The state of Georgia is turning out top quarterback prospects at a rate that surpasses any previous point in its history and five-star senior Brock Vandagriff of Prince Avenue Christian is the latest nationally-ranked super star driving this trend. Having a five-star quarterback playing in the state is a much rarer occurrence than these past few seasons suggest. For example, the state of Georgia did not have a quarterback reach five-star status for the first time until 2017. Deshaun Watson represented the Class of 2014 as the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the country, but was a four-star prospect. Furthermore, there was not a single quarterback in the entire country that earned the coveted five-star status in the Class of 2010.
In 2017 when Greater Atlanta Christian’s Davis Mills became Georgia’s first five-star quarterback, it marked the beginning of the Peach State’s Golden Age for premier quarterback talent. Joining Mills in the Class of 2017 rankings was another highly-recruited prospect in four-star Jake Fromm—who was the No. 3 rated quarterback in the nation at the time. Similar depth in the quarterback talent pool has continued in the ensuing years within the state.
The Class of 2018 was especially responsible putting Georgia’s quarterback talent on the map with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. Both quarterbacks achieved five-star ratings and Lawrence was the nation’s No. 1 ranked pro style passer while Fields was the No. 1 ranked dual threat quarterback.
After the Class of 2019, two passers reached four-star status in the Class of 2020 (Marietta’s Harrison Bailey and Oconee County’s Max Johnson). Now, Vandagriff is the fourth five-star quarterback to come through the state and the fourth to do so in the past five years. Vandagriff headlines the Class of 2021 and there are three four-star quarterbacks behind him in the ratings (Jake Garcia, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Aaron McLaughlin). As for the Class of 2022, Rabun County’s Gunner Stockton is a five-star passer and the top quarterback in the nation for his class.
Vandagriff started out his varsity career as a freshman wide receiver before ascending to the nation’s No. 1 ranked quarterback for his class. His combination of size, athleticism and elite arm talent has drawn many comparisons. Eagle’s Landing Christian head coach Johnathan Gess likened Vandagriff to Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow for his leadership on the field, fierce competitiveness and passing ability. Gess got to see Vandagriff’s talent on full display in last year’s postseason where he accounted for six touchdowns and a career-high 525 passing yards. The Wolverines ultimately fell short 62-57 to ELCA—despite Vandagriff’s heroics. Now, the two teams are set to clash again Friday night in the quarterfinals and the game will be televised on PeachtreeTV. This No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup has the recipe to be an absolute classic, but within the matchup is the opportunity to watch the highest rated quarterback in the country put his abilities on display. That is opportunity worth the price of admission and you won’t want to miss it.
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