Last fall, I was at Grovetown High School as the Warriors hosted Thomson in their football season opener. I was there as part of the Broadcast Team for WJBF News Channel 6 and their Game Night Live Telecast.
The game was going pretty much as planned when I witnessed something extremely impressive. Grovetown Sophomore Marcus Washington Jr., whose team was down throughout the game, took a kickoff and raced more than 90 yards for a score. I was already fully aware who Marcus Washington Jr. was — I had covered his dad during his standout prep career at Burke County more than a decade earlier.
The elder Washington was a 4-Star recruit with his choice of colleges; but in the end, he chose to stay in state and play at the University of Georgia. He played under Mark Richt in Athens for four seasons and was a solid player for the Dawgs. I remember thinking when I saw Washington Jr. seemingly floating down the field, ”His dad was athletic, but he could not run like that.”
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Thomson knocked off Grovetown that night 24-14, but I certainly made a note for myself to keep an eye on Washington Jr. next season. He finished his sophomore campaign with solid numbers. From the cornerback position, he racked up 42 tackles, including 36 solo stops. He also had a pair of tackles for loss, intercepted a pass and caused two fumbles on defense. He was used sparingly on offense, but he did haul in a TD catch. He stood out the most on special teams, where he used his blazing speed to average 29 yards per kickoff return and 28 yards per punt return. He also managed to take two kicks to the house, despite only fielding 14 returnable balls. It was clear Washington Jr. had the bloodlines and the talent to play at the next level, and he was still 15 years old at that time.
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In recent weeks, Washington Jr.’s recruiting skyrocketed when he ran a laser-timed 4.46 40-yard dash. From that moment on, interest grew and offers started flying in. First, Georgia Tech made an offer. Arkansas and Florida State followed behind and within a week, he had more than a half-dozen scholarship from Power 5 schools.
Joining the initial trio of schools were Oregon, N.C. State and Central Florida. Those offers were nice and all, but Washington Jr.’s dad played at Georgia. His dad’s cousin, Cornealius, played at Georgia, and if the Dawgs came calling, it would be tough to say no. That is exactly what happened last week.
Georgia officially offered a place to the speedy defensive back and he wasted little time in committing to UGA. As you might expect, his father was elated. He followed up his son’s announcement with the following Tweet:
Shortly after committing to UGA, Washington Jr. showcased his speed in the Class 6A-100 Meter Dash. He finished 5th with a time of 10.91. Not too shabby for a sophomore. Last season on the gridiron, he touched the ball just 17 times, but averaged over 25 yards per touch and scored three times. As he returns to the football field this fall, I expect he will have a much larger role on offense. You just have to take advantage of his incredible speed.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com.
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