Week 1 Player of the Week: McEachern’s Casey Barner

Casey Barner is the consensus No. 1 sophomore prospect in Georgia, but he wasn’t a household name in the GHSA before the season.

That’s beginning to change. Playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, the McEachern 10th grader scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, a 39-yard reception and a 69-yard run and finished with 353 all-purpose yards in a 50-17 victory over Walton. He also returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown, but a penalty reduced it to a 62-yard return.

The performance came in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic and was televised on Peachtree Sports Network and Atlanta News First. See highlights.

Barner, a transfer from Douglass, has more than 25 offers. He reportedly got new ones Monday from Texas A&M and Baylor.

“It was a special performance, for sure,” McEachern coach Kareem Reid said. “He’s a super instinctive player that’s really explosive once he finds a seam.”

Barner is GHSF Daily’s State Player of the Week. The award, sponsored by Alfa Insurance, will be presented to Barner on Wednesday at his school.