Yesterday, I packed my bags and headed to South Georgia, with my first stops being in Winnersville at Lowndes and Valdosta. Here are some notes from those practices:
Lowndes
— I first stopped off at Lowndes and am always amazed by its facilities. The staff was very welcoming and I got a chance to see the Vikings practice for an hour.
— My main priority at the first stop was checking out 4-star QB Jayce Johnson, who is the No. 29 overall prospect and No. 4 QB nationally in the 2027 class. He didn’t disappoint.
— Johnson already has a Georgia offer. He’s tall, athletic, has a strong arm, and made some tough throws. He did underthrow a few of his WRs, but for the most part was accurate.
Johnson also has great pocket awareness and can escape when needed. I can see why Mike Bobo likes him.
— Talking with Lowndes coaches, Johnson will be the full-time starter this year after splitting time with Western Kentucky signee Marvis Parrish last season. The Vikings aren’t the most talented team, but they are well-coached, and Johnson will have plenty of weapons.
— Speaking of weapons, Johnson has noticed the talented wide receivers that Georgia signed in the last cycle, and said he thinks they will do that again this year at the position.
— As for his recruitment, a host of top programs, including the Bulldogs, are going after him hard. The 6-4, 205 QB said Lowndes’ offensive system is “just like Georgia’s” and its practice compares to how Kirby Smart likes to run his.
— Johnson was last in Athens for a Junior Day visit in January. He plans to return this summer for a workout.
— Other schools in the mix for Johnson are Texas A&M, Florida, Tennessee, Florida State, Duke, and USF.
Valdosta
— The second stop of the day took me to nearby Valdosta. My main priorities were three-star WR Prince Jean and EDGE Corey Howard
— Jean is a solid three-star and is impressive with the ball in his hands. I witnessed that last season when Valdosta played South Gwinnett. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver is explosive out of the break and is fast with great hands.
— Jean was in Athens for a spring practice last month and met with James Coley, who told him where he'd fit in with the offense. The staff wants him to rotate at the Z spot and in the slot. During his visit, Jean said Zacariah Branch and Jeremy Bell "ball out" while he was there. He said Bell caught four TDs.
— Mike Bobo stopped by to see the 3-star WR, and they spent some time together alone. According to Jean, Bobo liked how he's grown in size and how he's developed as a player on the field.
— Jean said he thinks of former teammate and current Georgia DB Todd Robinson as a brother. Robinson has been upfront and honest with Jean about how hard Georgia's practices are, but he admitted that he's willing to put in the work.
— Jean has an official visit to Georgia set up for late June.
— I checked up with Howard after talking with Jean.
— When Bobo visited Valdosta last week, he was amazed by Howard's size, and OLBs coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe was in town two days later. Howard worked out for Uzo-Diribe after practice and earned an offer.
— Howard transferred from Tift County to Valdosta for one reason: to get recruited. Well, his plan worked out as he earned an offer from the in-state Bulldogs, who want him to work out in Athens later this summer.
— Georgia OLB Gabe Harris was at Valdosta's practice last week and worked with Howard on his technique. I was told that standing side-by-side, Howard and Harris are the same height and they're close to the same weight.
— This was my first look at Howard in person, and he's very raw, but there's a lot of potential there. I can see why Georgia offered him.
— Valdosta HC Shelton Felton had Howard rotating across the defensive line, taking reps on both the exterior and interior. He also played standing up, acting as an edge coming off the perimeter. He's working on his technique but has a high motor and is very physical.
— Howard knows he has work to do and said he's willing to do whatever it takes to be a Bulldog.
— I was told that there were a lot of smaller programs who were "pissed" that Georgia offered Howard. They thought of him as a diamond in the rough. Realistically, I think he'd be a one-to-two-year project if he ended up in Athens, but he has a lot of potential.
— I also checked in on 3-star DB Jalon Copeland, who is committed to Arkansas. He doesn't have an offer from the Bulldogs, but said he still speaks with the staff. He said his recruitment is "100 percent open."
