Welcome to our 2023 All-State selections! Down below we have the Player of the Year vote. The first-team All-State selections on offense and defense are directly underneath the poll. At the very bottom of the page, we have our All-State honorable mention selections. Next week, we will post a write-up on each athlete selected for the first team along with a story for the Player of the Year.
Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to comment at the very bottom!
You can only vote ONE time per hour for player of the year. The poll will end on 12/23 at 7 pm.
OFFENSE
QB – Jay Kanazawa, Schley Co.
QB – Antwaun Clayton, Dooly Co.
RB – Tycavion Stovall, Early Co.
RB – Jordan Beasley, Bowdon
FB – Rob-Travious Coney, Jenkins Co.
WR – BJ Gibson, Wilcox Co.
WR – Amir Jackson, Portal
WR – Jack Rhodes, Aquinas
WR – Jalen Hall, Dooly Co.
OL – Wyatt Halstead, Schley Co.
OL – Jackson Edwards, Bowdon
OL – Elijah Cobb, Clinch Co.
OL – Trey Turner, Lincoln Co
OL – Garrett Landing, Seminole Co.
OL – Christon Zanders, Telfair Co.
K – Jonathan Bailey, Lanier Co.
ATH – Kyler McGrinn, Bowdon
DEFENSE
DL – Dayshawn Copeland, Greene Co
DL – B’Anthony Wade, Early Co.
DL – Kevin Wynn, Greene Co.
DL – Justus Terry, Manchester
DL – Zayden Walker, Schley Co.
LB – Javon Favors, Manchester
LB – Joshua Taylor, Johnson Co.
LB – Dylan McGrinn, Bowdon
LB – Jack Clark, Schley Co.
DB – Elijah Coleman, Portal
DB – Aaron Bryant, Clinch Co.
DB – Steve Miller, Greene Co.
DB – Semaj Jenkins, Lincoln Co.
DB – JaLewis Solomon, Schley Co.
DB – Shaheed Huckaby, Terrell Co.
P – Davis Williams, Telfair County
RET – Jeremy Bell, Clinch Co.
Jay Kanazawa has been Mr. Consistent for the last few years at Schley County, winning 25 games his junior and senior year combined and helping his program to record-breaking performances. The senior totaled 3195 yards on the season, 36 touchdowns, and an impressive 67% completion rate on 303 attempts. Kanazawa’s QB rating was among the best in the state at 125. The senior was voted Region Player of the Year and was always a player Schley County could rely on during the clutch. Antwaun Clayton out of Dooly County led the classification with 3284 passing yards and 38 touchdowns on the year. The senior showed off his impressive arm strength throwing deep vertical passes. Clayton was named Region Player of the Year and played one of the tougher SoS of any D2 QB.
Early County’s Tycavion Stovall finished off another great season running for 1955 yards, 23 touchdowns, and an 8.54 average per carry. Stovall makes concise vertical cuts, which helped him to a classification-leading 150 yards per game. Stovall was named Region Player of the Year. Bowdon’s Jordan Beasley rushed for 1411 rushing yards on the season and 17 touchdowns with an impressive 8.4 average. He was equally effective over the air, where Beasley had 452 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns, and an impressive 16.1 yards per catch. Beasley did it all, even getting 49 tackles & 2 interceptions for the 2023 DII state champions. Rob-Travious Coney was named Region Offensive Player of the Year for Jenkins County. Coney had 1380 yards and 23 touchdowns with zero fumbles. The All-State fullback was physically dominant, even on the defensive side of the ball where he had 86 tackles too.
For the 2nd year in a row, BJ Gibson was the regular season leader in receiving yards. With a new QB under center at Wilcox County, the senior still amassed 1185 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gibson recently signed on to play at FSU and was named Region Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. Amir Jackson out of Portal had the most impressive collection of highlight-reel catches of any receiver in the state. The lanky Portal receiver compiled 727 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 44 receptions. Jackson was named Region Athlete of the Year. He caught one touchdown for approximately every 4 catches while also being an impact player on defense. Jackson signed on with Florida. The classification leader in touchdown catches was Aquinas sophomore Jack Rhodes with 17. The multi-talented athlete hit his stride at receiver his sophomore year and totaled 1084 yards on the year. Rhodes will be one of the top returning receivers headed into the 2024 season. Dooly County’s Jalen Hall played great in his senior year catching 54 passes for 1153 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hall is a bull-like receiver who uses his physicality and strength on top of crisp route running to be among the best in DII. Hall was also a standout on defense totaling 5 interceptions was named Region Athlete of the Year.
