High schools
More than 125 state players on NFL opening rosters
By Todd Holcomb – GHSF Daily
Sept 8, 2021More than 125 former Georgia high school players have made opening-day NFL rosters in a season that begins Thursday with a game between the Cowboys and Buccaneers.
At least 18 are rookies, including 2021 first-round picks Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville, Justin Fields of Harrison and Jaycee Horn of Alpharetta.
Norcross and Stephenson, with five each, have the most active NFL players among Georgia schools.
Every NFL team has at least one Georgia player. The Patriots, Texans and Giants each have seven Georgia players.
NFL rosters are fluid. The list includes only players on active rosters or injured reserve as of noon Tuesday. It does not include players on practice squads or unable-to-perform lists.
In recent years, Georgia has ranked fourth behind California, Texas and Florida for the most NFL players. Research on 2021 rosters for each state has not been done yet.
IJ - denotes player on injured reserve.
| POS | Player | High School | College | NFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Joshua Dobbs-IJ | Alpharetta | Tennessee | Steelers |
| CB | Jaycee Horn | Alpharetta | South Carolina | Panthers |
| WR | Jakobi Meyers | Arabia Mountain | North Carolina State | Patriots |
| WR | Breshad Perriman | Arabia Mountain | UCF | Bears |
| LS | Nick Moore | Brookwood | Georgia | Ravens |
| CB | Justin Coleman | Brunswick | Tennessee | Dolphins |
| CB | Darius Slay | Brunswick | Mississippi State | Eagles |
| DB | Tracy Walker | Brunswick | Louisiana-Lafayette | Lions |
| LS | Reid Ferguson | Buford | LSU | Bills |
| LS | Blake Ferguson | Buford | LSU | Dolphins |
| WR | Terry Godwin-IJ | Callaway | Georgia | Jaguars |
| MLB | Jarrad Davis-IJ | Camden County | Florida | Jets |
| DE | Darryl Johnson | Camden County | North Carolina A&T | Panthers |
| LS | Josh Harris | Carrollton | Auburn | Falcons |
| DB | Jonathan Jones | Carrollton | Auburn | Patriots |
| DT | Dontavius Russell | Carrollton | Auburn | Jaguars |
| QB | Trevor Lawrence | Cartersville | Clemson | Jaguars |
| OT | Chris Hubbard | Carver (Columbus) | Alabama-Birmingham | Browns |
| RB | Nick Chubb | Cedartown | Georgia | Browns |
| LB | Cam Gill-IJ | Chapel Hill | Wagner | Buccaneers |
| WR | Tyreek Hill | Coffee | West Alabama | Chiefs |
| QB | Taylor Heinicke | Collins Hill | Old Dominion | Washington |
| OT | Cameron Erving | Colquitt County | Florida State | Panthers |
| TE | Gerald Everett | Columbia | South Alabama | Seahawks |
| OLB | Leonard Floyd | Dodge County | Georgia | Rams |
| DT | Montravius Adams | Dooly County | Auburn | Saints |
| RB | Antonio Gibson | Eagle's Landing | Memphis | Washington |
| DE | Isaac Rochell | Eagle's Landing Christian | Notre Dame | Colts |
| DT | Sheldon Rankins | Eastside | Louisville | Jets |
| CB | Eric Stokes | Eastside | Georgia | Packers |
| WR | Mecole Hardman | Elbert County | Georgia | Chiefs |
| LB | A.J. Johnson | Gainesville | Tennessee | Broncos |
| QB | Deshaun Watson | Gainesville | Clemson | Texans |
| RB | DeeJay Dallas | Glynn Academy | Miami (Fla.) | Seahawks |
