Georgia High School Football: Five early season takeaways
The early action on the gridiron in the state of Georgia has been hotter than the summer heat. The usual suspects are off to fantastic starts, but non-conference play is heading into league schedules setting up dramatic on the field collisions in the coming weeks. We look at five early Georgia high school football storylines.
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BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL
Buford High School is not only one of the most feared teams in the Peach State but also in the nation. The Wolves have started out pouring it on Alabama’s Thompson (38-7) and North Carolina’s Mallard Creek (56-7). Last week Buford opened their in-state play getting challenged by North Cobb walking away with a 21-14 victory. A tough schedule remains, but the Wolves have talent all over the field to make a run for a state championship.
The Wolves are led on the ground by four-star Alabama running back commit Justice Haynes with Virginia Tech QB commit Dylan Wittke engineering the offense. Needing a couple of yards to move the chains, running behind LSU O-line commit Paul Mubenga is a good bet.
The defense is spearheaded by 2024 four-star defensive end Eddrick Houston with App State LB commit Ryan McKinnis and Bowling Green LB commit Alijah Williams roaming the box. The defense is bolstered in the secondary by four-star junior athletes Ty’Shun White and KJ Bolden along with three-star DB Jaylen Neal. The Wolves will miss four-star defensive end KingJoseph Edwards for an undetermined amount of time with a shoulder injury.
Next Up: Carver (Atlanta) at Buford
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MILL CREEK
Hanging back waiting for their shot at Buford is Mill Creek. The Hawks are also off to a 3-0 start taking down Walton, Norcross, and Archer. Mill Creek is led by two-way standout Caleb Downs. Downs, the top-rated player in-state, is a verbal commit to Alabama as a safety. Off to a hot start for the Hawks is slot receiver Makhail Woods. The Eastern Michigan commit leads his team in receptions (16), yards (263), and receiving scores (3). The ground attack is fuel by junior tailback Cameron Robinson (48/335/5).
On Friday night, Mill Creek flexed their defensive muscles holding Archer to 68 total yards of offense led by four-star Clemson linebacker commit Jamal Anderson. The defense will have their hands full on Oct. 14 with a road game to Buford.
Next Up: Cedar Grove at Mill Creek
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KAMERON DAVIS
After leading his Dougherty High School team to a 10-3 record a year ago, all eyes focused on quarterback/athlete Kameron Davis. The 2024 four-star Florida State commit was a stat monster a year ago throwing for over 1,700 yards while rushing for over 1,300 with 29 offensive scores. His attack on Georgia defenses has not lightened up producing 502 yards of offense, 235 on the ground, against Stockbridge on Friday contributing to all five of the Trojans scores in a 33-30 win.
Davis’s commitment to the Seminoles has not stopped teams from dropping offers trying to lure him away from a future in Tallahassee. Arkansas, Florida, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State are just five of the programs dropping offers over the summer.
Next Up: Dougherty at Hapeville Charter
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GRAYSON HIGH SCHOOL
Helping prove 7A Georgia football is no joke, teams have to make way for Grayson High School. The Rams have won their first three games of the season by a margin of 26 points. Senior leadership on defense is provided by four-star LSU DB commit Michael Daugherty, four-star Tennessee commit Jalen Smith, and two-star Georgia State defensive end commit Ravon Johnson helping hold teams to an average of 8.7 points per outing.
A state championship run is possible for the Rams this season, and the team will be contenders again in 2023 based on their junior class. This group is loaded with four-star athletes Joseph Stone Jr. (LSU) and Kylan Fox along with weekend LSU DB commit Zion Ferguson. Waltclaire Flynn is the top-rated center in the nation. Receiver John Cineas, defensive tackle Nasir Smith, and safety Myles Woods are three-star prospects to watch. Going even younger, watch out for freshman linebacker Tyler Atkinson. The 2026 prospect already has 17 offers and is coming off a 10-tackle, three-tackle for a loss, one-sack game against South Carolina’s Fort Dorchester.
Next Up: Spartanburg at Grayson
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SAMMY BROWN
Another 2024 player putting it all on the line for his team is Sammy Brown. The four-star linebacker/running back for Jefferson High School is back handing out bell ringing hits on both sides of the ball. Brown is credited with 11 stops and a pick while outproducing the Dragons’ passing attack on the ground 486 yards to 474 on the season. The Dragons have produced 17 scores on offense with eight of those coming from Brown.
College programs have dropped 27 offers on the table for Brown thus far. The fall game-day visit schedule has begun for Brown seeing Ohio State take down Notre Dame over the weekend.
Next Up: Jefferson at Oconee County