We are right on the heels of the 2017 Georgia high school football season, so we are rolling out our preseason All-State teams for every classification in the state of Georgia this week. Underneath the All-State selections we wrote about each player selected, our thoughts, and various stats. Also, be sure to checkout additional Preseason All-State selections by clicking HERE.

OFFENSE

QB – Mark Wright, Carrollton
RB – Chris Rodriguez, Ola
RB – Dameon Pierce, Bainbridge
RB – Cole Gilley, Starr’s Mill
WR – Tyler Gillis, Buford
WR – Tyler Fromm, Warner Robins
WR – Marquez Ezzard, Stockbridge
WR – Jordan Watkins, Rome
TE – Jaelyn Lay, Riverdale
OL – James Ohonba, Woodland
OL –  Harry Miller, Buford
OL – Jalynn Strickland, Ware Co.
OL- Nicholas Sligh, Clarke Central
OL – Christian Armstrong, Warner Robins
OL – Hamilton Hall, Chamblee
K – Caleb Dowden, Statesboro
ATH – Bryson Richardson, Buford

DEFENSE

DL – Brenton Cox, Stockbridge
DL – Ja’Quan Griffin, Rome
DL – Austin Smith, Ola
DL – Adam Anderson, Rome
DL – Jamarcus Chatman, Rome
LB – Corlen Williams, Jones Co. 
LB – Bryan Powell, SW Dekalb
LB – Jake Broom, Decatur
LB – Ernest Jones, Ware Co.
DB – Kapres Forbes, Clarke Central
DB – Donte Burton, Loganville
DB – Quindarius Monday, Carver
DB – Nasir Greer, Stockbridge
DB – Trey Dean, Dutchtown
P – Eli Mashburn, Warner Robins
RET – Jeremy Horton, Veterans

MORE Preseason All-State Teams

---

Class 5-A is a strong classification that is particularly deep at both defensive and offensive lines, which was also the featured matchup in last year’s state title game between Buford and Rome. A lot of these highs schools reloaded with talent fast, so this list could be drastically different come the end of the season.

Leading right into the offensive side of the ball is Carrollton QB Mark Wright. The 2018 athlete passed for 2005 yards, 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He is extremely efficient at moving the chains, whether he makes a key pass or scrambles. Last season he rushed for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns, and has continued to make drastic improvements in his athleticism this offseason, so look out!

Ola’s Chris Rodriguez got real comfortable in opponents’ endzones last year. He rushed for 26 scores in just 11 games, while averaging 150.9 yards per game. He is a workhorse and led the classification with 264 carries and was 5th with 1660 yards. Demeon Pierce is the returning rushing leader after his amazing junior year at Bainbridge where he rushed for 1686 yards and 20 touchdowns in just 10 games. He was a longtime commit to Alabama but opened up his recruitment during the offseason. Cole Gilley out of Starr’s Mill is right behind Pierce with 1666 yards and 24 scores. He is a power back who hits the hole running full tilt like his hair is on fire. The senior scampered for a long of 85 yards.

New Buford receiver Tyler Gillis (formerly Lambert) had 1005 yards last fall and 15 touchdowns. He averaged a whopping 25.1 yards per catch and should be an important big play threat to stretch the field for the Wolves. Tyler Fromm is another new addition to Class 5-A after playing the season before at Houston County. He totaled about 500 yards receiving but had to share the load with two 1000-yard senior receivers. Fromm will be at Warner Robins this fall and will be Dylan Fromm’s (his twin brother) top target. Stockbridge senior Marquez Ezzard is another 1000 yard receiver who joins the preseason team. The electrifying FSU commit had 1015 yards, 50 receptions, and 12 touchdowns last fall. Jordan Watkins from Rome had 848 yards last season and 52 receptions. The steady receiver is very elusive and can shake the surest of tacklers out in space. Riverdale’s lanky junior tight end Jaelyn Lay stands 6’5″ and will look to be the primary target this upcoming fall after the loss of 1000-yard receiver Greg White. He will be lining up all over the field on offense and should a matchup problem, especially in the redzone.

