Over the next several days, we’ll be providing a position-by-position look at some of Georgia’s best high school football players. It starts today with quarterbacks.
These 10 were chosen based on what they bring to their high school teams. These are not recruiting rankings. In fact, four of the 10 are not being recruited as quarterbacks.
Who are the best quarterbacks that we left out?
- Brooks Barden, Cartersville: Barden led Cartersville to a 13-1 finish (best since the 1999 state championship team) while passing for 2,872 yards (189 of 304) and 39 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Despite good size (6-3, 200) and being a coach's son, Barden is not yet considered a blue-chip prospect.
- Adam Choice, Thomas County Central: Choice is rated as the No. 1 running back recruit in Georgia by Rivals.com, but he's been one of the state's better high school quarterbacks for the past two seasons. In 2012, he rushed for 1,656 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in 12 games. He passed for more than 600 yards. Lee County coach Dean Fabrizion endorsed Choice as a state player-of-the-year candidate last season. ''Talk to any of the coaches of teams TCC has played and I am sure they will agree,'' Fabrizio said. "He is the best I have seen in a long, long time.''
- Cole Garvin, Sandy Creek: Garvin led his team to a state title last season as a junior. He was 147-of-227 passing (64.8 percent) for 2,491 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Garvin has several offers from mid-major programs including Southern Miss, Marshall and Middle Tennessee. He'd probably be an ACC/SEC recruit if he were taller than 6-foot-1.
- Donquell "Gator" Green, Burke County: Green was 86-of-132 passing for 1,399 yards and 11 touchdowns with only two interceptions last season, but he's better known for his running skills. He rushed for 1,827 yards and scored 32 touchdowns on 177 attempts. Burke was 11-2 and lost to eventual champion Sandy Creek in the AAAA quarterfinals. Green also was a key figure on Burke's state championship team in 2011. Green has offers from Georgia Tech, North Carolina and others. At 5-8, he's unlikely to play quarterback in college. Most are recruiting him as a receiver.
- Tyler Harris, Pierce County: Harris passed for more than 2,500 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, when Pierce went 10-2. It was the Bears' first 10-win season since 1982. Harris has offers from Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State, according to Rivals.com, is probably the top prospect in Georgia among pro-style quarterbacks.
- Tyler Queen, North Cobb: As a sophomore, Queen led North Cobb to its first state semifinal since 1959. He passed for 2,607 yards (completing 60 percent of his attempts) with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also rushed for 925 yards and 20 touchdowns. As a rising junior, Queen already has an offer from North Carolina.
- Malkom Parrish, Brooks County: Parrish threw for 3,001 yards with 24 touchdowns and rushed for right at 1,000 yards and scored 17 touchdowns on a team Class AA team that stunned Valdosta in early season and went 10-0 for the first time in school history. Parrish is being recruited as a cornerback and has offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech and others.
- Charles Stafford, Monroe: The best player in the Albany area, Stafford passed for 2,921 yards and 22 touchdowns last season and led his team to an 8-4 finish. He was 221-of-319 passing. He also rushed for 342 yards and seven touchdowns. He's 6-2, 195, but is still waiting on top college programs to take a more keen interest.
- Stanton Truitt, Monroe Area: Truitt led Monroe Area to its first-ever state semifinal as a junior in 2012. He missed four games with an ankle injury, but in the 10 that he played, Truitt rushed for 1,438 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He passed for 764 yards and eight touchdowns. Truitt has over 20 scholarship offers, including those from Florida, Tennessee, Nebraska and Stanford. At 5-9, he'll probably be a defensive back or running back.
- Deshaun Watson, Gainesville: Watson already is the state's all-time leader in passing yards. In 2012, he was 305-of-434 passing for 4,011 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,430 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. Watson has committed to Clemson. Rivals.com rates him the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback prospect in the nation.