AJC Varsity preseason all-state 5A: Cartersville has most selections
Ahead of the 2026 football season, AJC Varsity is announcing our preseason all-state teams. Today, we announce Class 5A.
7A and 6A have already been published.
Best player: DJ Jacobs, Blessed Trinity. He’s a three-time former all-state player and a 5-star prospect.
Most highly recruited: Jacobs is the eighth-highest-rated prospect from Georgia this century. He is committed to Ohio State.
Best position: Secondary. Zy’Corius Huzzie (Cincinnati), Harrison Luke (Clemson), Brennan Drummond (Nebraska) and Giovanni Tuggle (top 100 national prospect among juniors) are Power 4-bound prospects.
That’s interesting: Harrison Luke’s father is Clemson assistant and former Georgia offensive line coach Matt Luke. Max Brown’s brother is Clemson linebacker and former AJC all-class player of the year Sammy Brown. DJ and Dawson Jacobs’ father is former Georgia player David Jacobs. Joshua Scott’s brother is NC State running back and former AJC Class 4A offensive player of the year Duke Scott.
Snubbed: Central-Carrollton offensive lineman Sam Walker is a top 100 junior prospect nationally, but gave way here to seniors. His running back teammate, Jacez Walton, is another outstanding junior primed for a big year.
Underrated: Owen Hare, Marist. An all-state performer in football and lacrosse, Hare is is 5-10 and 190 pounds with modest speed and few big offers. He’s just a producer and a winner, the kind Marist has leaned on to reach the semifinals or better seven of the past 14 seasons.
What else is news? Cartersville leads the way with five selections. Marist has three. Warner Robins and Blessed Trinity have two apiece.
Offense
- QB - Chandler Dyson, Warner Robins
- QB - Joshua Scott, Stockbridge
- RB - Caden Waye, Ola
- RB - Kalil Charles, Cass
- WR - X’Zavier Cannon, Warner Robins
- WR - Jordan Christie, Southwest DeKalb
- TE - Cole Crawford, Cartersville
- OL - Timi Aliu, Locust Grove
- OL - Tyler Duckworth, Allatoona
- OL - Jajuan Graham, Tucker
- OL - Kennedee Jackson, Lithonia
- OL - Cooper Martenson, Marist
- PK - Tyler Baradel, Marist
- ATH - Madoxx Davis, Cartersville
Defense
- DL - DJ Jacobs, Blessed Trinity
- DL - Dawson Jacobs, Blessed Trinity
- DL - Elijah Peeks, Cartersville
- DL - Grayson Villar, Cartersville
- LB - Max Brown, Jefferson
- LB - Owen Hare, Marist
- LB - Chris Johnson, Cedartown
- LB - Kylen Pope, Cartersville
- DB - Franck Atangana, Dalton
- DB - Zy’Corius Huzzie, LaGrange
- DB - Harrison Luke, North Oconee
- DB - Giovanni Tuggle, Winder-Barrow
- P - Jonathan Gomez, Eastside