Here are the Week 4 standouts from our weekend research. We have a brief write-up on each of the 10 athletes we selected, along with individual game footage from Hudl, when available.
Voting for the Player of the Week is directly underneath and ends Tuesday at 10 p.m. You can only vote once per hour! The winner will get a featured story on the website and a custom highlight video.
Jaquavian Sheard
JR Lee Co.
Running Back
In one of South Georgia’s biggest matchups of the season, Lee County managed to beat Colquitt County 48-30. Junior running back Jaquavian Sheard had his breakout game for the Trojans, rushing for 202 yards and four touchdowns. The patient back has waited for his opportunity and looks motivated to be the premier back for 6A’s #2 team.
Daylan Maxwell
SR Jackson Co.
Running Back
Maxwell, one of the state’s most consistent backs, remains the backbone of the Jackson County offense. The All-State senior rushed for 248 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 20-14 win over North Oconee in a huge out-of-classification game. Jackson County is currently ranked the #10 team in our 6A rankings. No film uploaded yet on Hudl.
Cooper Shumate
JR Monroe Area
Quarterback
Shumate is a standout for the 2nd time this year. The explosive dual-threat passer had 280 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries while also completing 8 out of 13 passes for 185 yards and two more scores in a 56-14 win over Flowery Branch. The two-sport star, who excels on the baseball diamond, now has 644 passing yards and 8 touchdowns along with 1035 rushing yards and 13 more scores in just 4 games this season. Monroe Area moves up to #5 in our 4A rankings.
Jayden Johnson
SR Stephenson
Running Back
Stephenson bounces back this week with a 40-33 last-second win over Griffin, with senior Jayden Johnson scoring a rushing touchdown with seconds remaining. The senior back, who is committed to Middle Tennessee, rushed for 281 yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries in this big matchup against Griffin. Stephenson sits #6 in our 4A rankings.
LaTavis Devine
JR Fitzgerald
Running Back
Fitzgerald didn’t need to complete a pass to beat Dodge County 28-14; they just needed to hand the ball off to LaTavis Devine. The junior rushed for 203 of his team’s 328 yards and was a workhorse with 33 carries plus two scores. Aptly named the ‘Wildhog’, Devine runs with intensity, hitting the hole and accelerating upfield with a physical running style. No Hudl film is uploaded.
Gavin Hollum
SOPH Prince Avenue
Quarterback
Prince Avenue wins the biggest matchup of Private this year with a 38-15 victory over GAC. Sophomore passer Gavin Hollum was on the money, completing 20 out of 33 passes for 318 yards and two scores. Prince Avenue pushed the score to 31-0 in the 3rd quarter, solidly dealing the #2 team in Private its first loss of the season and anointing Prince as the #1 team in our updated rankings. Back to Hollum, whose lightning release is elite and his general arm talent is undeniably near the top of the class of ’29, which is shaping up to be one of the best QB classes in recent memory.
Alex Tarboro
SR Northside-Col
Running Back
Northside-Columbus SR back had a huge game rushing for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns on 29 carries in a 33-30 win over Lovejoy. The win moves the Patriots to 3-0 on the year, with the 5’10” 195 lbs. back having a huge impact, averaging 143.3 yards per game and 5 touchdowns. Tarboro is a tough, physical back who hits the hole with authority and fights for tough yards through contact. No Hudl film is uploaded yet.
Shane Moore
JR Hart Co.
Defensive Lineman
One of the top defensive performances from around the state in Week 4 was Hart County junior Shane Moore. The Energizer Bunny on the defensive line had a whopping 18 total tackles and 4 sacks in a 35-12 win over Winder-Barrow. Moore continues to produce like this, and an All-State selection is possible. Hart County moves up to the #5 team in 3A. No film uploaded yet on Hudl.
Blaize Battaglia
SR Milton
Linebacker
Milton senior Blaize Battaglia, a Boston College commit, totaled 7 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, one hurry, and a pass breakup in a 42-21 win over Battle Ground Academy, one of the top teams in Tennessee. Battaglia dominated on defense, making almost every tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage. The senior showed off his great top-end speed, getting out to the sideline or shooting the gaps, which made the Battle Ground QB antsy in the pocket.
Jordan Wiggins
SOPH Northeast
Quarterback
One of the top offensive nights in the state came from sophomore QB Jordan Wiggins out of Northeast. The talented passer helped beat Perry 58-40, completing 22-of-29 passes for 379 yards and 6 touchdowns while rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. The 2029 prospect was Region Player of the Year his freshman year, and looks to be well on his way to repeat if he continues this level of production in 3A. With just under 500 yards of total offense and 8 touchdowns, the talented 2029 passer is making a convincing argument to be All-State each week.