James Ohonba for the 2nd year in a row makes our pick at preseason all-state team. The 2018 Woodland-Stockbridge offensive tackle is the #1 rated offensive lineman in Georgia according to our latest rankings. Harry Miller out of Buford is a man-child lineman and a road-grading blocker. He is just a junior but is a special talent in the class of 2019. Ware County’s Jalynn Strickland has come on strong over the last year and starting to grow into his 6’7″ frame. The powerful lineman is a gentle giant off the field, but a fierce competitor once the pads are strapped on. Clarke Central center Nicholas Sligh is a tough senior center. He is a cerebral player, and is a fine tuned blocker in both the run and the pass. Christian Armstrong is a behemoth lineman for Warner Robins. At 6’5″ and 335 pounds he absolutely controls the line of scrimmage. Hamilton Hall is our last pick for preseason all-state. The explosive offensive lineman from Chamblee is a wrecking crew out there on the field.

Bryson Richardson is a terrific two-way player for Buford High School. His primary focus is defensive back, but he also excels as an offensive weapon at wide receiver for the Wolves. He committed to North Carolina over the summer. Jeremy Horton from Veterans had 1089 all-purpose yards last year including a few long scores on specials team. His ability to escape from defenders is astounding, and our pick for preseason all-state returner. 

Statesboro kicker Caleb Dowden has a booming leg and consistently kicks the ball into the back of the endzone. He knocked in 7 FG’s last year including a 58-yarder. Eli Mashburn is a senior from Warner Robins who averaged 38.1 yards per punt and a cumulative distance of 1601 yards. He dropped 12 inside the 20 yard line.

MORE Preseason All-State Teams

Brenton Cox out of Stockbridge lived in opponents backfield last year leading Class 5-A with 18 sacks. He just recently committed to Ohio State and is now 28 pounds heavier than last year, so get your pop corn ready, Cox is going to put on a show this fall! Austin Smith is another stout lineman at 6’4″ 290 pounds. In the blink of an eye the Georgia Tech commit can cave in what seems to be a healthy pocket on passing downs. Ja’Quon Griffin out of Rome is one of the best defensive tackles in Georgia. He plays with a ton of fire, has really quick hands and feet to get by linemen that are too slow. Adam Anderson from Rome is another athletic-freak at defensive end. The senior’s first step is so fast that if a lineman missteps he will be right by them. The last of the Rome defensive line trio is Jamarcus Chatman. The 6’3″ 265 pound run-stuffing lineman has a nose for the football and is a high-energy player.

Jones County linebacker Corlen Williams is the returning tackle leader in Class 5-A. The tenacious defender had an impressive 166 tackles (106 being solo) in 12 games.  Bryan Powell was a big playmaker for SW Dekalb last year collecting sacks and tackles all over the field. The sleeper recruit has elite speed coming off the edge and does a great job of separating the running back from the ball. Decatur senior Jake Broom was as an All-Dekalb County and All-Metro selection last year. At 6’2″ 215-pound Broom uses his size and instincts to stop a ball carrier right in his tracks. He totaled 98 tackles, 15 for loss, 1 interception, and 4 sacks in just 9 games. Returning from last year’s All-State team is bone-crushing tackler Ernest Jones from Ware County. The South Carolina commit flies through the gaps in the line of scrimmage and tackles with reckless abandon.

Kapres Forbes out of Clarke Central had 5 interceptions last year, which makes him the returning leader in 2017. He is also a good tackler out in space, making 52 solo tackles on the season last fall. Donte Burton is now back at Loganville, and will be using his elite quickness to lockdown receivers. He is a natural talent at cornerback with refined fundamentals to read the receiver and stick to them like glue. Perhaps the best safety in the southeast plays at Carver-Atlanta in Quindarius Monday. The new Auburn commit is a debilitating hitter, but also clamps down in coverage. He collected 4 interceptions and 78 tackles last year. Nasir Greer from Stockbridge is a lanky safety prospect who can cover a lot of space. Last season the Wake Forest commit had 4 interceptions, and 2 of those resulted in long defensive touchdowns. Dutchtown playmaking safety Trey Dean rounds out our 2017 Class 5-A Preseason All-State team. The senior sees the field extremely well, and gets a terrific jump on each play. No college decision yet for Dean, but some of the best schools in the country are after him.

NEW PROFILES
TOP STORIES
CLASS OF 18 NEWS

 

All stats are from MaxPreps or the Recruit Georgia database.