They are among America’s most wanted, sought by college recruiters clamoring to speak with them and get each one to visit their respective campuses. Amazingly, all of them are just juniors; 11th graders who made their mark on the football field during their first two years of play. Now, with offers to play college football pouring in, these standouts have the attention of football fans and coaches alike. Rather than waiting until their senior year to shine, these athletes have taken the early route and had recruiters taking notice as early as their freshman season. This summer, some were visiting college campuses, while others were attending camps to better themselves.
Getting to this point has taken a lot of hard work from each if them to continuously improve themselves. “I constantly remind myself I am not where I want to be,” says Pierce County’s Stetson Bennett. He learned the value of a strong work ethic from his father, who was his first coach. “He taught me that in order to succeed, you must work harder than anyone else.”
For Liberty County’s Richard LeCounte, improvement has come by learning. “I study as much as I can about the game.” His methods have worked well, as most of the prominent schools in the country have offered him scholarships. Meanwhile, Glynn Academy’s Deejay Dallas has made his decision early and verbally committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs.
While those three use speed to their advantage, D’Antne Demery of Brunswick High School uses his size to move people out of the way, clearing holes for running backs and keeping defensive linemen away from quarterback Randon Jernigan. Even at 6’6″ and more than 300 pounds, Demery finds that preparation is the key to success. “Work hard in the weight room, watch film, and study hard,” he says. So far the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee are looking at him.
Together, they already have nearly 50 offers to play college football, and they haven’t even made it to their senior years. The group would not be complete without mentioning highly recruited Vidalia High School linebacker and running back Nate McBride, who is sitting out his junior year due to injury. He also carries a pocket full of college offers in his junior year.
They represent one of the most recruited classes to ever come out of Southeast Georgia. This begs the question…
The Class of 2017: Is it Southeast Georgia’s best ever?
Richard LeCounte
Safety
Liberty County High School
Hinesville, Ga
With nearly two dozen college scholarship offers, Liberty County’s Richard LeCounte is already one of the most sought after players in the nation. The junior from Riceboro runs the 40 in 4.43 seconds and plays several positions for head coach Kirk Warner’s Panthers, although he is being recruited primarily as a defensive back. He was the MaxPreps Freshman of the Year runner-up and a first team All-American his freshman and sophomore years.
LeCounte started playing sports at 6 years old, with his mother as his first basketball coach. His father coached him in flag football and track, and by the time he was in eighth grade, he bypassed playing in middle school and was playing junior varsity at the high school.
LeCounte had played just a few games his sophomore year when he started getting collegiate offers. Now, he gets phone calls from Ohio State’s Urban Meyer; LeCounte’s friend and former Liberty County teammate, Raekwon McMillan, has become a superstar.
LeCounte is known as a big hitter from his defensive back position, destroying quarterbacks when he comes on a blitz. Coach Warner uses LeCounte in several positions to get the ball in his hands on offense. He can be at quarterback in the Pistol formation, or throwing the ball out of the halfback pass. Usually he is carrying the ball as a running back or catching passes as a wide receiver. No matter where he plays, LeCounte is adept at making the first defender miss with his elusive style of running. Last season against Richmond Hill, he had four touchdowns and four tackles.
College plans: LeCounte plans to major in communications and become a journalist. “One day having my own newspaper company.”
Favorite part of the game?
“The feeling you get after winning a big game with your teammates.”
Schools who are looking at you: “I have 23 offers,” LeCounte says. (Those include colleges such as Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and UCLA.)
What do you do away from school and practice?
“After practice, I study; when I am settling in at night, I watch old football games or basketball games.” LeCounte was also a member of the Panthers basketball team that made it to the state semifinals. He was named All-Region 3-AAAA and All-State as a guard.
Coach Warner on Richard LeCounte:
“Of course Richard is a very important part of our team. He brings excitement and leadership qualities. Hopefully his skills on the field will open up opportunities for his teammates to make plays, because most coaches will design defenses to keep Richard from beating them. As far as his recruitment is concerned, he has a few favorites, but it’s still too early to tell where he will end up.”
Stetson Bennett
Quarterback
Pierce County High School
Blackshear, Ga
Ask any defense who has faced the Pierce County Bears in the past two seasons, and they will tell you about Stetson Bennett. The elusive quarterback led (head coach) Sean Pender’s team to the third round of the playoffs last year. The 5’11” quarterback covers the 40 in 4.6, which is quick for a signal caller. Bennett is known as a strong passer with great accuracy. He has good field vision and can get rid of the ball in a hurry when he finds an open receiver. In a victory over Southeast Bulloch this season, Bennett threw for almost 300 yards and led his team on a game-winning drive in the final minutes.
“Going into the 2015 season, I would have to say he would be considered the offensive MVP,” Coach Pender says. “He would be the hardest player to replace if he went down.”
Bennett works hard on the field, but he has also found a way to work off the field by putting in hours of preparation watching game films and studying his opponents.
“He is generally successful because he is prepared when his opportunities arrive,” Coach Pender says.
Bennett started playing football, baseball, and basketball when he was 5 years old. He continued playing until he gave up basketball in ninth grade. That same year, he became a starter on the Pierce County baseball team, where he plays shortstop. In football, he has been honored with the WTOC Play of the Week, was named All-ESPN Coastal quarterback last year, was named Region Honorable Mention, and attended the Mercer University QB camp, Bobby Lamb Football Camp, and Top QB 2015 MVP camp. Against Dodge County last season, with the region’s number-two seed on the line, Bennett passed for 394 yards and five touchdowns to go along with two rushing TDs.
