Gwinnett Daily Post

In this file photo, Brookwood wide receiver Kyrin Priester competes in a passing league competition against Clarkston High School.

Brookwood quarterback Zach Moon could tell there was something special about new receiver Kyrin Priester during spring practice.

It wasn't until this summer that Priester solidifie that he was a gifted player.

Brookwood competed in a passing league tournament at St. Pius earlier this summer. Priester ran a deep route and was covered pretty well, but Moon still threw the ball up for the receiver. Priester went up and caught the ball with one hand and brought it down to Moon's amazement.

"I was like 'Gosh, we have a guy that can do that. It's going to be a fun year,'" Moon said.

Moon is hoping to duplicate those kinds of plays this fall with Priester. The receiver moved from Orlando this spring and has quickly adjusted to the Brookwood offense. He gives the Broncos a deep throwing threat to compliment an always stellar running game.

"He's a great route runner and has great hands," Moon said. "The coolest thing to do is watch him after the catch."

Brookwood is the third high school in four years for Priester. He went to Boca Ciega (Fla.) as a freshman where he played running back. He transferred to Lake Mary in Orlando as a sophomore where he lived with his father and was moved to receiver. As a junior, he missed the first five games after suffering a cracked fibula in his leg. He came back to lead Lake Mary to the playoffs and caught 31 passes for 555 yards and five touchdowns.

Priester moved to Snellville in February to live with his mom. Once he showed up, Brookwood head coach Mark Crews treated him like all of his other seniors and sent out his college recruiting information. The only film Crews had of him, though, was a YouTube video.

"When he first came in, we didn't know much about him," Crews said. "From what he tells me, he wasn't all that high on people's radar as far as the recruiting process until he got here.

"All of the sudden, I have coaches asking about him. Once they saw him, they were kind on like me and said 'Dang, that guy is a good player.'"

Priester picked up offers from Georgia, Vanderbilt and TCU right away. He committed to the Bulldogs in April, but de-committed in June.

"I think he got sort of overwhelmed by the recruiting process at first and that's probably why there's a little confusion with him and Georgia," Crews said.

Priester now lists Clemson, Purdue, South Carolina and N.C. State as the school's he's considering.

"Just the depth at receiver they are getting this year," Priester said of Georgia. "The depth they already have. I can go to another place and have some playing time."

The recruiting process has been part of an overwhelming few months for Priester. He had to move 450 miles, make new friends at school, adjust to tougher academic standards and learn a new offense.

"It's been a challenge getting adjusted to things. School is a lot harder. With football, the team brought me in," Priester said. "Spring practice was a challenge. I had a lot more things, a lot more routes I had to do. I had to learn the offense. It was challenging, but I did good."

Priester has stood out during summer passing league. He routinely makes a catch and then adds a quick juke move to avoid a defender. It's the kind of play that leaves Moon and his teammates in amazement.

"He's definitely a guy I look for," Moon said. "He's something else, he's awesome."

Not long after Priester moved to Georgia, Moon began to meet up with him on Saturdays to practice routes and to get to know each other better.

"I learned just how cool he is and how modest," Moon said. "You meet a lot of guys at camps that think they are all that and everything else. All of them are pretty good, but he's so mellow and down to earth. It's nice."

Brookwood won the Class AAAAA state championship in 2010, an accomplishment Priester was well aware of prior to moving to the Snellville school. That year, Brookwood set school passing records with Benji McLane at quarterback and Andre Sims at receiver. The duo complemented an always stellar Brookwood running games. It's a combination they hope to duplicate this fall with Priester.

"He wants to win a state championship just like all of us," Moon said.