Georgia high school football rankings: 6 defending champs start season No. 1

With the first games four days away, six defending champions will begin the high school football season No. 1 in the AJC’s preseason rankings.

The six are Grayson (Class 6A), North Oconee (4A), Calhoun (3A), Carver-Columbus (2A), Toombs County (A Division I) and Bowdon (A Division II).

The two other reigning champions are near the top. Milton is No. 3 in 5A behind Hughes and Gainesville. Hebron Christian is No. 2 in 3A-A Private behind Prince Avenue Christian.

Successfully defending a championship is not uncommon, but it’s not easy. Only 42 of 159 champions this century (26.4%) have done it.

Coaches of 2024 champions say their teams have moved on from the glory of 2024.

“This team is its own team, and they’re trying to leave their own legacy and continue to raise a standard‚” said Grayson’s Santavious Bryant, whose team opens its season at No. 5 Collins Hill on Friday.

Grayson lost its opener to Collins Hill last season but won its final 14 games to claim the school’s fourth state championship. Grayson returns nine of its 22 starters. Those include quarterback Travis Burgess and AJC Super 11 linebacker Tyler Atkinson.

Behind Grayson in the rankings are teams that have even more major Division I recruits.

No. 2 Buford has six of the state’s top 100 seniors on the 247Sports Composite. One is Tyriq Green, a Super 11 running back/defensive back. Buford has not won a state title since moving into the highest class in 2022.

No. 3 Douglas County has four top-100 players on the 247 Composite, including three in the top 20. They include Super 11 wide receiver Aaron Gregory.

In 5A, Milton is shooting for a third straight championship but graduated 17 of 22 starters. No. 1 Hughes was the 2024 runner-up and won a state title in 2022.

North Oconee of 4A is led by Super 11 outside linebacker/tight end Khamari Brooks and 2024 AJC Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year Harrison Faulkner. North Oconee’s senior class is 40-2.

Calhoun won 3A in 2024 with Trace Hawkins, a freshman quarterback. He’s now a sophomore with offers from Georgia Tech, Florida and Auburn.

Carver-Columbus, in 2A, has five preseason all-state players, all returning from a team that won each of its five 2024 playoff games by 21 points or more. Carver has a new coach, Jarvis Jones, a Carver alumnus and former Georgia and NFL player.

Toombs County and Bowdon start on top in Class A. Toombs, of Division I, won its first state title last season. Bowdon, of Division II, won its third straight championship and seeks to become the fourth school in GHSA history to win four in a row.

Prince Avenue, the 3A-A Private runner-up last season, begins No. 1 under new coach Jon Richt, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to replace Greg Vandagriff.

Prince Avenue will play the season’s first game Wednesday against No. 4 Callaway of Class 2A. That’s part of a Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic doubleheader at Kell High School. The second game is No. 10 Kell of Class 4A against South Paulding.

Class 6A

1. Grayson

2. Buford

3. Douglas County

4. Carrollton

5. Collins Hill

6. North Gwinnett

7. Colquitt County

8. North Cobb

9. Lowndes

10. Valdosta

Class 5A

1. Hughes

2. Gainesville

3. Milton

4. Thomas County Central

5. Lee County

6. Roswell

7. Sprayberry

8. Coffee

9. Houston County

10. Sequoyah

Class 4A

1. North Oconee

2. Benedictine

3. Creekside

4. Blessed Trinity

5. Cartersville

6. Marist

7. Cambridge

8. Ware County

9. Warner Robins

10. Kell

Class 3A

1. Calhoun

2. Jefferson

3. Sandy Creek

4. LaGrange

5. Peach County

6. Stephenson

7. Oconee County

8. North Hall

9. Cherokee Bluff

10. Cairo

Class 2A

1. Carver-Columbus

2. Pierce County

3. Burke County

4. Callaway

5. Rockmart