All-First Coast football player of the year, defense: Jaheim Singletary, Riverside

The pages of the Times-Union in the summer of 2018 laid out two magic words alongside a name that hadn't yet played a snap of high school football.

Jaheim Singletary, key newcomer.

But just how key? Was a freshman really ready to leave an instant impression for a venerable 90-year-old program at the heart of Jacksonville football?

Singletary's first month of high school football showed the world what he was all about. He never slowed down.

Now a college-bound graduate instead of a high school freshman, a five-star prospect instead of a raw recruit and a rising cornerback set to shine for the national champions, Singletary closed a Riverside career to remember as the Times-Union's All-First Coast defensive player of the year for football.

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As a senior, Singletary picked off four passes and earned a berth on the MaxPreps All-America team, and finished the year as a finalist for the USA Today national player of the year award later this month.

A five-star recruit, ranked by some analysts as the nation's most promising high school cornerback, Singletary is now beginning the next step of his football journey in Athens with the University of Georgia.

Those analysts saw a cornerback with a rare combination of skills — the height to match up against physical wideouts, the speed to control the deep passing game, the agility to stick close to skilled route-runners and the quick hands to punish any quarterback who made the mistake of throwing an errant pass into his ZIP code.

He concluded his high school career as a four-time Florida High School Athletic Association playoff qualifier and the school's most heralded prospect for decades.

Then again, the way Singletary began his high school days in 2018, his meteoric rise was no surprise.

Singletary already owned three interceptions (against Westside, Mandarin and Atlantic Coast) through the first month of his high school career as a freshman at the school, then still known as Lee High. He ended that season with seven picks, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery to send a message loud and clear across the state: Watch out.

From then on, opponents generally learned their lessons to steer clear of Singletary's territory in the passing game, although when they tested him, he made them pay. Singletary closed his Riverside career with 14 interceptions.

He also contributed in the return game and on offense, where he caught four touchdown passes in his senior year and displayed his stunning athletic gifts in the downfield passing game.

Though he's no longer in the Sunshine State, Singletary isn't finished on the First Coast.

In December, he made it official, signing with Georgia in the early signing period. So he's scheduled to return to Jacksonville in the years to come for the Florida-Georgia clash at TIAA Bank Field, beginning this fall on Oct. 30.

Jaheim Singletary, football (defense)

Senior, Riverside

Age: 18

Resume: Five-star recruit ranked by some analysts as the nation's No. 1 cornerback in the 2022 class. ... Intercepted four passes and recorded 28 tackles. ... Named to MaxPreps High School All-America team. ... Finalist for national USA Today Defensive Player of the Year. ... Also caught four touchdown passes on offense. ... Signed with national champion Georgia. 

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaheim Singletary, Riverside DB: All-First Coast defensive player of the year