The AJC’s first state rankings will be out Sunday. Who’ll be No. 1 in Class 6A? The 2023 champion of the highest class, Milton, dropped into Class 5A, so someone knew will win the highest classification this year. Here are the five that stand above the rest:
*Buford – The Wolves have the most high-end talent with nine seniors committed to major Division I programs. They are LB Jadon Perlotte (Southern Cal), CB Devin Williams (Auburn), RB Justin Baker (Tennessee), LB Mantrez Walker (Colorado), LB Kenyon Rivera (Kansas), WR Jordan Allen (Louisville), TE Hayden Bradley (Ole Miss), DL Nicco Maggio (Wake Forest) and CB Chris Garland (Stanford). Buford has never won a state title in the highest class and lost to Grayson in the 2023 quarterfinals.
*Carrollton – The Trojans have the weapons to win their first state title since 1998. Those begin begin with Julian Lewis, the five-star quarterback committed to Southern Cal. He’s thrown for 96 touchdowns in his two varsity seasons. He’s joined by three other preseason all state players – RB Kimauri Farmer, OL Tykie Helton and DB Dorian Barney. Defensive backs Zelus Hicks and Shamar Arnoux also are major Division I recruits, making this likely the most talented Carrollton team of all-time. Carrollton was a state runner-up in 2022 and made the quarterfinals last season, losing to Walton.
*Colquitt County – The Packers have one No. 1 ranking already, from the computer Maxwell Ratings. That says Packers’ history makes them the most reliable choice. They made the quarterfinals last season and the semifinals before that. ITG Next forecast them to have a 14-1 record. Tradition means only so much, though. Colquitt’s feeder program of home-grown talent remains the best., but the Packers have significant rebuilding to do with the losses of QB Neko Fann, WR Ny Carr and TE Landen Thomas.
*Douglas County – The Tigers played one class from the top last season and made the semifinals. This Douglas County edition could be better with a super-talented junior class leading the way. QB D.J. Bordeaux, a top-400 national prospect, transferred in from Alpharetta. He’ll be joined by perhaps the most gifted WR duo in state history – Devin Carter and Aaron Gregory, both top-25 national prospects. DE Jordan Carter is another top-25 national player, as Douglas County has three of them in the class of 2026. Douglas County also returns its best all-around player from last season, WR/DB/WB James Johnson.
*Grayson – The Rams are the highest classification’s most consistent team with its streak of 10 10-win seasons. They lost in the 2023 semifinals to eventual champion Milton. Junior linebacker Tyler Atkinson, the state’s No. 1 recruit in his class, is a returning first-team all-state player. Other major D-I recruits, all playing defensive, are LB Antyhony Davis, DE Andre Fuller and CB Jaylen Bell. Most of Grayson’s offensive playmakers must be replaced.
