*Best player: Wilcox County’s Martez Thrower was a first-team AJC all-state pick in 2019, when he had 16 tackles for losses as a linebacker and 433 yards yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns as a running back for a 9-3 Class A Public team that had its best season in seven years. A consensus top-750 national recruit, Thrower committed to Kentucky on July 4.
*Best position: There are always good running backs in Class A. Brooks County’s Omari Arnold ran for 1,697 yards last season. Others over 1,000 that are back include Clinch County’s Tyler Morehead, Johnson County’s Gemivy Tucker, Bowdon’s Gage Stephens, Claxton’s Karon Taylor, Claxton’s Sirmarcus Burney and McIntosh County Academy’s Trenton Johnson.
*Most highly recruited: Zamon Ross of Schley County is a consensus top-400 national recruit with 10 reported Division I offers. He put up more than 1,300 all-purpose yards the past two seasons as a running back and return man but is recruited primarily as a safety.
*That’s interesting: Commerce center Payton Freeman is a three-year starter and first-team all-region player from 2019. He’s also an accomplished young race car driver competing on dirt tracks throughout the South in late model divisions.
*Snubbed? This is the first preseason all-state team without a tight end. No offense to Branson Owens of Wilcox County and Jacob Long of Schley County, who were first-team all-region tight ends last season. They were even better linebackers. Also making all-region at the position were Pelham’s Davion Rhodes, a college prospect at defensive end, and ECI’s Lawson Mercer, a top baseball prospect.
*What else is new? Class 2A finalists Dublin and Brooks County have moved into Class A Public. Dublin graduated almost all of its starters and has no preseason all-state players, but Brooks placed three. Defending A Public champion Irwin County has four.
OFFENSE
QB - Ni’Tavion Burrus, Brooks County, Sr.
QB/RB - Tyler Morehead, Clinch County, Sr.
RB - Omari Arnold, Brooks County, Jr.
RB - Gage Stephens, Bowdon, Jr.
WR - Cameron Bailey, Pelham, Sr.
WR - Shakari Denson, Claxton, Sr.
OL - Jalen Billingsley, Irwin County, Sr.
OL - Austin Duffey, Marion County, Sr.
OL - Payton Freeman, Commerce, Sr.
OL - Ashton Grable, Wilkinson County, Sr.
OL - Jared Marrow, Mount Zion, Sr.
ATH - Zamon Ross, Schley County, Sr.
K - Eryck Diaz, Commerce, Sr.
DEFENSE
DL - Jayshawn Baker, Brooks County, Sr.
DL - Craig Harris, Clinch County, Sr.
DL - Keenon Lampkin, Lincoln County, Sr.
DL - Patrick Tukes, Telfair County, Sr.
LB - Garland Benyard, Irwin County, Sr.
LB - Qeontavious Ivey, Hancock Central, Sr.
LB - Martez Thrower, Wilcox County, Sr.
LB - Colt Willis, Lincoln County, Sr.
DB - Gabe Benyard, Irwin County, Sr.
DB - Khay Lloyd, McIntosh County Academy, Sr.
DB - Derrick Taylor, Irwin County, Sr.
DB - Perry Williams, Clinch County, Sr.
P - Aaron Adams, Johnson County, Jr.
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