Stetson Bennet IV, Mikel Collins, Jaalon Frazier, Jemar Lincoln among top dual-threat quarterbacks in Southeast Georgia
It’s the one thing every coach wants from Santa this Christmas: a strong-armed, mobile signal-caller who always comes through in a pinch. They are guys who can beat you by both running and throwing the ball with instincts and intelligence to match. Southeast Georgia is a prime breeding ground these days for dual-threat quarterbacks. Here’s a glimpse at four of the region’s finest.
Stetson Bennet IV
- Pierce County High School
- Coach: Sean Pender
- 5’11”, 175 pounds
- Parents: Stetson Bennett III and Denise Bennett
- 40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds
- Bench press: 325 pounds
- Power cleans: 255 pounds
- Squats: 365 pounds
Colleges Interested: Offers on the table include Columbia, Georgia Southern, Harvard, Mercer, Middle Tennessee, Samford, United States Military Academy (West Point), and Yale.
The Skinny: College coaches would prefer Bennett be a bit taller, but he’s got the arm, the wheels, and the brains to be a viable candidate from D-1 to the Ivy League. A natural scrambler and playmaker, Bennett is already on Pierce’s Mt. Rushmore of quarterbacks and is now among the top 10 career passers in state history with over 8,300 yards. A returning all-state player, he boasts 87 career touchdown passes, including 35 this season. Since taking over as the full-time starter in 2015, Bennett has rushed for over 800 yards with 16 touchdowns and was a prime reason for Pierce’s advancement to the state playoffs this season.
Self-Assessment: “Seeing the field and extending plays, I guess, are probably my strengths.”
You Know What They Say: “Stetson doesn’t intimidate anyone with his size. He just refuses to lose. He is a good teammate and someone who is always trying to make the team better. He brings a positive vibe to practice, and I’d go to war with him any day.” – Kole Kicklighter, PCHS center
Memorable Moment: “It was probably the entire game when we played Wayne County this year (52-34 Bears victory). My papa, Buddy Bennett, played QB there and played on the Jesup High State Championship team in the 1950s. He was also the head coach there in the 1980s. He died earlier this year, so it meant a lot to me to be able to play over there.”
Mikel Collins
- Brantley County High School
- Coach: Mark Walker
- 5’11”, 190 pounds
- Parents: Bo and Nikki Collins
- 40-yard dash: 4.54 seconds
- Bench press: 320 pounds
- Power cleans: 300 pounds
- Squats: 455 pounds
Colleges Interested: His wish list includes East Tennessee State, Elon, Georgia State, and West Georgia.
The Skinny: Collins led the Herons to back-to-back winning seasons and the first state playoff berth for BCHS in 10 years. He threw for 1,570 yards and 18 touchdowns this season while rushing for 1,108 yards and 14 scores. He also had two interceptions on defense, including a pick-six that went 90 yards. Additionally, Collins averaged 38.4 yards as the team’s punter. He threw for 296 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 206 yards and three scores in a win over Appling County.
Self-Assessment: “I guess I’m a dual threat QB because I can run and throw. Some say I run it better than I throw it. I can read a defense pretty well and make adjustments if I need to.”
You Know What They Say: “Not only will Mikel make you miss; he will also run through you.” – Mark Walker, BCHS head coach
Memorable Moment: Collins cites this year’s game against Pierce County, a 49-43 loss in which he accounted for 450 yards total offense and five touchdowns. Still, he defers credit to several teammates. “We fought hard, but came up short,” Collins said. “The defense played really well, and on offense John Pollard helped me out a lot in that game. He caught a lot of deep balls. Brandon St. Clair stepped up at running back and blocked and ran the ball real hard. Landon Middleton ran the ball very well and blocked well when he needed him. Luke Hutto did well on defense and offense, where he caught a few passes.”
Jaalon Frazier
- Liberty County High School
- Coach: Kirk Warner
- 6’2”, 198 pounds
- Parents: Lelon and Deborah Frazier
- 40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds
- Bench press: 225 pounds
- Power cleans: 265 pounds
- Squats: 425 pounds
Colleges Interested: Frazier’s wish list includes Kennesaw State, Georgia State, Mercer, and South Alabama.
The Skinny: Frazier helped Liberty to its first ever region title and a 10-win season in 2016. The Panthers averaged more than 42 points per game and scored 50 or more on four occasions. Frazier amassed 2,521 yards passing with 37 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,043 yards (8.7 average) with 13 scores.
Self-Assessment: “My strengths are my leadership ability and me opening up the offense more running and throwing the ball. I like watching Lamar Jackson (Louisville) because of how he opens up his offense with running or throwing the ball and having great players around him.”
You Know What They Say: “He is a very good athlete who is bigger, stronger, and more physical than people give him credit for. He does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield. It’s always hard to get a clean shot on him, and he always finishes his runs leaning forward. He’s the straw that stirs their drink.” – J.T. Pollock, former head coach, Appling County High School
Memorable Moment: Frazier said the region title game against Pierce County ranks No. 1. He had six scoring tosses and one running TD, and he ran for a two-point conversion and passed for another. “I threw two deep passes for touchdowns to Dylan Stewart and Kris Coleman and the two-point conversion to Richard LeCounte,” Frazier said. “Dylan has great hands, great ability to get over and catch the ball, and Kris has great elusiveness and puts one move and has the ability to take it to the house.”
Jemar Lincoln
- Ware County High School
- Coach: Franklin Stephens
- 6’1”, 185 pounds
- Parents: Jerome and Jeanette Lincoln
- 40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds
- Bench press: 240 pounds
- Power cleans: 225 pounds
- Squats: 405 pounds
Colleges Interested: Those taking notice of Lincoln include Cincinnati, Harvard, Middle Tennessee, and the United States Military Academy (West Point). He has also visited Florida State.
The Skinny: Lincoln led Ware County to the semi-finals in 2015, his first as the Gators’ starting signal-caller. This season he helped rally the team from a 2-3 start to win the last four regular season games in a row to launch another state run. The Gators maximized Lincoln’s talents by primarily utilizing a wing-T offense while sprinkling in the read option. His 10-game rushing totals include 1,025 yards and 13 touchdowns. His passing numbers over the same period of time include 778 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 62 percent of his throws. He earned player-of-the-week honors four times. Also an all-region hoops star, he is a heady athlete with claims to Beta Club and National Honor Society.
Self-Assessment: “I consider myself a dual threat quarterback that is calm under pressure and somewhat of a playmaker.”
You Know What They Say: “JeMar definitely has integrity and is a determined and solidly committed athlete. He’s an exciting player who has great vision on the field, and his ability to make quick decisions helps him to make quick plays for the offense.” – Jerome Lincoln, father
Memorable Moment: “One would be the 2015 state semi-final game against Glynn Academy (a 24-16 Glynn victory) when we drove down to the six-yard line when the game ended. Then I had a 65-yard run against Camden County in the scrimmage this season. That really set the tone for the rest of this season.”
Player Spotlight/Southeast/December 2016
SEGA QBs
Written by: John DuPont
Photos by: Jennifer Carter Johnson
Delivering the Goods
