Georgia high school players in college football tops 4,000
More than 4,000 former Georgia high school football players were on college football rosters this season, and 30 have one more game – the national championship between Alabama and Clemson.
That is according to Steve Slay, a Georgia high school football fan and researcher who has done the tedious compilation for the past several years. With a final tally of 4,035, this is the first time that his numbers have topped 4,000. His 2015 season count was 3,996.
The high school with the most players on college rosters is McEachern with 54 (see list of every Georgia high school below).
Others with high numbers are Stephenson (48), Buford (44), Sandy Creek (44), Peachtree Ridge (40), Grayson (39), Hillgrove (39), Norcross (38), Tucker (37), Brookwood (35), Colquitt County (33), North Gwinett (33), Mays (31), Milton (31), Collins Hill (30), M.L. King (30) and Arabia Mountain (30).
The region with the most players is 6-AAAAAAA, made up entirely of Gwinnett County schools, led by Peachtree Ridge. Second is 4-AAAAAA, a region of DeKalb and Clayton schools led by Stephenson.
In the national championship game, as many as six Georgia players are expected to start. They are place-kicker Adam Grifffith of Calhoun and defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson of Henry County for Alabama and quarterback Deshaun Watson of Gainesville, defensive back Ryan Carter of Grayson, running back Wayne Gallman of Grayson and tackle Mitch Hyatt (pictured) of North Gwinnett for Clemson.
Slay's list does not could include Alabama All-America linebacker Reuben Foster, a former Class AAA defensive player of the year from Troup High in west Georgia. Foster finished up at Auburn High in Alabama, and Slay places players with the schools listed on team rosters.
Six former Georgia players made All-America teams this season. They were Clemson’s Watson, Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram of Hillgrove, Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan of Liberty County, Auburn defensive linemen Carl Lawson of Milton and Montravius Adams of Auburn and Syracuse wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo of McEachern.
Watson, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, was named Sunday the winner of the 2016 Bobby Bowden Award. The honor is presented each year to the college football player who most epitomizes a student-athlete.
Slay's work entails searching rosters of every college team in the country at all levels, including junior colleges. There were 268 former Georgia players in the SEC this season, 211 in the ACC.
It includes walk-ons. For examples, Georgia has 94 former Georgia high school players on its 2016 roster, and Georgia Tech has 76, but about at least a quarter of them are walk-ons.
It is unknown how Georgia stacks up nationally in terms of players on college rosters, as this research is not done in each state.
| AAAAAAA | 985 | AAAAAA | 818 | AAAAA | 677 | AAAA | 478 |
| REGION 1 | 97 | REGION 1 | 84 | REGION 1 | 57 | REGION 1 | 81 |
| Camden County | 29 | Coffee | 15 | Bainbridge | 7 | Americus-Sumter | 7 |
| Colquitt County | 33 | Houston County | 17 | Harris County | 18 | Cairo | 5 |
| Lowndes | 23 | Lee County | 16 | Thomas Co. Central | 7 | Carver-Col. | 16 |
