2025 FB RECRUITING BREAKDOWN
As of today, Early Signing Day is just 92 days away. Georgia Southern’s 2025 Recruiting Class currently has 10 commits and is ranked 11th out of 14 Sun Belt Conference teams per 247Sports. Let’s break down the current class:
Weston Bryan - Quarterback - Lee County High School (Leesburg, GA)
3-Star Recruit per 247Sports
6’3”, 240 Pounds
Other Offers: Charlotte, Tulane
As the starting quarterback for one of the top high school programs in the county, Weston Bryan is no stranger to big games. He began garnering national attention on the recruiting trail during his junior season that saw him complete 142/237 passes for 1,697 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 348 rushing yards on 76 attempts. To be 6’5”, 240 Pounds, Bryan is extremely fast and runs aggressively with great pad level. The coaches at Lee County call quite a few QB runs and he shows patience while letting his blockers set up running lanes. At the high school level, he has enough speed to turn the corner on outside runs and has plenty of size and strength to run it up the middle. There are several plays on tape of him breaking long runs and beating defenders even when they have angles. In the passing game, he protects the ball well and makes the right decision almost every time. His footwork will need some cleaning up, but he is fluid in his drop backs and does well to get his feet set before throwing passes. He has a big arm, but shows plenty of touch on film throwing the ball over defenders and dropping it into his receivers in stride. His unique combination of size, strength, and speed will make him an extremely viable option in the future of our program.
Caleb Ellis - Defensive Lineman - Milton High School (Alpharetta, GA)
3-Star Recruit per 247Sports
6’3”, 265 Pounds
Other Offers: Austin Peay, Buffalo, Delaware, East Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Georgia State, Indiana, James Madison, Kansas, Kennesaw State, Kent State, Liberty, Miami (OH), Samford, Stony Brook, Temple, Wofford
Caleb Ellis plays at Milton High School (AAAAA) in Alpharetta, Georgia. He primarily plays as a defensive tackle in their system and will likely gain 20+ pounds after stepping on a college campus. On film, he looks extremely strong, has quick feet, and a high motor. There are several highlights of him bull rushing offensive linemen several yards back into the face of the quarterback. Like most high school players, he tends to get up field quickly on every play instead of playing a gap, but those skills will be developed quickly when working with veteran defensive linemen and coaches. Once he gets into a college strength and conditioning program, he is going to be a force to reckoned with.
Charleston Floyd - Safety - Pine Forest High School (Pensacola, FL)
Unrated Recruit per 247Sports
6’0”, 175 Pounds
Other Offers: Akron, Charlotte, Delaware, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, Louisville, Massachusetts, North Alabama, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Toledo, Troy, Tulane, USF, UT Martin, West Virginia, Western Michigan
Floyd plays safety at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, FL, but has solid coverage skills and the ability to play nearly any position in defensive backfield. He reads and reacts to the offense well and routinely shuts down runs and screen plays from his safety position. In coverage, even when he seems to be slightly out of position, he has the speed to recover and does a great job of playing the ball. One aspect of his game that will need some cleaning up once he steps on campus his his tackling form. In space, he tends to put a shoulder on the offensive players hip or thigh without wrapping up which is enough to tackle many high school players, but he will need to focus on wrapping up and finishing tackles at the next level. With his frame, once he steps on campus and gets into workouts expect him to put on about 10-15 pounds in the first year. He should be a solid player in the Eagles secondary.
Charlie Johnston - Quarterback - Moody High School (Moody, AL)
3-Star Recruit per 247Sports
6’5”, 200 Pounds
Other Offers: Akron, Appalachian State, Austin Peay, Cornell, Louisiana Tech, Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee State, Pitt, Samford, Toledo, Western Kentucky, Wofford
In his junior year at Moody High School, Charlie Johnston, completed 181/296 passes for 2,559 yards for 29 touchdowns while adding 126 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Through two games in his senior year, he has completed 21/36 passes for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is a pocket passer, but has the ability to extend plays by moving the pocket, setting his feet, and making an accurate throw. He has an unorthodox throwing motion that may need a little work, but he gets the ball where it needs to go. On tape, he does not seem to have an overly strong arm, but he places the ball well, has great touch, and makes good decisions in the passing game. His footwork in the pocket is some of the better you will see at the high school level.
