McEachern High School sophomore Casey Barner has been named the first Georgia High School Football Daily (GHSFDaily) Player of the Week for the 2025 season. Barner, who transferred from Frederick Douglass and is considered Georgia’s top sophomore football prospect, already holds over 25 scholarship offers from Power 4 conference programs.
Barner made his debut for McEachern at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, contributing significantly to a 50-17 victory over Walton. He recorded 341 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns—a 98-yard kickoff return, a 39-yard reception, and a 69-yard run. In addition to his offensive contributions, Barner returned seven punts for a total of 138 yards. One punt return initially went for a touchdown but was reduced to 62 yards due to a penalty. On defense, he registered two solo tackles and broke up one pass.
“It was a special performance, for sure,” said McEachern coach Kareem Reid. “He’s a super instinctive player who’s really explosive once he finds a seam.”
Barner received the Player of the Game honor on Saturday and was recognized as GHSFDaily’s Player of the Week in an award presentation attended by his teammates before practice on Wednesday.
“It starts with them,” Casey said about his teammates. “I wouldn’t even want this award without them. I appreciate them for the blocks and everything they do for me, on and off the field.”
He also thanked Coach Reid and his coaching staff: “I want to thank all of them for believing in me, trusting me, and letting me do my job. This award is for them, too,” Casey said.
The McEachern Indians are preparing to face North Cobb Warriors at home this Friday in a matchup between two teams ranked in Georgia’s Top 25 according to Sports Illustrated.
