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*Best player: Carrollton’s Julian Lewis, a five-star recruit committed to Southern Cal, was 25-3 as a starter across his freshman and sophomore seasons. He reclassified as a senior in the offseason, giving him a final chance for a state title that would be Carrollton’s first since 1998.
*Best position: Defensive line. About 10 Class 6A defensive linemen rank among the state’s top 100 players overall, and six didn’t make this team.
*Most highly recruited: Lewis is the consensus No. 15 player nationally among seniors. Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson is the No. 9 player among juniors.
*That’s interesting: Only one Buford player is here, Jadon Perlotte, but it could’ve been many more. The Wolves have 10 seniors committed to Power 4 Conference teams (four SEC, three ACC, two Big 10, one Big 12). Assuming they sign where committed, that would be a record for a Georgia senior class.
*Snubbed: There are no preseason all-state players from regions 5 and 6 despite some pretty good teams that include 2023 Class 7A runner-up Walton. The Raiders will be fine, but they must replace 15 of their 16 first-team all-region players.
*Underrated: Though committed to Wake Forest, Cole Funderburk trails a half-dozen or more Class 6A defensive-line prospects in the recruiting rankings, but none has more than his 31 career sacks.
*What else is news? Douglas County is coming off its best season in 60 years, but that was in the old Class 6A, meaning second from the top. The Tigers are in the big class now and are armed with four preseason all-state weapons – wide receiver Aaron Gregory, athlete James Johnson, wide receiver Devin Carter and defensive lineman Jordan Carter.
Offense
QB - Julian Lewis, Carrollton, Sr.
RB - Kimauri Farmer, Carrollton, Jr.
RB - Zion Johnson, Newton, Sr.
WR - Devin Carter, Douglas County, Jr.
WR - Aaron Gregory, Douglas County, Jr.
TE - Elyiss Williams, Camden County, Sr.
OL - Damola Ajidahun, Duluth, Sr.
OL - Paul Bowling, McEachern, Sr.
OL - Juan Gaston, Westlake, Sr.
OL - Tykie Helton, Carrollton, Jr.
OL - Cortez Smith, Parkview, Sr.
ATH - James Johnson, Douglas County, Sr.
PK - Brett Fitzgerald, Colquitt County, Sr.
Defense
DL - Jordan Carter, Douglas County, Jr.
DL - Cole Funderburk, North Gwinnett, Sr.
DL - Deuce Geralds, Collins Hill, Jr.
DL - RyShawn Perry, Newton, Sr.
LB - Tyler Atkinson, Grayson, Jr.
LB - Anthony Kruah, Marietta, Sr.
LB - Luke Metz, Mill Creek, Sr.
LB - Jadon Perlotte, Buford, Sr.
DB - Dorian Barney, Carrollton, Jr.
DB - Chauncey Davis, North Gwinnett, Jr.
DB - Zachry Harden, Newton, Sr.
DB - Brandon McDonald, Richmond Hill, Sr.
P - Sam Miller, Colquitt County, Sr.
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