Mason McKnight - Athlete - Northgate High School (Newnan, GA)
3-Star Recruit per 247Sports
6’3”, 195 Pounds
Other Offers: Arkansas State, Charleston Southern, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Jackson State, Memphis, Mississippi State, Oregon State, South Florida, West Virginia, Wofford
McKnight, being recruited as an Athlete, plays cornerback at Northgate High School. At 6’3". 195 pounds, he is the prototypical corner that Georgia Southern has recruited the past couple recruiting cycles which shows a conscious effort to get bigger at that position. On tape, he is often left on an island in man coverage and does a great job in pass coverage. His speed does not jump of the screen, but he is usually in good position to make plays in the secondary. One thing he will need to improve is getting off of blocks on running plays and making plays in the running game. There are several plays on tape where he is slow to react in the run game and gives up a few extra yards, but that will come with experience and technique. With his frame, he could convert to safety or linebacker at some point down the line.
Peyton Plott - Wide Receiver - Auburn High School (Auburn, AL)
3-Star Recruit per 247Sports
5’9”, 165 Pounds
Other Offers: None Listed
Plott is one of the under the radar guys that has potential to be a game changer from the slot receiver position and in the return game. He looks small on tape, but he plays very, very big. He has great hands, runs well, and has a knack for getting open. In open space, he is an absolute nightmare for defenders. Even at 5’9”, there are several times where his quarterback throws him a jump ball and he goes up and gets it. He just has a knack for making plays over and over again. He should gain some weight once on campus and be a contributor on the offensive side of the ball in a year or two.
Sterling Sanders - Defensive Lineman - Blythewood High School (Blythewood, SC)
Unranked Recruit per 247Sports
6’5”, 295 Pounds
Other Offers: Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, UCONN, Liberty, The Citadel, Western Kentucky, Wofford
Sanders stands at 6’5” and nearly 300 pounds and it shows up on tape. He has a quick first step, uses his hands well, and is an absolute wrecking ball at the high school level. He relies on size and strength at this level and has an unorthodox stance that will need some work so he can maintain leverage at the next level. He tends to get upfield and depends on the bull rush quite a bit, so he will need to work with coaches on gap assignments and discipline in the run game, but he could see playing time as a freshman with a full offseason to work on getting bigger, stronger, faster, and cleaning up technique.
Brandon Stoner - Offensive Lineman - Ardrey Kell High School (Charlotte, NC)
Unranked Recruit per 247Sports
6’4”, 310 Pounds
Other Offers: Campbell, Charlotte, ETSU, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Maine, Marshall, NC A&T, Temple,
At the college level, Stoner will likely play guard for the Eagles. He currently squats 540 pounds and will only get stronger. He tends to depend on his size and strength over technique, but that is the case with most high school players. At times, he tends to let his feet die once he engages, especially late in games, but some of that is to be expected with a guy playing both ways. He overpowers high school defenders on a regular basis, but does not always play with the best leverage. On his first step, he tends to stand up instead of maintaining pad level and working upfield in the run game. Once on campus, the coaching staff will likely spend plenty of time with him cleaning up technique to ensure that he is an effective blocker. He will likely develop in to rotational player relatively quickly.
Hudson Taylor - Safety - St. Pius X High School (Atlanta, GA)
Unranked Recruit per 247Sports
6’0”, 185 Pounds
Other Offers: Coastal Carolina
Taylor, in my opinion, is underrecruited. He plays running back and safety at St. Pius X and has a knack for making plays on both sides of the ball. He is being recruited as a safety and it is easy to see why after posting 89 tackles, 2 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and forcing a fumble as a junior last season. He has fluid hips, plays free, and makes plays on the ball on a routine basis. Watching film, it appears that that St. Pius X plays predominantly zone coverage and he plays his part of the field well and does not let offensive players behind them. He does not take unnecessary risks in the passing game and routinely breaks up passes. His speed does not jump off the tape, but he chases down offensive players from the other side of the field quite a few times on tape. When teams do run the ball, he reads the play well, moves well laterally to get into position, but he does tend to let his feet stop moving and wait on the offensive player when making tackles, but that technique should get cleaned up quickly. Taylor is a versatile player that Eagle Nation should be excited to have on board.
Jeremiah Ware - Wide Receiver - Gainesville High School (Gainesville, GA)
Unranked Recruit per 247Sports
5’11”, 190 Pounds
Other Offers: Arkansas State, Bryant, ETSU, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Memphis, Mercer, Miami (OH), UT Martin
Jeremiah Ware plays for Gainseville High School in Gainesville, GA. He runs a 4.5 40-yard dash at 5’11”. 180 Pounds and has a good hands and a knack for finding the ball, even when outnumbered. On film, the first player I think of when watching Ware is Derwin Burgess, Jr. and that in itself should make Georgia Southern fans excited. Out of high school Burgess was 5’11”, 177 pounds, had a similar skillset to Ware and is now the second leading receiver in Georgia Southern Football history. As a junior, Ware caught 50 passes for 1,132 yards and 14 touchdowns over just 10 games. With his skillset, he could see playing time early on for the Eagles.
