled to find a consistent offense all year in 2019. Murphy committed to Clemson and is becoming a bigger part of their young defense.
10. Derrick Brown (DT, Lanier)
The second Gwinnett County standout on this list, Brown (0.9964) was a menace with the Longhorns. He totaled 33 sacks in his high school career to accompany almost 300 tackles. Brown chose Auburn over Alabama and Georgia, and his choice paid off as he was selected 7th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