— Copeland was recently back in Athens for an unofficial visit and is a name to watch as the season approaches.
Lowndes
— I first stopped off at Lowndes and am always amazed by its facilities. The staff was very welcoming and I got a chance to see the Vikings practice for an hour.
— My main priority at the first stop was checking out 4-star QB Jayce Johnson, who is the No. 29 overall prospect and No. 4 QB nationally in the 2027 class. He didn’t disappoint.
— Johnson already has a Georgia offer. He’s tall, athletic, has a strong arm, and made some tough throws. He did underthrow a few of his WRs, but for the most part was accurate.
Johnson also has great pocket awareness and can escape when needed. I can see why Mike Bobo likes him.
— Talking with Lowndes coaches, Johnson will be the full-time starter this year after splitting time with Western Kentucky signee Marvis Parrish last season. The Vikings aren’t the most talented team, but they are well-coached, and Johnson will have plenty of weapons.
— Speaking of weapons, Johnson has noticed the talented wide receivers that Georgia signed in the last cycle, and said he thinks they will do that again this year at the position.
— As for his recruitment, a host of top programs, including the Bulldogs, are going after him hard. The 6-4, 205 QB said Lowndes’ offensive system is “just like Georgia’s” and its practice compares to how Kirby Smart likes to run his.
— Johnson was last in Athens for a Junior Day visit in January. He plans to return this summer for a workout.
— Other schools in the mix for Johnson are Texas A&M, Florida, Tennessee, Florida State, Duke, and USF.
Valdosta
— The second stop of the day took me to nearby Valdosta. My main priorities were three-star WR Prince Jean and EDGE Corey Howard
— Jean is a solid three-star and is impressive with the ball in his hands. I witnessed that last season when Valdosta played South Gwinnett. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver is explosive out of the break and is fast with great hands.
— Jean was in Athens for a spring practice last month and met with James Coley, who told him where he'd fit in with the offense. The staff wants him to rotate at the Z spot and in the slot. During his visit, Jean said Zacariah Branch and Jeremy Bell "ball out" while he was there. He said Bell caught four TDs.
— Mike Bobo stopped by to see the 3-star WR, and they spent some time together alone. According to Jean, Bobo liked how he's grown in size and how he's developed as a player on the field.
— Jean said he thinks of former teammate and current Georgia DB Todd Robinson as a brother. Robinson has been upfront and honest with Jean about how hard Georgia's practices are, but he admitted that he's willing to put in the work.
— Jean has an official visit to Georgia set up for late June.
— I checked up with Howard after talking with Jean.
— When Bobo visited Valdosta last week, he was amazed by Howard's size, and OLBs coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe was in town two days later. Howard worked out for Uzo-Diribe after practice and earned an offer.
— Howard transferred from Tift County to Valdosta for one reason: to get recruited. Well, his plan worked out as he earned an offer from the in-state Bulldogs, who want him to work out in Athens later this summer.
— Georgia OLB Gabe Harris was at Valdosta's practice last week and worked with Howard on his technique. I was told that standing side-by-side, Howard and Harris are the same height and they're close to the same weight.
— This was my first look at Howard in person, and he's very raw, but there's a lot of potential there. I can see why Georgia offered him.
— Valdosta HC Shelton Felton had Howard rotating across the defensive line, taking reps on both the exterior and interior. He also played standing up, acting as an edge coming off the perimeter. He's working on his technique but has a high motor and is very physical.
— Howard knows he has work to do and said he's willing to do whatever it takes to be a Bulldog.
— I was told that there were a lot of smaller programs who were "pissed" that Georgia offered Howard. They thought of him as a diamond in the rough. Realistically, I think he'd be a one-to-two-year project if he ended up in Athens, but he has a lot of potential.
— I also checked in on 3-star DB Jalon Copeland, who is committed to Arkansas. He doesn't have an offer from the Bulldogs, but said he still speaks with the staff. He said his recruitment is "100 percent open."
— Copeland was recently back in Athens for an unofficial visit and is a name to watch as the season approaches.