| Tift County | 12 | Northside-W.R. | 17 | Veterans | 12 | Columbus | 8 |
| REGION 2 | 93 | Valdosta | 19 | Warner Robins | 13 | Hardaway | 7 |
| Campbell | 9 | REGION 2 | 48 | REGION 2 | 41 | Northside-Col. | 5 |
| East Coweta | 16 | Bradwell Institute | 7 | New Hampstead | 0 | Shaw | 11 |
| Newnan | 13 | Brunswick | 8 | South Effingham | 9 | Westover | 22 |
| Pebblebrook | 15 | Effingham County | 4 | Statesboro | 8 | REGION 2 | 44 |
| Westlake | 29 | Glynn Academy | 15 | Ware County | 11 | Howard | 7 |
| Wheeler | 11 | Richmond Hill | 14 | Wayne County | 13 | Mary Persons | 12 |
| REGION 3 | 157 | REGION 3 | 57 | REGION 3 | 82 | Perry | 4 |
| Hillgrove | 39 | Alcovy | 9 | Fayette County | 18 | Spalding | 8 |
| Kennesaw Mtn. | 11 | Evans | 6 | Griffin | 13 | Upson-Lee | 5 |
| Marietta | 15 | Greenbrier | 6 | McIntosh | 4 | West Laurens | 8 |
| McEachern | 54 | Grovetown | 2 | Morrow | 6 | REGION 3 | 51 |
| North Cobb | 24 | Heritage-Cony. | 19 | Riverdale | 16 | Baldwin | 9 |
| North Paulding | 14 | Lakeside-Evans | 15 | Starr's Mill | 9 | Burke County | 10 |
| REGION 4 | 99 | REGION 4 | 191 | Whitewater | 16 | Cross Creek | 2 |
| Cherokee | 10 | Drew | 21 | REGION 4 | 104 | Helpzibah | 6 |
| Etowah | 14 | Forest Park | 5 | Dutchtown | 13 | Richmond Academy | 9 |
| Lassiter | 17 | Jonesboro | 15 | Eagle's Landing | 19 | Thomson | 15 |
| Roswell | 20 | Lovejoy | 26 | Hampton | 0 | REGION 4 | 78 |
| Walton | 29 | M.L. King | 30 | Jones County | 9 | Druid Hills | 7 |
| Woodstock | 9 | Mount Zion | 5 | Locust Grove | 8 | Eastside | 6 |
| REGION 5 | 89 | Mundy's Mill | 4 | Ola | 6 | Henry County | 12 |
| Forsyth Central | 4 | Stephenson | 48 | Stockbridge | 27 | Luella | 16 |
| Lambert | 16 | Tucker | 37 | Union Grove | 10 | North Clayton | 8 |
| Milton | 31 | REGION 5 | 146 | Woodland-Stock. | 12 | Salem | 8 |
| North Forsyth | 10 | Alexander | 10 | REGION 5 | 116 | Woodward Acad. | 21 |
| South Forsyth | 16 | Creekside | 27 | Arabia Mountain | 30 | REGION 5 | 97 |
| West Forsyth | 12 | Douglas County | 11 | Chamblee | 13 | Cartersville | 14 |
| REGION 6 | 159 | Hughes | 17 | Clarkston | 0 | Cedartown | 4 |
| Collins Hill | 30 | Mays | 31 | Columbia | 23 | Central-Carroll | 8 |
| Discovery | 0 | New Manchester | 8 | Cross Keys | 2 | Chapel Hill | 9 |
| Duluth | 14 | Northgate | 13 | Lithonia | 13 | LaGrange | 12 |
| Mill Creek | 26 | South Paulding | 17 | Miller Grove | 18 | Sandy Creek | 40 |
| Mountain View | 16 | Tri-Cities | 12 | Southwest DeKalb | 17 | Troup | 10 |
| North Gwinnett | 33 | REGION 6 | 102 | REGION 6 | 80 | REGION 6 | 24 |
| Peachtree Ridge | 40 | Allatoona | 17 | Banneker | 8 | Gilmer | 3 |
| REGION 7 | 147 | Creekview | 9 | Carver-Atlanta | 16 | Heritage-Ringgold | 3 |
| Berkmar | 11 | Dalton | 7 | Decatur | 13 | LaFayette | 0 |
| Brookwood | 35 | Harrison | 22 | Grady | 17 | Northwest Whitfield | 6 |
| Central Gwinnett | 28 | Osborne | 8 | Lithia Springs | 4 | Pickens | 5 |
| Lakeside-DeKalb | 8 | River Ridge | 6 | Maynard Jackson | 4 | Ridgeland | 5 |
| Meadowcreek | 5 | Sequoyah | 7 | North Springs | 2 | Southeast Whitfield | 2 |
| Norcross | 38 | South Cobb | 12 | Riverwood | 16 | REGION 7 | 50 |
| Parkview | 22 | Sprayberry | 14 | REGION 7 | 105 | Blessed Trinity | 17 |
| REGION 8 | 144 | REGION 7 | 117 | Carrollton | 22 | Chestatee | 2 |
