Troup County JR Jeremiah Culpepper has stepped into his junior year looking to make a difference. The 6’1″ athlete has around 50 tackles on the year, 11 tackles for a loss, and 8 sacks, along with a defensive touchdown.
The ladder defensive score happened last week, where a poor snap sent the pigskin spurting backwards. The explosive edge defender got into the backfield in a blink, beating the panicked QB to the football, scooping it up, and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown.
The play was selected as one of the best plays of the week in Georgia on Sunday night, and 24 hours later, it was voted the #1 play of the week.
“I appreciate it and the opportunity, and shout out to everyone who voted for me,” Culpepper said.
The 2027 prospect continued, “My JR year was very unexpected. To think I have an opportunity to do something many people can’t do is hard to imagine it being real, and I’m very grateful and blessed for it.”
Going into the season, Troup was slept on and our preseason underdogs in 3A, a program we expected to surprise. That is holding up well; they are 8-0 and last Friday beat LaGrange 38-24 to secure, at worst, the #2 seed in the region with a mega matchup with Sandy Creek on Halloween night to decide the region title.
“My personal goals are getting bigger, stronger, faster, and going to state as a team,” Culpepper said.
No doubt, Troup is a dangerous football team heading into the 3A playoffs. They have a strong offensive attack with some talented athletes across the board, but the defense has been the biggest surprise. Culpepper’s scoop and score is a good example. That gave Troup a 28-14 advantage late in the 3rd quarter, and the type of explosive impact that you come to expect from D1 caliber athletes.
“I have a strong mindset and I am very coachable,” Culpepper said about himself.
On the recruiting front, the junior has traction with several FBS programs and has taken visits to Florida State, Troy, Tennessee, and has Duke, Syracuse, and Alabama lined up next. Culpepper is a long 6’1″ athlete.
He does a nice job of getting off blocks and has the quick-twitch nature you want to see running off the edge, so we feel like his recruitment will be interesting to watch over the next year. Be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear the latest on Culpepper and athletes across the state.
