*Best player: C.J. Allen, Lamar County. Allen was the 2021 Region 3-2A player of the year, an honor not normally given a junior on a non-playoff team. In 10 games, Allen rushed for 1,080 yards and 16 touchdowns at running back and had 91 solo tackles and two interceptions returned for touchdowns at linebacker.
*Best position: Wide receiver. Jaden Gibson (1,878 yards), Prince Avenue’s Bailey Stockton (1,271) and Mount Vernon’s Jonathan Gallinaro (1,040) each went over 1,000 yards receiving in 2021.
*Most highly recruited: Allen is the consensus No. 9 player in Georgia and No. 116 in the country. He committed to Georgia on June 20.
*That’s interesting: Class A Division I has five of the state’s consensus top-100 recruits. Three play for Whitefield Academy – DB Ayden Duncanson (No. 58, committed to East Carolina), OL Ian Geffrard (No. 74, committed to Arkansas) and LB Caleb LaValle (No. 85, committed to North Carolina). Whitefield is coming off a 6-5 season in Class A Private.
*Snubbed: Brooks County QB Jamal Sanders and Irwin County QB Cody Soliday have led their teams to state titles. Sanders passed for 2,310 yards last season and rushed for 541. Soliday passed for 1,563 yards.
*Underrated: Swainsboro’s Ty Adams is a quarterback who rushed for 1,778 yards and 23 touchdowns last season while passing for 451 yards. He also plays in the secondary and had 39 tackles and two interceptions, one returned 80 yards for a touchdown.
*What else is new: Keegan Stover is the new quarterback at Rabun County, taking over for current Georgia freshman Gunner Stockton. Stover passed for 2,382 yards and 25 touchdowns last season at West Forsyth.
Offense
QB - Aaron Philo, Prince Avenue Christian, Jr.
QB - Keegan Stover, Rabun County, Sr.
RB - JahVon Butler, Bleckley County, Sr.
RB - Jaiden Daniels, Commerce, So.
RB - D.J. Rogers, Pepperell, Sr.
WR - Jaden Gibson, Rabun County, Sr.
WR - Jonathan Gallinaro, Mount Vernon, Jr.
WR - Bailey Stockton, Prince Avenue Christian, Sr.
OL - Gus Gammage, Darlington, Sr.
OL - Ian Geffrard, Whitefield Academy, Sr.
OL - Gatlin Hancock, Darlington, Sr.
OL - Tra’lyvion Harris, Swainsboro, Sr.
OL - Aaron Kruse, Mount Pisgah Christian, Sr.
ATH - Ty Adams, Swainsboro, Sr.
PK/P - Allen Ventura, Claxton, Jr.
Defense
DL - Ramontel Dardy, Dublin, Sr.
DL - Uriah Howard, Prince Avenue Christian, Sr.
DL - Kaliq Jordan, Metter, Sr.
LB - C.J. Allen, Lamar County, Sr.
LB - Kamari Blankumsee, Brooks County, Sr.
LB - Bryce Clements, Irwin County, Sr.
LB - Caleb LaVallee, Whitefield Academy, Sr.
LB - Ethan Oglesby, Metter, Sr.
DB - Josh Britt, Prince Avenue Christian, Sr.
DB - Ayden Duncanson, Whitefield Academy, Sr.
DB - Bo Payne, Irwin County, Sr.
DB - Brandon Strozier, St. Francis, Sr.
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