| Archer | 22 | Alpharetta | 28 | Cass | 4 | Marist | 14 |
| Grayson | 39 | Cambridge | 5 | East Paulding | 15 | West Hall | 9 |
| Newton | 25 | Centennial | 15 | Hiram | 16 | White County | 8 |
| Rockdale County | 16 | Chattahoochee | 16 | Kell | 18 | REGION 8 | 53 |
| Shiloh | 19 | Dunwoody | 15 | Paulding County | 7 | Jefferson | 10 |
| South Gwinnett | 23 | Johns Creek | 5 | Rome | 6 | Madison County | 4 |
| North Atlanta | 8 | Villa Rica | 8 | North Oconee | 16 | ||
| Northview | 11 | Woodland-Carters. | 9 | Oconee County | 5 | ||
| Pope | 14 | REGION 8 | 92 | St. Pius | 12 | ||
| REGION 8 | 73 | Buford | 44 | Stephens County | 6 | ||
| Apalachee | 1 | Cedar Shoals | 8 | ||||
| Dacula | 27 | Clarke Central | 7 | ||||
| Gainesville | 19 | Flowery Branch | 13 | ||||
| Habersham Cen. | 6 | Johnson-Gaines. | 1 | ||||
| Lanier | 9 | Loganville | 16 | ||||
| Winder-Barrow | 11 | Walnut Grove | 3 | ||||
| AAA | 336 | AA | 245 | A | 384 | Others | 112 |
| REGION 1 | 26 | REGION 1 | 30 | REGION 1 | 22 | Atlanta Int. | 1 |
| Cook | 0 | Albany | 4 | Baconton Charter | 0 | Augusta Christian | 8 |
| Crisp County | 8 | Berrien | 6 | Calhoun County | 1 | Augusta Prep | 1 |
| Dougherty | 6 | Brooks County | 5 | Chattahoochee Co. | 2 | Bethesda Academy | 3 |
| Monroe | 10 | Early County | 3 | Miller County | 2 | Bethlehem Christian | 1 |
| Worth County | 2 | Fitzgerald | 6 | Mitchell County | 5 | Bible Baptist | 3 |
| REGION 2 | 25 | Thomasville | 6 | Pataula Charter | 0 | Brentwood School | 3 |
| Appling County | 5 | REGION 2 | 33 | Pelham | 3 | Briarwood Academy | 1 |
| Brantley County | 2 | Bacon County | 5 | Randolph-Clay | 4 | Calvary Christian | 1 |
| Liberty County | 8 | Benedictine | 10 | Seminole County | 4 | Central Fellowship | 2 |
| Long County | 2 | Bryan County | 2 | Stewart County | 0 | Community Christ. | 2 |
| Pierce County | 6 | Jeff Davis | 2 | Terrell County | 1 | Covenant Academy | 1 |
| Tattnall County | 2 | Metter | 4 | REGION 2 | 25 | Covenant Christian | 2 |
| REGION 3 | 14 | Swainsboro | 3 | Atkinson County | 5 | Creekside Christian | 1 |
| Beach | 1 | Toombs County | 2 | Charlton County | 5 | Curtis Baptist | 3 |
| Groves | 0 | Vidalia | 5 | Clinch County | 3 | Deerfield-Windsor | 5 |
| Islands | 0 | REGION 3 | 34 | Irwin County | 1 | Dominion Christian | 3 |
| Jenkins | 4 | Bleckley County | 6 | Lanier County | 3 | Gatewood School | 1 |
| Johnson-Sav. | 3 | Dodge County | 7 | Telfair County | 1 | Georgia Force | 2 |
| Savannah | 2 | Dublin | 8 | Turner County | 4 | Harvester Christian | 1 |
| Southeast Bulloch | 1 | East Laurens | 0 | Wilcox County | 3 | Heritage School | 2 |
| Windsor Forest | 3 | Northeast | 4 | REGION 3 | 46 | Home School | 1 |
| REGION 4 | 61 | Southwest | 0 | Calvary Day | 14 | John Milledge | 3 |
| Central (Macon) | 8 | Washington Co. | 9 | Claxton | 1 | King's Academy | 1 |
| Jackson | 11 | REGION 4 | 34 | ECI | 2 | Lafayette Christian | 1 |
| Kendrick | 3 | Butler | 2 | Jenkins County | 2 | Loganville Christian | 4 |
| Peach County | 14 | Glenn Hills | 0 | Johnson County | 1 | Memorial Day | 9 |
| Pike County | 3 | Harlem | 1 | McIntosh Co. Acad. | 9 | Monsignor Donovan | 3 |
| Rutland | 6 | Jefferson County | 12 | Montgomery Co. | 1 | Piedmont Academy | 1 |
| Westside-Macon | 16 | Josey | 4 | Portal | 0 | Praise Academy | 2 |
