LSU Country

Under the Radar 2023 Prospects Deserving of More Attention

Here is a look at some of the South’s under the radar prospects that are just beginning to emerge.

Brian Smith

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College football recruiting can be unusual. Sometimes a prospect just lives in an unusual location and/or plays for a school with little fanfare. Whatever the case might be, prospects do get overlooked.

The following four prospects are finally getting some recognition, but it certainly took a little longer than it should.

Unless a person actually meets Adonijah Green, it’s hard to fathom just how long that young man truly is. His arms do not match his 6’5” frame as they seem more inclined to fit a person that is 7’0” or taller. Those arms are a major reason why Green is an edge defender with extreme upside.

Playing for Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove, one of the best 3A programs in the country, Green is used to being placed in front of top competition. He’s had a plethora of schools recruit him and he even made a verbal commitment to Louisville. That has not stopped many other schools from coming after him.

“Louisville, Ole Miss, UCF, Arkansas, and Boston College are coming after me the hardest,” Green said of the schools that recruit him the most.

He’s still really thin at roughly 210-pounds, but he’s such a tremendous athlete that his upside is through the roof. After being in a college weight program for a year, it’s going to be interesting to see what Green looks like.

One will simply not find a better wingspan, nor will one find a player that loves to rush the quarterback any more than Green. He absolutely loves the sport of football. Even when teams run the football to the opposite side of the field, Green gives chase more like a middle linebacker.

That effort will reward him with even more offers in the future. That’s especially true once college coaches see him during Cedar Grove’s spring practice that’s coming up in the spring.

If there’s an under the radar defensive end any more imposing than Ta’Derius Collins, where’s that young man at? At 6’5”, 250-pounds, the Shreveport (La.) Northwood prospect did not even have an offer coming into January of 2022. That’s changed dramatically.

Now with offers from Mississippi State, Louisiana, UCF, Louisville, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Tulsa, and Tulane, Collins is a defensive end on the rise.

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Just watching this young man move, it’s shocking that he did not have five or more SEC offers already. How does that happen?

At any rate, look for Collins to see his stock continue to rise. He’s a physically imposing young football player that could end up playing defensive end or defensive tackle in college. Sticking within the state of Louisiana, but moving to wide receiver, remember the name Alex Beard.

Playing for Lafayette (La.) Christian Academy, Beard is fortunate to work with the Bootleggers 7v7 organization. He was good to make it to the Bootleggers, but catches like the following one became habit at the Dallas DR Sportz tournament a few weekends ago:

Even against the best defensive backs in Texas, no one player stayed with Beard for very long. Some of these players possessed 20 or more offers, yet Beard would make catch after catch. The 5’10”, 160-pound receiver has fantastic hands and consistently makes catches in a crowd. He’s going to end up playing college football, but it’s just a matter of which program that shall be.

To date, no offers for Beard. As noted above, sometimes it’s hard to explain. He’s worth a scholarship for many programs, however. One last player to mention for this article, and he comes by way of Pensacola, Fla.

Playing at Catholic, Ja’Bril Rawls goes both ways. As a cornerback and receiver, he’s a dangerous player whenever the football is near him. Further, that extends to being a return man. Rawls is an absolutely tremendous punt and kickoff return specialist. Make the first man miss, then the second, then hit the jets. Bye bye!

It’s his defensive ability that most schools see him as a primary asset, however, and finding talented defensive backs does impact games in a big way. Rawls’ arm length and ability to be twitchy despite his 6’1” frame. With plenty of room to add to his 170-pound frame, he’s an intriguing prospect at cornerback, nickel or safety.

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Marshall, Arkansas State, Troy, UAB, USF and FSU already extended offers. He’s going to be seeing a lot more with his natural athleticism and length.

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Brian Smith
BRIAN SMITH

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