*Best player: Knox Kadum. The Rome quarterback had 2,046 yards passing, 737 yard rushing and 15 victories.
*Best position: Quarterback. Kadum and Dylan Fromm, the reigning classification offensive player of the year, will have trouble holding their all-state positions with Kell's Evan Conley, Buford's Aaron McLaughlin and Arabia Mountain's Bryson Williams, among others, knocking on that door.
*Highly recruited: Harry Miller. The Buford lineman is rated the No. 2 center prospect, and No. 37 overall player, nationally. He is committed to Ohio State. In advising for the AJC's Super 11 team, which has not been announced, Jeff Sentell of DawgNation said this of Miller: "If you had a Super 4 or a Super 3 or even a Super 1, then Harry Miller should receive your strongest consideration."
*That's interesting: Miller and two other Buford offensive linemen made it, and three others could've. From left to right are Miller (Ohio State), Riley Simonds (Florida), Seth McLaughlin (four-star junior center with 12 ACC/SEC offers plus Princeton), Carter Colquitt (Ole Miss) and Reece McIntyre (Ole Miss). None stands below 6 feet, 3 inches. They average 295 pounds. The state has never seen another high school offensive line like it.
*Snubbed? Derrian Brown. Buford's top running back, a four-star recruit, was held back because his rush totals were just short of 1,000 last season. But that was sharing time with Anthony Grant, now at Florida. Look for a big year from Brown if he can got some blocking. (See above for that answer.)
*What else is new? Rome and Buford are the teams to beat this season, but Carrollton is making a move. The Trojans have three defensive players on the preseason all-state team. Linebackers Chaz Chambliss (sophomore) and Kevin Swint (junior) are four-star recruits who had 30 sacks and 60 tackles for losses between them last season. Safety Reid Dedman (senior) is a two-time first-team all-region player. A fourth player who narrowly missed this list, lineman Ty Murray (6-4, 300), has some 20 D-I offers.
OFFENSE
QB (pro) - Dylan Fromm, Warner Robins
QB (dual) - Knox Kadum, Rome
RB - Jamious Griffin, Rome
RB - Cal'von Harris, Harris County
RB - Jo'Quavious Marks, Carver (Atlanta)
TE - Tyler Fromm, Warner Robins
WR - DeAnthony Ball, Carver (Atlanta)
WR - Ashby Cribb, Wayne County
OL - Carter Colquitt, Buford
OL - Aiden Gaines, Rome
OL - Broderick Jones, Lithonia
OL - Harry Miller, Buford
OL - Riley Simonds, Buford
ATH - Trey Young, Riverwood
PK - Michael Lantz, Starr's Mill
DEFENSE
DL - Ja'Darien Boykin, Jones County
DL - Roman Harrison, Bainbridge
DL - Marcus Hood, Decatur
DL - Justin Talley, Kell
LB - Chaz Chambliss, Carrollton
LB - Larry Corbin, Griffin
LB - Kevon Glenn, Dutchtown
LB - Kevin Swint, Carrollton
DB - Reid Dedman, Carrollton
DB - Jamel Starks, Southwest DeKalb
DB - Dequan Watts, Jackson (Atlanta)
DB - Hunter Williams, Whitewater
P - Nate Presnell, Hiram
Coming Monday: Class AAAA
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