| RB | Wayne Gallman | Grayson | Clemson | Falcons |
| QB | Davis Mills | Greater Atlanta Christian | Stanford | Texans |
| WR | Kalif Raymond | Greater Atlanta Christian | Holy Cross | Lions |
| WR | Darius Slayton | Greater Atlanta Christian | Auburn | Giants |
| OT | D'Ante Smith | Grovetown | East Carolina | Bengals |
| DE | Arden Key | Hapeville Charter | LSU | 49ers |
| LB | Tae Crowder | Harris County | Georgia | Giants |
| OLB | Jordan Jenkins | Harris County | Georgia | Texans |
| QB | Justin Fields | Harrison | Ohio State | Bears |
| OLB | Bradley Chubb | Hillgrove | North Carolina State | Broncos |
| RB | Kenyan Drake | Hillgrove | Alabama | Raiders |
| TE | Evan Engram | Hillgrove | Mississippi | Giants |
| DE | Jonathan Greenard | Hiram | Florida | Texans |
| C | Trey Hill | Houston County | Georgia | Bengals |
| TE | Harrison Bryant | John Milledge Academy | Florida Atlantic | Browns |
| CB | Cameron Sutton | Jonesboro | Tennessee | Steelers |
| DT | Derrick Brown | Lanier | Auburn | Panthers |
| SAF | Richard LeCounte | Liberty County | Georgia | Browns |
| MLB | Raekwon McMillan-IJ | Liberty County | Ohio State | Patriots |
| DE | Jordan Smith | Lithonia | Alabama-Birmingham | Jaguars |
| LB | Jamin Davis | Long County | Kentucky | Washington |
| CB | Gabe Nabers | Lowndes | Valdosta State | Colts |
| RB | BKenny Moore II | Lowndes | Florida State | Chargers |
| WR | Preston Williams | Lovejoy | Colorado State | Dolphins |
| FS | Kevin Byard | M.L. King | Middle Tennessee State | Titans |
| ILB | Roquan Smith | Macon County | Georgia | Bears |
| LB | Azeez Ojulari | Marietta | Georgia | Giants |
| ILB | Natrez Patrick-IJ | Mays | Georgia | Broncos |
| DE | Dalvin Tomlinson | McDonough | Alabama | Vikings |
| OG | Tremayne Anchrum-IJ | McEachern | Clemson | Rams |
| OT | Chuma Edoga | McEachern | USC | Jets |
| RB | Peyton Barber | Milton | Auburn | Raiders |
| DE | Carl Lawson-IJ | Milton | Auburn | Jets |
| DT | Grover Stewart | Mitchell County | Albany State (Ga.) | Colts |
| WR | Michael Gallup | Monroe Area | Colorado State | Cowboys |
| DE | Stephon Tuitt-IJ | Monroe Area | Notre Dame | Steelers |
| OLB | Alec Ogletree | Newnan | Georgia | Bears |
| CB | Tay Gowan | Newton | UCF | Cardinals |
| LB | Lorenzo Carter | Norcross | Georgia | Giants |
| TE | Jason Croom-IJ | Norcross | Tennessee | Eagles |
| OG | Max Garcia | Norcross | Florida | Cardinals |
| TE | Chris Herndon | Norcross | Miami (Fla.) | Vikings |
| RB | Alvin Kamara | Norcross | Tennessee | Saints |
| CB | Kindle Vildor | North Clayton | Georgia Southern | Bears |
| TE | Darren Waller | North Cobb | Georgia Tech | Raiders |
| OG | Colby Gossett | North Forsyth | Appalachian State | Falcons |
| TE | Jared Cook | North Gwinnett | South Carolina | Chargers |
| TE | C.J. Uzomah | North Gwinnett | Auburn | Bengals |
| WR | Chris Conley | North Paulding | Georgia | Texans |
| K | Wil Lutz-IJ | Northgate | Georgia State | Saints |
| DT | Abry Jones | Northside (Warner Robins) | Georgia | Titans |
| CB | Steven Nelson | Northside (Warner Robins) | Oregon State | Eagles |
| OT | Andrew Thomas | Pace Academy | Georgia | Giants |