Classroom Clout: Bennett likes to read and holds a 4.0 grade point average. He is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Beta Club, while taking dual-enrollment college classes. He was chosen for the 2015 Georgia High School Magazine All-Academic Team and was a Baseball Academic Athlete of the Week.
“Hopefully I get the opportunity to play football or baseball in college, but if not, I plan on attending the University of Georgia and major in history,” Bennett says. He plans to become an attorney.
Favorite part of the game: “Winning and seeing how all the hard work pays off.”
Schools who are looking at you: Mercer, Samford, Berry
Your memorable big play: In a playoff game against Jackson last year, Bennett read the defense and realized that a linebacker was about to blitz. “I let him come close and then spun around to my left, got outside the pocket, saw our running back Micheal Bush come open, and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass.”
Coach Sean Pender on Stetson Bennett
“He comes in early every morning to study the film and the game plan. As a Coach, you want your players to become students of the game, and Stetson Bennett is just that. He is good at what he does because he has the correct work ethic. What I mean by that is, he does not just put in the hard work and the long hours, but he makes those hours count. They are productive hours, and the hard work is toward accomplishing goals, both personal and team related.”
Deejay Dallas
Defensive Back
Glynn Academy
Brunswick, Ga
Deejay Dallas already knows where he is going college. The Glynn Academy junior gave his verbal commitment to the University of Georgia before the start of the 2015 season and will be joining the Bulldogs in Athens after he graduates early from high school next year.
Dallas is a playmaker on both sides of the ball and is a threat to score at anytime. He started the season off with a bang, catching a long touchdown pass on his first reception of the year. The following week, he snatched an interception and weaved his way to the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown against archrival Brunswick.
The 6’0″ athlete with a 4.52 40-yard dash can play several positions, including running back, wide receiver, and defensive back for Rocky Hidalgo’s Red Terrors. In college, he will play wherever Mark Richt wants him. “Either slot or corner; I’ll probably return kicks, too.” Dallas was named All-Region 3-AAAAA last season to go along with All-State honors.
He started playing sports when he was 4 years old and soon discovered that football was his favorite. At 7, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown during a little league game. He became a starter for the Terrors his freshman year and continued to stand out. His most memorable game came last season, when Glynn Academy had to come from behind to defeat the Drew Titans in overtime during the first round of the playoffs.
Dallas pushes himself constantly and credits working hard for his success on the field. “Trying to outwork the competition is every aspect of life.”
Classroom Clout:
Dallas is a member of the Glynn Academy Student Council and holds a 3.6 grade point average. He is on schedule to graduate early, in December 2016, so that he can start classes at the University of Georgia, where he plans to major in veterinary science.
Favorite part of the game?
“Blocking and scoring touchdowns.”
Schools who are looking at you: Georgia (verbally committed), Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, California, and Mississippi State.
Who has helped you the most and how?
“My family,” Dallas says. “They push me and encourage me to be the best everyday.”
What goes through your mind when you break huddle knowing you are about to get the ball? “Let’s get it.”
Coach Hidalgo on DeeJay Dallas:
“DeeJay’s talent is matched by his personality and character. Not only is he a great athlete who can change the game at any moment, he is a great competitor who challenges himself and his teammates to push beyond their boundaries.”
D’Antne Demery
Offensive Lineman
Brunswick High School
Brunswick, Ga
“Which one is he?” asked someone in the crowd at a Brunswick Pirates’ game earlier this season. “He’s the biggest guy on the field,” came the response. At 6’6″ and 305 pounds, D’Antne Demery stands out on the Brunswick offensive line in more ways than one. Number 77 is a people-moving machine for Larry Harold’s Pirates, lining up at tackle and, sometimes, on one side of the line by himself when they run an unbalanced set.
His favorite part of playing football? “Knocking people out,” Demery says. He recalls last season’s 28-7 victory over Statesboro when he got a clean shot on a Blue Devil defender. “I pulled around and destroyed a guy.” Despite his size and penchant for rendering opposing players unconscious, Demery is a quiet young man who leads by example.
Known as “Big Man,” Demery lives up to his Facebook and email nickname, towering over opponents and teammates alike. He can bench press 325 pounds and squat 535.
Demery was always one of the biggest players and started playing football when he was 9 years old. He continued playing through middle school and became a varsity starter in ninth grade. He was named Second-Team All-Region 3-AAAAA in 2014, he received an invitation to play in the Army All-American game and the Rising Senior game, and he was named Most Valuable Lineman at MVP Camp in Valdosta.
This season, Demery is clearing out defenders for the Pirates as a junior. While he is considering several offers, he has not yet decided where he will play college football.
Classroom clout:
Demery has a grade point average of 3.1 and has a world of opportunity open to him. “Right now I’m considering the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, the University of Auburn, the University of South Carolina, and Ohio State,” Demery says. “I plan to major in business.”
Schools that are looking at you:
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Clemson, Illinois State
What goes through your mind on the field?
“Don’t lose, and go hard.”
Coach Larry Harold on D’Ante Demery:
“D’Antne Demery is a big, athletic, and physical offensive lineman with so much untapped potential. He is a soft-spoken and quiet leader that tries to do everything that his coaches ask of him. Demery has a very bright future here at Brunswick High and beyond.”
SE-PS-1015-Juniors
Players Spotlight
By Rob Asbell
Class of 2017, SEGA’s Best Class Ever?
