Chip Banks of Laney, Lincoln County’s Garrison Hearst, Josey Star Deon Grant and Washington County Stud Takeo Spikes—those are the names I would quickly bring up in a discussion of the most heavily recruited players to call the CSRA home. Well, in a few years we may need to add a name to the list, and that player may just wind up the most highly coveted recruit in the area’s history.
His name is Mason Short, and he plays offensive tackle for the Evans Knights. He stands 6-foot-6½-inches and weighs in at 280 pounds. He has offers from Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern and Minnesota. He has serious interest from the University of Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson and Mississippi State. (All of which he was invited to visit this summer). Oh, and by the way, he is a high school freshman, and yes, I get the irony in his name.
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Mason Short comes from an athletic family and that family bleeds the Black and Gold of Evans. His late Uncle, Mike, was a standout football and baseball player for Evans in the 80s and suited up for the Augusta College Baseball Team. His dad, Richey was a star pitcher for the Knights, was a part of two state title teams and pitched at Truett-McConnell. His brother, Nolan, played defensive line and pitched for Evans and now plays baseball at USC-Aiken. All of them were talented, but none of the three has the immense size that the youngest Short has.
Now, please do not think he is simply a big body. Short seems to get better every time he steps on the field. That improvement comes from a combination of working on his craft, getting after it in the weight room and relishing in his role as a lineman. That last factor cannot be understated. There are plenty of kids who want to play quarterback or running back and some eventually even lose interest in the sport. Short seems to have fallen in love with the idea of opening holes for his running backs or giving his quarterback time to throw.
In fairness it may be a little easier to get excited when you are being invited to visit Notre Dame and Georgia and given the red-carpet treatment even before you have ever stepped foot on a high school field. That is exactly what happened this summer for Short. To say the last eight months or so have been a whirlwind for The Short family would be an understatement. Just based on his size and success at every level of football growing up, it was safe to say he had college potential. However, his summer scheduled completely changed after his performance at the prestigious Future Star Game in Jacksonville, Fla., last June. The event features the top players from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida. Over the course of the week Short proved to be one of the standout performers and his tape from that event caused his summer break to be immediately field with trips to colleges and football camps all over the country.
He was new to Evans High School this season, as was his head coach Barrett Davis. However, both past this year’s test with flying colors. Davis, one of the brightest young coaches in the state, led Evans to a region crown, and 9-3 mark overall, and a trip to second round of the GHSA Playoffs. Short was impressive as well, despite his youth, the big man earned All-Region honors. Freshmen rarely make the varsity in any sport, much less football. And, if somehow they do, they certainly do not make it as a lineman. Well, not only did Short start from Day One, he was a key player for a Knights’ offense that generated 4,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. Following the season, he was invited to the Georgia Elite Classic in Rome. It is becoming a big event and is put on by recruiting guru Rusty Mansell. While there, Short continued to turn heads and earned recognition from too many recruiting services and websites to name.
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All the work and time Short is putting in is certainly paying dividends. Recently, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern stopped by Evans and did not leave before offering Short a scholarship. Also, Minnesota followed suit a few days later, giving Short his first Big Ten offer. While the Gophers offer was Short’s first from a Power 5 School, it definitely will not be his last. I’m sure the Short family appreciates the Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern Offers, but it is highly doubtful that those programs will be able to compete with the caliber of offers that is in Short’s future.
I realize I am heaping a lot of praise on a 15 year old. I do not intend to place in added pressure on him. I fully realize he is still a young player with a lot of work to do. However, it is impossible to ignore his enormous potential.
As I said, if his hard work and dedication continue, Mason Short will be able to attend almost any school in America and he could become King of The Mountain when it comes to local football recruits.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
