*Best player: Schley County’s Zayden Walker (left) is a four-year starter with 2,475 all-purpose yards, 51 touchdowns and 44.5 tackles for losses in his career, during which Schley is 34-6.
*Best position: Defensive back. Nine made GACA all-state last season.
*Most highly recruited: Manchester defensive lineman Justus Terry is the consensus No. 8 prospect nationally.
*That’s interesting: Walker, Terry and Bowdon’s Kaiden Prothro, a junior, are five-star recruits, an extraordinary number for Class A Division II, which comprises schools of 400 students or fewer.
*Snubbed: There are 33 returning GACA all-state players in Division II, and 14 didn’t make this list.
*Underrated: Greenville’s Antavious Richardson was overlooked for all-state teams last season, perhaps because he played for a 2-7 team. He put up more than 1,200 rushing, passing and return yards. In May, he won the Class A Division II 100 and 200 meters. In June, he committed to South Florida.
*What else is news? Region 7 has 10 of the 26 players. They come from 2023 finalists Bowdon (three) and Manchester (three), plus Trion (three), which went 11-1 last season, and Greenville (one).
Offense
QB - Kade Smith, Trion, Sr.
RB - Aaron Bryant, Clinch County, Sr.
RB - Shane Marshall, Irwin County, Sr.
WR - B.J. Jones, Lanier County, Sr.
WR - Kaiden Prothro, Bowdon, Jr.
TE - Logan Stokes, Trion, Sr.
OL - Jermaine Harris, Macon County, Jr.
OL - Key’Mori Kendrick, Warren County, Sr.
OL - Jaden Revell, Manchester, Sr.
OL - Jayle’en Simons, Bowdon, Sr.
OL - Christon Zanders, Telfair County, Jr.
ATH – Antavious Richardson, Greenville, Sr.
PK - Andy Ramirez, Trion, Sr.
Defense
DL - Elijah Fears, Irwin County, Sr.
DL - Darious Holsey, Metter, Sr.
DL - Justus Terry, Manchester, Sr.
DL - Marquis Williams, Brooks County, Sr.
DL - Kevin Wynn, Greene County, Sr.
LB - Javon “C.J.” Favors, Manchester, Sr.
LB - C.J. Crite, Lincoln County, Sr.
LB - Dylan McGrinn, Bowdon, Sr.
LB - Zayden Walker, Schley County, Sr.
DB - Camauri Brinson, Brooks County, Sr.
DB - Corey Donaldson, Metter, Sr.
DB - Steve Miller, Greene County, Sr.
DB - Javion Woodard, Irwin County, Sr.
P – Dustin Barrett, Towns County, Jr.
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