On3 standout recruits from the high school football playoffs
The playoffs are underway in high school football. This week saw two huge matchups pitting top teams and prospects from metro Atlanta against powerhouse programs from south Georgia. The week also marked the state finals in Indiana with two On300 members turning in strong showings.
Please note that while extensive, this is not a comprehensive list of every top performer in the high school football playoffs.
ATH Travis Hunter – Florida State
Five-Star Plus+ athlete Travis Hunter is working his way back into the mix in the playoffs after missing a good chunk of his senior season with a high ankle injury. The No. 1 prospect in the On3 Consensus had a dominant third quarter in what turned out to be a blowout win over Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes. Hunter got things going by coming down a long touchdown catch. He followed that up on the next drive with one of his patented contested catches on the sideline. A few plays later, Missouri quarterback commit Sam Horn found Hunter open in the end zone on a scramble drill. Hunter capped things off on the next drive, coming down with an interception.
Hunter finished the game with 113 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches, in addition to the interception. It’s good to see the five-star prospect returning to form after missing several weeks. Not that we needed it, but the dominant third quarter serves reminder of Hunter’s dominant presence. Hunter’s Collins Hill team is ranked No. 3 nationally and faces powerhouse Loganville (Ga.) Grayson in the Class 7A semi-finals this week.
QB Sam Horn – Missouri
Hunter’s quarterback, Sam Horn had one of his best games of the season in the blowout playoff win over Lowndes. The 6-foot-3, 193-pounder was near perfect, hitting 28 of 33 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Horn also showed off his mobility, rushing for 42 yards and another score. Collins Hill ran up 559 yards of offense on what is traditionally one of the stingier defenses in the state of Georgia.
Horn connected on several small-window throws, including a touch pass to 2023 four-star tight end Ethan Davis and a seam throw to Hunter. Both went for touchdowns. Horn also showed some improvisational ability, throwing a touchdown to Hunter across his body after being flushed out of the pocket.
ATH Isaiah Bond
There was another big playoff matchup between powers from metro Atlanta and south Georgia, with Buford traveling to Lee County. The game was a rematch of last year’s state championship. Recently-decommitted athlete Isaiah Bond (No. 208 in the On300) turned in a big game in the 27-0 win, showing his explosive ability as a receiver.
Bond made an impressive diving grab on an out-and-up route, fully extending to come down with the football for a 41-yard gain. He also flashed the 10.48 second speed in the fourth quarter, taking a slant to the house from 68 yards out.
We currently have Bond ranked as an athlete due to his two-way versatility as a receiver and corner. So far, he’s showing some improvement in his ball skills that may point towards a future on offense.
Bond decommitted from Florida on November 22 and has visited Alabama and Auburn the past two weekends.
IOL Joey Tanona – Notre Dame
Friday’s Indiana 5A state title game provided our first extended look at Notre Dame interior offensive line commit Joey Tanona (No. 28 in the On300) as a senior. The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder lined up at left tackle for his Zionsville (Ind.) High team and was impressive in the playoff loss.
Tanona is a lean, functional mover and showed effort to the whistle as a drive blocker. He drove his man out of the screen’s view on several occasions. The Irish pledge also moved to the second level with ease. We didn’t see him give up a pressure in pass protection. Tanona is not overly long and projects along the interior at the next level – likely at center given his prior experience at the position.
QB Brady Allen – Purdue
Brady Allen capped off a magical senior year with a comeback win in the Indiana’s 3A state title game. Allen and his Fort Branch (Ind.) Gibson Southern team trailed Brebeuf Jesuit 29-14 in the first half, before rallying to a 45-35 victory.
Allen finished the game 28 of 50 for 398 yard and five touchdown with three interceptions. He showed off some considerable arm talent. Allen generates velocity with ease on intermediate and downfield throws. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder also is a light-footed mover within the pocket. Allen is far from a finished product, but the physical upside is among the best in the 2022 cycle.
The game marked the end to a fantastic senior year for Allen. The No. 125 prospect in the On300 hit 68.7 percent of his passes for 4,253 yards (11.1 yards per attempt) and 58 touchdowns to just six interceptions.
S Austin Jordan – Texas
Texas commit Austin Jordan (No. 249 in the On300) pulled double duty in Denton (Texas) Ryan’s 37-33 win over Longview in the third round of the 5A-D1 playoffs. Jordan was the primary receiving target for Raiders in addition to playing cornerback.
The 6-foot, 185-pounder caught four passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. The first score was a 50-yard catch-and-run off a tunnel screen. Jordan showed some nice play speed in out-running the Longview secondary. The second touchdown came on a vertical route, where Jordan gained separation and tracked an underthrown pass in the end zone.
Jordan also manned up some on 2023 four-star receiver Jalen Hale. Though Hale had a productive day, nearly all of his yardage came from catches where he was schemed open out of the slot. We didn’t see him do much, if anything when matched up with Jordan on the outside.
LB Anthony Hill – 2023
Jordan’s teammate Anthony Hill (No. 57 in the On300) also had a nice day patrolling from his linebacker spot for Denton Ryan. The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder has one of the better size-speed ratios among 2023 linebackers. Hill is a dogged pursuit defender with the ability to run sideline to sideline. He’s also a highly-effective blitzer. Hill moonlights as a short yardage back for Denton Ryan and bulldozed his way into the end zone on a short touchdown run. He remains a bit of a work in progress as a cover linebacker and has a tendency to come in high as a tackler.
Hill named a top 12 of Penn State, Texas, USC, Miami, Michigan, Texas A&M, Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Ohio State and Oklahoma earlier in the season. Denton Ryan takes on undefeated College Station this Friday in the fourth round of the playoffs.
CB Cormani McClain – 2023
Cormani McClain had a big game on both sides of the ball in a 42-13 win over Melbourne (Fla.) High. The Five-Star Plus+ prospect had a 56-yard touchdown reception and a 60-yard pick-six. The touchdown catch came on a quick hitch. McClain made a quick juke and raced down the sidelines for a long score. The interception was McClain’s ninth of the season. He high-pointed an underthrown pass and cut back across the field for a long, weaving score.
McClain has taken unofficial visits to Florida, Florida State and Miami this season. Lake Gibson takes on undefeated Tampa Bay Tech on Friday in the fourth round of the playoffs.
LB Blake Nichelson – 2023
On300 junior linebacker prospect Blake Nichelson is having a huge season out in the Central Valley of California. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is primarily working at running back in the playoffs for his Manteca (Calif.) High team. This week, Nichelson ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in a 35-28 win in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section final.
Nichelson has showed some impressive on-field athleticism this fall, rushing for 1,887 yards (10.7 yards per carry) and 33 touchdowns while also tallying 49 tackles and 11 tackles for loss on defense. The No. 184 prospect in the On300 holds offers from Boston College, Oregon State and Fresno State.