Here are some of the top Big Bend football prospects in the class of 2023

We're talking about high school football in January?

Yes, we're talking about high school football in January!

Colleges are again busy recruiting as coaches from around the country descend upon the Big Bend to take a look at top players.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was in a helicopter that landed on the baseball field at St. John Paul II Wednesday. He also made a stop at Lincoln later that day.

Lincoln also saw Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh visit and to check in on one of the Trojans' top recruits, Lincoln junior linebacker Raylen Wilson.

With all the visits and offers thrown around this week, lets take a look at some of the top class of 2023 prospects.

Makari Vickers, ATH, St. John Paul II

Vickers has been attracting the attention of schools around the country since he was a sophomore. Now, finishing up his junior season with the Panthers, Vickers holds 20 different offers from programs including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, Auburn, and more.

This past season he registered 51 tackles, 30 solo tackles, two interceptions and six passes defended. He also added 181 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He's been a key piece to JPII's historic season, finishing with a record of 9-3.

Smart added JPII to his recruiting route, landing in a helicopter on the school's football field. In an Instagram video posted by @jpii_football, the individual filming the helicopter landing pans over to Vickers and asks "Are they here for you?"

Ahmari Borden, WR, Munroe

The Bobcats have attracted players from southern Georgia and it has paid off big time in these past two seasons. The Bobcats finished with a record of 8-3, winning the program's first playoff game and advancing to the district championship game, and Borden played a big part in that effort.

Originally from Bainbridge (GA), the wide receiver recorded 666 receiving yards this season complimented by four touchdowns. He averaged 60.5 receiving yards per game and 49 total tackles on top of his offensive stats. He's left in the impact on the national recruiting scene, ranked 251 in the ESPN Junior 300, and holds offers from Georiga, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon, and more.

Cameron Upshaw, S, Gadsden County

Making the transfer from Taylor County to Gadsden County this season, the switch has paid off big time for Upshaw and the Jaguars. Upshaw had played in two separate positions this season, spending the first half at quarterback and the second at safety, which is the position he's used to playing. However, he excelled in both of them.

In the backfield he had 490 yards, averaging 22.3 passing yards a game and six touchdowns to receivers. Gadsden County was a team that favored the rush a little more and Upsahw leaned into that as well, recording 268 rushing yards and one touchdown. At safety he had 52 tackles, averaging 5.2 per game and one interception.

His duality on both sides of the ball gave him an explosion of offers from schools like Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska, Virginia, Maryland, and more.

Traylon Ray, WR, North Florida Christian

NFC's Ray looked nearly unstoppable this season on the receiving game. The combination of his speed and sophomore quarterback JP Pickles' accuracy made the two one of the most lethal duos in the Big Bend.

Ray was a dependable target for the Eagles, recording 1366 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns on the year. He racked up an impressive 261 receiving yards and three touchdowns against South Walton and averaged 124 receiving yards a game. He also proved to be a force on defense with 61 tackles and five interceptions.

Similar to Borden at Munroe, Ray has gained a lot of attention as an offensive weapon out of a small school. He's boasted offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, UCF, Virginia Tech, Miami, Cincinnati, and USF.

Tristen Sion, ATH, Rickards

Sion has jumped out as one of the top athlete prospects in the country, proving that he can execute on both sides of the ball. He flexed his capabilities on defense this season, recording 17 Tackles and five interceptions this season for the Raiders.

It seems like every week Sion is picking up new offers all over the country. He has 34 offers from schools ranging from HBCUs to Power 5 programs. A few notable ones include LSU, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Mississippi State, and many others.

Raylen Wilson, LB, Lincoln

While Wilson has already announced his commitment to play at Michigan in 2023, he is still going to be a standout force in his senior season. The returning All-Big Bend Defensive Player of the Year recorded 139 tackles, five sacks, and forced two fumbles, playing a key role in the Trojan's 9-3 finish.

In addition to his defensive talents, Wilson recorded 379 punt/kick-off return yards, which included a touchdown against Leon. Prior to his commitment to the Wolverines, Wilson's top teams included Penn State, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Florida State, and more. This past week, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh made a recruiting visit to Lincoln.

TayMarius Clemons, DL, Gadsden County

Gadsen County brought an aggressive team to the gridiron in 2021, and Clemons played a big part in limiting the Jaguars' offense. He recorded 57 tackles on the year, averaging 6.3 tackles per game. More impressively, he had 10 sacks on the season, including three in an upset win over Mosley.

Finishing up his junior season, he holds an offer from Maryland.

Todd Williams, DL, Wakulla

As the season went on, the War Eagles found balance on both sides of the ball. While it will be graduating some weapons on offense, they are painting some big pieces on defense, which include Williams.

This past season Williams was hitting on all ends, recording 106 totals tackles, 70 solo tackles, and 14 sacks. He had a season-high three sacks and 13 tackles against Newberry.

Tre’vais Jones, RB, Chiles

The Chiles offense went as Jones went in 2021 as the junior dominated the Timberwolves rushing game. In 10 games this season Jones recorded 1564 rushing yards, 17 rushing touchdowns, and averaged 8.9 yards per carry. His abilities kept Chiles competitive all throughout the season and will play a key role in elevating the team's effort this coming fall.

Jamie Hampton, QB, Madison County

The Cowboys had a lot of things that worked this past season, leading them to a state championship, and one of those things was its quarterback. Hampton was one of two Cowboys that rushed for over 1,000 yards on the year, finishing with 1136 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 605 passing yards, and four passing touchdowns.

Hampton will play another big role in Madison County's offense, losing a handful of players due to seniority.

Other notable c/o 2023 prospects

Jace Grant, RB, Aucilla Christian: 1,111 rushing yards, 17 TDs, 158.7 rushing yards per game

Rhyder Poppell, RB, Florida High: 687 rushing yards, 11 TDs, 68.7 yards per game

Rico Watkins, WR, Rickards: 563 receiving yards, 23 Catches, seven receiving TDs

Brooks Hickman, WR, Florida High: 788 receiving yards, 65.7 receiving yards per game, six receiving TDs

Daevion Brooks, LB, Munroe: 80 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 84 yards lost

Jack Williams covers prep sports for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com, on Twitter @jackgwilliams.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here are some of the top Big Bend football prospects in the class of 2023