| REGION 5 | 78 | Laney | 5 | Savannah Christian | 10 | Rabun Gap | 7 |
| Cedar Grove | 29 | Screven County | 6 | Savannah C.D. | 4 | Sherwood Christian | 3 |
| Lovett | 8 | Westside-Aug. | 4 | Treutlen | 0 | Skipstone Academy | 1 |
| McNair | 4 | REGION 5 | 43 | Wheeler County | 2 | Solid Rock Christian | 1 |
| Pace Academy | 12 | Callaway | 16 | REGION 4 | 51 | Southland Academy | 2 |
| Redan | 2 | Heard County | 6 | Brookstone | 3 | SW Atlanta Chris. | 1 |
| Stone Mountain | 9 | Jordan | 1 | Central-Talbotton | 1 | SW Georgia Acad. | 2 |
| Towers | 2 | Lamar County | 12 | Crawford County | 1 | Tiftarea Academy | 3 |
| Westminster | 12 | Spencer | 6 | Dooly County | 8 | Trinity-Dublin | 2 |
| REGION 6 | 52 | Temple | 2 | Greenville | 5 | Trinity-Sharpsburg | 2 |
| Adairsville | 7 | REGION 6 | 29 | Hawkinsville | 7 | Unknown | 2 |
| Bremen | 4 | B.E.S.T. Academy | 5 | Macon County | 5 | Valwood School | 6 |
| Calhoun | 20 | Douglass | 1 | Manchester | 5 | Westfield School | 3 |
| Coahulla Creek | 1 | Hapeville Charter | 12 | Marion County | 6 | Westminster-Aug | 3 |
| Haralson County | 0 | KIPPAtlanta | 4 | Pacelli | 5 | Windsor Academy | 1 |
| Lakeview-FO | 2 | South Atlanta | 2 | Schley County | 2 | Young Americans | 1 |
| Murray County | 1 | Therrell | 1 | Taylor County | 3 | ||
| North Murray | 4 | Washington | 4 | REGION 5 | 68 | ||
| Ringgold | 8 | REGION 7 | 19 | ELCA | 18 | ||
| Sonoraville | 5 | Armuchee | 3 | Fulton Leadership | 0 | ||
| REGION 7 | 48 | Chattooga | 1 | Holy Innocents | 6 | ||
| Dawson County | 7 | Coosa | 5 | Landmark Chris. | 10 | ||
| East Hall | 7 | Dade County | 0 | Mount Vernon Pr. | 4 | ||
| Fannin County | 1 | Gordon Central | 3 | Our Lady Of Mercy | 15 | ||
| G.A.C. | 26 | Model | 1 | Strong Rock | 2 | ||
| Lumpkin County | 1 | Pepperell | 4 | Wesleyan | 13 | ||
| North Hall | 3 | Rockmart | 2 | REGION 6 | 69 | ||
| Union County | 3 | REGION 8 | 23 | Bowdon | 3 | ||
| REGION 8 | 32 | Banks County | 4 | Christian Heritage | 2 | ||
| East Jackson | 1 | Elbert County | 10 | Darlington | 8 | ||
| Franklin County | 2 | Monticello | 1 | Fellowship Chris. | 7 | ||
| Hart County | 8 | Oglethorpe Co. | 0 | Gordon Lee | 0 | ||
| Jackson County | 6 | Putnam County | 1 | King's Ridge | 5 | ||
| Monroe Area | 7 | Rabun County | 6 | Mount Paran | 11 | ||
| Morgan County | 8 | Social Circle | 1 | Mount Pisgah | 11 | ||
| Mount Zion | 3 | ||||||
| North Cobb Chri. | 1 | ||||||
| Pinecrest Academy | 3 | ||||||
| St. Francis | 5 | ||||||
| Trion | 2 | ||||||
| Walker | 2 | ||||||
| Whitefield Acad. | 6 | ||||||
| REGION 7 | 63 | ||||||
| Aquinas | 8 | ||||||
| First Presbyterian | 2 | ||||||
| Georgia Military | 5 | ||||||
| Glascock County | 0 | ||||||
| Greene County | 4 | ||||||
| Hancock Central | 3 | ||||||
| Lincoln County | 5 | ||||||
| Mount de Sales | 8 | ||||||
| Stratford Academy | 3 | ||||||
| Tattnall Square | 3 | ||||||
| Twiggs County | 1 | ||||||
| Warren County | 6 | ||||||
| Wash-Wilkes` | 11 | ||||||
| Wilkinson County | 4 | ||||||
| REGION 8 | 40 | ||||||
| Athens Academy | 6 | ||||||
| Athens Christian | 4 | ||||||
| Commerce | 3 | ||||||
| George Walton Academy | 3 | ||||||
| Hebron Christian | 5 | ||||||
| Lakeview Academy | 3 | ||||||
| Prince Avenue Ch. | 11 | ||||||
| Providence Chris. | 1 | ||||||
| Riverside Military | 2 | ||||||
| Towns County | 2 |
