Georgia 2023 Rankings Updated & Expanded

December 23, 2020
Phil Kerber
Georgia Scouting Director

As the year draws to a close, it seems appropriate to update and expand the 2023 rankings. These prospects now have one year of highly competitive high school and travel ball under their belts. We have been following the entire way.

We expand our rankings from the original top-35 to a more robust top-130. With such a large expansion of the rankings, we will cover newcomers to the rankings in its own post. There was some shuffling at the top of the rankings though. Today, we will take a deep look at the top-10 prospects in the class.

The top-3 prospects in the state all find themselves in the top-10 nationally. The first of the trio is Louisville commit 3B/RHP Cam Collier (Mount Paran), the No.4-ranked prospect nationally and No. 1-ranked prospect in Georgia. Collier had a big summer and rightfully deserves to be called the top prospect in the state. A strong, sturdy 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, he has a powerful build while also remaining nimble on his feet. A left-handed hitter, he has always stood out at the plate for his barrel control and power to all fields.

Cam Collier

What really came along for Collier this summer was his prowess on the mound. At Wilson Premier in September, Collier got on the mound and sat an easy 90-93. He works downhill and creates good life late in the zone. While the fastball is advanced, and he can blow it by most batters, he also has good feel for a tight slider that is a swing and miss pitch.

Cam Collier

Coming in as the No. 8-ranked prospect nationally and No. 2-ranked prospect in Georgia is RHP/QB1 Dylan Lonergan (Brookwood). The 6-foot-2, 208-pound right-hander is a dual sport athlete, ranking as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Lonergan was a member of Team Georgia at the 2020 PBR Future Games where he was the top overall 2023 in attendance. At the event, he sat 88-91, touching 92. National Crosschecker Shooter Hunt described the pitch, “The fastball lulls you to sleep with how effortless it is.” With such a large and strong frame, Lonergan has a commanding presence on the mound, and attacks hitters with confidence.

Dylan Lonergan

The final prospect in our trio is the No. 10-ranked prospect nationally and No. 3-ranked prospect in Georgia, Mississippi State commit SS Dylan Cupp (Cedartown). Cupp is the top ranked shortstop in the entire country. He is a long, lanky 6-foot-1, 170-pounds with a highly athletic build. What has stood out for so long with Cupp is his defensive ability. He has a quick, instinctive first step, and more than enough arm strength. His ability to handle the glove is almost mesmerizing. A right-handed hitter, he continues to make strides offensively. Cupp is now using his quick hands and bat speed to drive more pitches gap-to-gap.

We now come to a run of four consecutive Georgia commits: No. 4 RHP Jake Lankie (Blessed Trinity), No. 5 RHP/3B James Hays (Westfield Academy), No. 6 LHP Jake Hembree (North Paulding) and No. 7 RHP Connor Crisp (Locust Grove). This entire group of prospects possess font line potential on the mound, and if they all make it to campus in less than years, they could form a special class for the Bulldogs. Lankie has real polish on the mound to go along with swing and miss stuff. He has great feel for fastball and curveball, rarely leaving pitches over the plate. The fastball plays in the upper-80s and complements it with a sharp 12/6 curveball.

Jake Lankie

Hays put together a monster summer and fall, and sees himself fly up the rankings into the top-5. We had the opportunity to see Hays dominate at Wilson Premier and the LakePoint Fall Invite this fall. He consistently showed big time stuff on the mound. Working with a three pitch arsenal, Hays sat 90-92 with a 2500-2600 rpm spin rate. He was comfortable using either his changeup or slider in any count. His slider can work in the low-to-mid 80s with tight cut and downer action. Hays also shows promise as a two-way player with power, pull approach from the left-side.

James Hays

The top ranked southpaw in the state, Hembree had a monster spring for North Paulding and used that to propel himself into a big summer. He has the best command in the state in addition to some big time swing and miss stuff. Hembree has a deceptive mid-80s fastball that he is able to create swing and misses and weak contact with. The left-hander has a big breaking 1/7 curveball that has depth and sharp break to it. He also has a good changeup in his back pocket that has swing and miss potential. The velocity will continue to tick upwards as he physically matures and fills out. Presently, there is a lot to like in the pitchability and his ability to spin it.

Jake Hembree

Crisp is the fourth and final Bulldog in their run of prospects in the top-10. The right-hander has a long and loose arm that is whippy through release. He has good feel for three pitches, and effectively mixes them. His fastball can reach up to 89 mph. He offers up a swing and miss slider that has sharp down action, and a potential swing and miss pitch in his changeup, which has shown late sink.

Connor Crisp

The second and third uncommitted prospects in the top-10 are No. 8-ranked OF Drew Burress (Houston County) and No. 9-ranked OF/RB Justice Haynes (Blessed Trinity). Burress is one of the top bats in the class. Burress has an innate ability to hit. He owns the batter's box and never backs down, always on the offensive. Do not let the size fool you, listed at 5-foot-9, 175-pounds, Burress can drive the ball to all fields with power. He is able to see the ball early and let his quick hands and explosive lower half do work. Haynes is a freak athlete and one of the top ranked running backs in the country.

Rounding out our top-10 is 2020 PBR Future Gamer 3B/RHP Tai Peete (Trinity Christian). Peete may be the most projectable prospect in the 2023 class. Young for this class, he is a lean, lanky 6-foot-2, 170-pounds with a high waist and athletic build. Peete has a big power swing from the left-side of the plate. He looks to elevate and pull the ball with major force. At the Future Games, Peete hopped on the mound where he showcased a clean, explosive arm, running his fastball up to 89. He also has a nice 12/6 breaking ball that he takes a lot off of.

Tai Peete

Complete 2023 Rankings