| RB | Chris Carson | Parkview | Oklahoma State | Seahawks |
| WR | Demarcus Robinson | Peach County | Florida | Chiefs |
| OT | Orlando Brown | Peachtree Ridge | Oklahoma | Chiefs |
| DT | Cameron Heyward | Peachtree Ridge | Ohio State | Steelers |
| LB | Kevin Minter | Peachtree Ridge | LSU | Buccaneers |
| DB | Nigel Warrior | Peachtree Ridge | Tennessee | Seahawks |
| CB | Casey Hayward | Perry | Vanderbilt | Raiders |
| TE | Charlie Woerner | Rabun County | Georgia | 49ers |
| SS | Vonn Bell | Ridgeland | Ohio State | Bengals |
| LB | Neville Hewitt | Rockdale County | Marshall | Texans |
| DT | Grady Jarrett | Rockdale County | Clemson | Falcons |
| P | Ty Long | Roswell | Alabama-Birmingham | Chargers |
| SAF | Xavier McKinney | Roswell | Alabama | Giants |
| CB | Mike Hilton | Sandy Creek | Mississippi | Bengals |
| DE | Cameron Sample | Shiloh | Tulane | Bengals |
| DE | Stephen Weatherly | Shiloh | Vanderbilt | Vikings |
| DT | Justin Jones | South Cobb | North Carolina | Chargers |
| CB | Michael Carter II | South Paulding | Duke | Jets |
| CB | Rock Ya-Sin | Southwest DeKalb | Temple | Colts |
| K | Rodrigo Blankenship | Sprayberry | Georgia | Colts |
| RB | Jerick McKinnon | Sprayberry | Georgia Southern | Chiefs |
| RB | Trey Sermon | Sprayberry | Ohio State | 49ers |
| P | Sam Martin | Starr's Mill | Appalachian State | Broncos |
| DE | Justin Houston | Statesboro | Georgia | Ravens |
| OG | Ben Cleveland | Stephens County | Georgia | Ravens |
| RB | Mike Davis | Stephenson | South Carolina | Falcons |
| DE | Chauncey Rivers | Stephenson | Mississippi State | Packers |
| OLB | Preston Smith | Stephenson | Mississippi State | Packers |
| LB | Montez Sweat | Stephenson | Mississippi State | Washington |
| DE | D.J. Wonnum | Stephenson | South Carolina | Vikings |
| WR | Quintez Cephus | Stratford Academy | Wisconsin | Lions |
| DE | Austin Bryant | Thomas County Central | Clemson | Lions |
| WR | Rashod Bateman-IJ | Tift County | Minnesota | Ravens |
| CB | Duke Shelley | Tucker | Kansas State | Bears |
| DB | Darqueze Dennard-IJ | Twiggs County | Michigan State | Cardinals |
| TE | Jordan Akins | Union Grove | UCF | Texans |
| LB | Ernest Jones | Ware County | South Carolina | Rams |
| WR | Marquez Callaway | Warner Robins | Tennessee | Saints |
| DT | T.Y. McGill-IJ | Wayne County | North Carolina State | Eagles |
| C | David Andrews | Wesleyan | Georgia | Patriots |
| TE | Tommy Tremble | Wesleyan | Notre Dame | Panthers |
| CB | A.J. Terrell | Westlake | Clemson | Falcons |
| K | Harrison Butker | Westminster | Georgia Tech | Chiefs |
| P | Blake Gillikin | Westminster | Penn State | Saints |
| OT | Trent Brown | Westover | Florida | Patriots |
| SS | Kareem Jackson | Westside (Macon) | Alabama | Broncos |
| SAF | Kyle Dugger | Whitewater | Lenoir-Rhyne | Patriots |
| OLB | Bud Dupree | Wilkinson County | Kentucky | Titans |
| DB | Chandon Sullivan | Winder-Barrow | Georgia State | Packers |
| DE | Henry Anderson | Woodward Academy | Stanford | Patriots |
| P | A.J. Cole | Woodward Academy | North Carolina State | Raiders |
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
