Jerick McKinnon

Early years[edit]

McKinnon attended Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he played football and ran track.^[1] In football, he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He was an Atlanta Journal-Constitution first-team all-state pick at quarterback. He was also tabbed first-team all-state by the Georgia Sports Writers Association as an athlete and named Region VII AAAA Player of the Year. He lettered four times on the gridiron for the Yellow Jackets, starting in each of his final three seasons. As a junior, he was a member of the team that won the region championship playing as a wide receiver en route to earning MVP accolades for the National Underclassmen Ultimate 100. He passed for 1,500 yards and rushed for 1,300 more as a senior, picking up Cobb County Touchdown Club Quarterback of the Year honors in 2009.^[2]


Away from the gridiron, McKinnon lettered twice for the Yellow Jackets track & field team, competing in the 100-meter dash (captured the Region VII-AAAA title with a time of 11.04 seconds as a junior), 200-meter dash (placed seventh at the Region VII-AAAA with a time 22.61 seconds) and in the long jump (personal-best leap of 21'8" or 6.63 meters) for the outdoor squad.^[3] He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m relay team (42.33 as a senior) and was timed at 4.46 in the 40-yard dash according to Rivals.com.


Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, McKinnon committed to Georgia Southern on February 3, 2010. He chose the Eagles over scholarship offers from the Air Force and the Navy.^[4]