Paste BN High School Sports Awards presented by Bridgestone: Atlanta football nominees — offense
The Paste BN High School Sports Awards presented by Bridgestone are coming to Atlanta.
On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.
Here are the 10 nominees for Atlanta Football Offensive Player of the Year.
Harrison Bailey
School: Marietta
Position: Quarterback
Class: 2020
College: Tennessee
Noteworthy: A pocket passer, Bailey, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds, overcame a broken collarbone earlier in his career to throw for 4,261 yards and 44 touchdowns at a 69.4% clip as a senior.
Javon Baker
School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2020
College: Alabama
Noteworthy: Baker's one-handed catch for a touchdown on fourth down went viral, and there will be more highlights to come in Tuscaloosa as he has the speed to split defenders en route to the end zone.
Cody Brown
School: Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Position: Running back
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Whether on a direct snap or a handoff, Brown's bursts often provided explosive plays for Parkview as he totaled more than 1,600 yards on the ground during the Panthers' season.
Dacari Collins
School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Class: 2021
Position: Wide receiver
College: Clemson
Noteworthy: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney didn't have to travel far or wait long for one of the top junior receivers in Georgia to run an out route to his South Carolina campus.
Joshua Downs
School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2020
College: North Carolina
Noteworthy: Downs caught 13 passes against Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), broke 200 yards in the semifinals and finished the season with 1,290 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Arik Gilbert
School: Marietta (Ga.)
Class: 2020
Position: Tight end
College: LSU
Noteworthy: Gilbert, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end, rewrote the record books as a Blue Devil in Marietta with 101 receptions for 1,760 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.
Myles Hinton
School: Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.)
Class: 2020
Position: Offensive line
College: Stanford
Noteworthy: Hinton showed the combativeness to consistently win one-on-one battles with his size and ability to outmaneuver pass-rushers on the edge.
Broderick Jones
School: Lithonia
Class: 2020
Position: Offensive line
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: Jones (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) will stay in state to protect Georgia coach Kirby Smart's quarterbacks. He will come equipped with counterintelligence about the defensive aspects of the game, as he played on both sides of the ball at Lithonia.
Jaquez Smith
School: Westlake
Class: 2021
Position: Wide receiver
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Smith, who has transferred from Hapeville Charter to Westlake, is crafty when it comes to creating space in the secondary. He is also a speedster, capable of blowing open games with his quick first step into the secondary.
Jayden Thomas
School: Pace Academy (Atlanta)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Thomas went all out this season, diving for balls out in front of him and leaving defensive backs in his wake along the sideline. The offers are coming in from all over, ranging from Notre Dame to Alabama to Ohio State.
For more information on the Paste BN High School Sports Awards in Atlanta presented by Bridgestone, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.