Georgia high school football has prepared Jonathan Echols for the next level.

When he first got to Heard County High School in Franklin, Georgia, he quickly found he could compete with anyone there, but that he had to ensure he was at his best each time he took the field for a practice or a game, knowing he would be beat otherwise.

“You just know that if you don’t go out there and play your best, you’re not going to do very well,” Echols said. “You have to go out there and work hard every practice, going against the top player in your class, you have to go hard.”