Class 7A
*Best player: Carrollton quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis is probably the best-known sophomore in state history. It comes from leading a Class 7A team to the state championship game while throwing for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns as a freshman. ESPN rates him the No. 1 recruit in any class in the nation.
*Best position: Tight end. Colquitt County’s Landen Thomas is the consensus No. 1 senior recruit at the position nationally. Camden County’s Elyiss Williams is the No. 1 junior tight end. Carrollton’s Caleb Odom and Grayson’s Kylan Fox are four-star recruits.
*Most highly recruited: Buford’s Dylan Raiola, a transfer from an Arizona school, is the consensus No. 1 senior recruit nationally.
*That’s interesting: Dwight Phillips is the son of Dwight Phillips Sr., the long jump gold medalist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The dad is a Tucker alumnus who focused mainly on track in high school. Phillips Jr. is a top sprinter who won the 100 meters in the Class 7A meet last season. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Pebblebrook’s scrimmage against McEachern last week.
*Snubbed: Some have told GHSF Daily that Raiola doesn’t deserve preseason accolades until he proves his worth against Georgia competition. Players who might’ve lost a place here because of the Arizona transfer include Milton’s Luke Nickel and Walton’s Jeremy Hecklinski, both Georgia Power 100 quarterbacks. The best all-around player missing is probably Milton’s Debron Gatling, who is committed to Texas A&M, or Mill Creek’s Trajen Greco, committed to Georgia Tech. Both are wide receiver/cornerbacks.
*Underrated: Carrollton’s Bryce Hicks and Parkview’s Khyair Spain each had more than 2,300 yards from scrimmage as first-team all-state running backs in Georgia’s highest class last season. Yet each has only about six scholarship offers. Both are around 5 feet, 9 inches.
*What else is news: Valdosta’s Eric Brantley Jr. was the victim of a shooting in February, but the all-state defensive lineman says he’ll be ready this season. Someone close to the Valdosta program told ITG Next’s Phil Jones that Brantley still has a bullet lodged in his body and that there was initial concern he might never play again. Brantley has more than 70 tackles for losses in his career. He committed to Colorado in December.
Offense
QB - Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, Carrollton, So.
QB - Dylan Raiola, Buford, Sr.
RB - Khyair Spain, Parkview, Sr.
RB - Bryce Hicks, Carrollton, Sr.
WR - Ny Carr, Colquitt County, Sr.
WR - Mike Matthews, Parkview, Sr.
TE - Landen Thomas, Colquitt County, Sr.
OL - Gemyel Allen, Mountain View, Sr.
OL - Aiden Banfield, Mill Creek, Sr.
OL - Daniel Calhoun, Walton, Sr.
OL - Jordan Floyd, Parkview, Sr.
OL - Waltclaire Flynn, Grayson, Sr.
ATH - Dwight Phillips, Pebblebrook, Sr.
PK - Brett Fitzgerald, Colquitt County, Jr.
Defense
DL - Eric Brantley Sr., Valdosta, Sr.
DL - Justin Greene, Mountain View, Sr.
DL - Eddrick Houston, Buford, Sr.
DL - Tyshon Reed, Colquitt County, Sr.
LB - Grayson Hodges, North Cobb, Sr.
LB - Cole Mullins, Mill Creek, Sr.
LB - Jadon Perlotte, Buford, Jr.
LB - Ashton Woods, Walton, Sr.
DB - K.J. Bolden, Buford, Sr.
DB - Jay Crawford, Parkview, Sr.
DB - Christian Peterson, Westlake, Sr.
DB - TyShun White, Buford, Sr.
P - Carson Page, Lowndes, Sr.
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