Schley County’s Wyatt Halstead has been a force at the center spot for a few years now. The run-blocking senior was consistently one of the top blockers and recently announced a commitment to Berry College. Jackson Edwards out of Bowdon is a stoutly built blocker who plays like his hair is on fire. The junior is quick off the line and among the most explosive blockers in DII. Elijah Cobb out of Clinch County helped one of the top offensive attacks move the chains. The senior showed off his versatility on the defensive side where he was also a standout for Clinch. Trey Turner is another two-way athlete who dominated the trenches. The 6’4″ 300 lbs. senior is an earth-moving blocker who can send defenders straight down to the ground. Garrett Landing out of Seminole County was named an OL of the Week early in the season and now earns a spot on the DII All-State team. The senior pulls off the line of scrimmage with intensity and squares up on defenders with every force of his being. Christon Zanders took a jump each week for Telfair County, and by the end of the season, he was among the best linemen in DII. The sophomore is another OL of the week selection. He was a huge part of Telfair County’s run to the semifinals playing on both sides of the football and is a recruiting name to remember over the 12-24 months.
Jonathan Bailey out of Lanier County takes the All-State kicker spot. The 5’6″ senior made 5 of his 6 field goal attempts with a long of 43 yards. Bowdon’s Kyler McGrinn is our All-State athlete. The senior carried the Bowdon offense to their state title throwing for just under 2k yards and rushing for a classification-leading 2186 yards and 33 touchdowns. His combined touchdown total was 58 on the season. McGrinn was used like a battering ram at times, and no better example was the state title game against Manchester where his determination was key to their victory. McGrinn earned Region Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Moving over to the defensive line where Dayshwan Copeland out of Green County had another great season. The senior has continued to improve as an edge defender and had 18 tackles for a loss for one of the top defenses in DII. B’Anthony Wade out of Early County has been an impact player dating back to his sophomore year. The senior had 80 tackles on the year, 15 tackles for a loss, and 8 sacks. He was among the leaders for any defensive tackle in total tackles per game in DII. Kevin Wynn is a junior out of Greene County who is a headliner recruit in the class of ’25. The Region Defensive Player of the Year had 70 tackles, 30 for a loss, and 2 sacks. Wynn is now a 2x All-State selection. Another top-rated junior recruit is Justus Terry out of Manchester. Big #0 for the Blue Devils had an impressive season with 78 tackles and 13 sacks. Terry is committed to UGA. Zayden Walker out of Schley County makes the All-State team for the 2nd year in a row. The star junior had 16.5 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks, and 27 hurries for one of the top defenses in the classification. Walker is another top-rated junior who is among the most coveted players in the country.
Javon Favors out of Manchester flew around the field helping his team to the state title game. The junior led his team in tackles 91 and was named Region Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Joshua Taylor out of Johnson County is a heat-seeking missile on the field. The senior is a tw0-time Region Defensive Player of the Year and plays with elite intensity always pursuing the football. Dylan McGrinn out of Bowdon matched his brothers’ great offensive performance with his own on the defensive side of the ball. The junior linebacker had 151 tackles on the year and was named Region Defensive Player of the Year. Schley County’s Jack Clark gets the final All-State linebacker nod. The senior has been the focal point of the defense the last two seasons and led his team in tackles with 89 in 2023. Clark also had 17.5 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks. The intense linebacker was named Region Defensive Player of the Year.
Portal’s Elijah Coleman had one of the best seasons of any player in DII. The senior earns the cornerback nod after accumulating 68 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 force fumbles. Coleman also had over 2500 total yards of offense and 34 touchdowns on the other side of the football. The dynamic senior was named Region Player of the Year and helped Portal to their first Region title in school history. Clinch’s Aaron Bryant was named Region Offensive Player of the Year, but he gets the nod at defensive back for our All-State team. Bryant played stellar defense and had 4 interceptions on top of 1400 total yards of offense. Steve Miller out of Greene County was among the leaders in the classification with 6 interceptions. The 6’4″ junior looks like an elite coverage defensive back at the next level and was named Region Athlete of the Year in 2023. Miller is also an impact player at QB, and this time a year from now. a potential player of the year candidate. JaLewis Solomon out of Schley County could have once again been named on either side of the football. The acrobatic senior was tied for the state lead with 8 interceptions on top of having 1072 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Solomon is a dynamic player who will go down in school history as an all-time great. Shaheed Huckaby out of Terrell County is an under-the-radar senior who played great in 2023. Whether the senior was stepping up quickly in run support or reading QB’s eyes for one of his 8 interceptions, Huckaby looks to be one of the best in DII. The senior was tied for the state lead in interceptions and is one of the top safeties still available in the state.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Ke’arrin Dawsey, Turner Co./Kwylek Woodham, Dooly County/Jaden Wuerth, Aquinas/Octavis White, Manchester/Josh Gutierrez, Macon Co./Carson Westbrook, Schley Co./Jamarion Price, Early Co./Qua Cooper, Manchester/Tamari Curry, Washington-Wilkes/BJ Jones, Lanier Co./ZZ Wilson, Jenkins Co./Darius Favors, Manchester/Jordan McRae, Telfair Co/Darius Wells, Montgomery Co/Christian Elam, Lincoln Co./Hudson Henry, ECI/Bradyn Cook, Telfair County/Christian Crite, Lincoln Co./Mason Coley, Hawkinsville/Jamie Jackson, Charlton County/Derek Grier, Jenkins Co./Liam Fordham, Portal/Tylik Silas, Mitchell Co./Walker Bridges, Wheeler Co/Boppy Hilliard, Wilcox Co/Key’Mori Kendrick, Warren Co/Dwight Hughes, Jenkins Co./Vance Garvin, Jenkins Co./Dalton Ryals, McIntosh Co. Acd./Kaiden Prothro, Bowdon/Keelan Whitaker, Manchester/Jaedyn Terry, Manchester/Benvonte Murray, Johnson Co./Jabari Zanders, Telfair Co./De’Ante Burden, Dooly Co./Jim Franklin, Aquinas/Carlton Brannon, Turner Co./Carter Triplett, Christian Heritage/Andrew Meech, Washington-Wilkes/Drake Wolford, Lanier Co./Kelby Tymes, Marion Co./Zenard Smith, Hawkinsville/Nehemiah Davis, Lanier Co./Travez Gibson, Greene Co./Alvin Ricks, Wheeler Co./Terelle Blount, Wilkinson Co./Sherrod Montgomery, Mt. Zion/Cameron Lawhorn, Taylor Co./Buddyrow Garrer, Aquinas/Charlie Idom, Christian Heritage/Kaleb Joiner, Turner Co./Marquis Martin, Montgomery Co./James Danner, Washington-Wilkes/Christian Wilson, Jenkins Co./TJ Jackson, Aquinas/Stanley Shephard, Miller Co./Chase Smith, Portal/Bryce Greene, Early Co./Ray Ray Mobley, Macon Co./Bray Williamson, Montgomery Co./Michael Holsey, Hancock Central/Mason Daniel, Bowdon/Tre’Quan Charles, Lanier Co./Mekhi Jackson, McIntosh Co. Acd./Ramarian Thomas, Terrell Co./Brody Smith, Schley Co./Darius Anderson, Hawkinsville/Nicavious Henderson, Seminole Co./Jordan Mahone, Central-Talbotton/Jevarious Potts, Greenville/Joc Perkins, Macon Co./Garin Abside, Wilkinson Co./Joshua Fulks, Macon Co./Chris Lowe, Greene Co./Alvin Green, Clinch/Brian Steele, ECI/Harlem Phillips, Hawkinsville/Ken Lucas, Dooly Co./CJ McAdoo, Wilcox Co./Samuel Grimes, Telfair Co./Johnathan Roach, GMC Prep/Isaiah Mormon, Johnson Co/Jadarrin Carswell, Johnson Co/Nathan Buchanan, Mt. Zion/Ashton Davis, Johnson Co./Jayle’en Simons, Bowdon/Kentrez Lay, Bowdon/Max Moore, Christian Heritage/Jayden Ackey, Mt. Zion/Joseph Meyers, Washington-Wilkes/Brandon Ross, Aquinas/JP Powell, Miller Co./Charles Williams, Early Co./Nathan Landing, Seminole Co./Jordan Beard, Seminole Co./Knowledge Williams, Mitchell Co./Brian Harris, Macon Co./Thomarion Haugabook, Macon Co./Trenton Stubbs, Schley Co./Kabreon Aldridge, Schley Co./Oisin Matthews, Emanuel County Institute/Knox Van Mol, Lakeview-Oconee/Fortson Partridge, Lincoln Co./Imod Hamilton, Charlton Co./Antavious Richardson, Greenville
Nicavious Henderson is 95% better than dem cats at DL
Win
He was good
Carlos Randall Mt Zion is very good defensively and offensively kicking returns I don’t know why this kid wasn’t mentioned 🤦♀️
Sophmore Christon Zanders first team All State O/L is a BEAST!! His love & decdication to his team & the sports sets him apart. His superb work ethics continues off the field as well . He balances being an honor student & serves as a role model to many others. Good Luck on reaching your goals young man!