Georgia state championships primer: 11 players to know

Jeremy Johnsonby:Jeremy Johnson•12/06/22•

JeremyO_Johnson

Georgia high school football has come to the end of the line. All eyes will be on the city in which the season started.

The Corky Kell Classic started the 2022 season. Starting on Thursday Atlanta will host the state championship games.

Georiga has been a state full of talent. New names have emerged this year like every year. There’s a mixture of new stars and long-time Georgia staples set to battle for state titles this weekend. Here are a few players to keep in mind when viewing the loaded slate.

Five-star safety Caleb Downs (2023)

Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek five-star safety Caleb Downs, an Alabama commit, has been a do-it-all player for Mill Creek all season. He’s one of the key voices in the locker room of a loaded team. Downs has also played a bit of offense this season. He’ll be a key factor in trying to slow down a high-powered Carrollton passing game.

Downs is the No. 11 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings for the class of 2023. He’s the top prospect in Georgia.

Mill Creek faces Carrollton in the final game of the weekend on Saturday night.

Four-star LB Jamal Anderson (2023)

Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson will head to Clemson in a few weeks. He, like Downs, is a part of a loaded senior class at Mill Creek.

Anderson is a versatile player. He has been used as a pass rusher and covers well in space as well. Anderson could also have an impact as an offensive player as well. He plays tight end for Mill Creek as well.

Anderson is the No. 145 overall prospect in the On300 rankings.

WR Makhail Wood (2023)

This list isn’t all Mill Creek I promise. 2023 wide receiver Makhail Wood has been one of the most impactful players on the Mill Creek juggernaut in 2022. He has 48 catches for 862 yards and 10 scores. He’s a threat from nearly everywhere on the football field.

He’s Mill Creek’s home run hitter. Wood is an Eastern Michigan commit.

Four-star TE/WR Caleb Odom

Carrollton (Ga.) four-star 2024 tight end Caleb Odom has been a dominant pass-catcher in 2022. Odom mostly lines up as a split-out wide receiver right now.

At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds Odom is a problem physically. He’s caught 57 passes for 954 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior season. Odom can climb the ladder, run smooth routes and he plucks the football.

He’ll make an impact on Saturday’s finale. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Vanderbilt leading for the No. 112 overall prospect in the 2024 On300 rankings.

QB Julian Lewis (2026)

Carrollton’s freshman quarterback Julian Lewis has lived up to expectations. He’s helped Carrollton to the state championship game in Georgia’s largest classification.

Lewis has thrown for 3,587 yards and 43 touchdowns in his first season of high school football. Lewis is set to wrack up accolades over the next few years and his recruitment is already an elite affair.

Many fans will get their first live look at the talented freshman in Saturday’s finale. He has talented weapons around him including Odom, 2024 running back, 2023 wideout Takare Lipscomb and 2025 wide receiver Kiyun Cofer.

Langton Hughes 2023 quartet Jelani Thurman, Bo Hughley, Terrance Love and Joshua Horton

Langston Hughes’ roster is full of future college talent. The senior class is headed by a trio of four-stars in offensive tackle Bo Hughley, tight end Jelani Thurman, linebacker hybrid Terrance Love and a new Miami commit defensive lineman Joshua Horton.

Thurman is an Ohio State commit. Hughley is pledged to Georgia and Love is committed to Auburn.

Those four players set the pace at Langston Hughes. They all fall into the big, fast and physical categories. All four will be major impact players on the outcome of the 6A championship game on Friday night.

Langston Hughes’ next-wave four-star QB Air Noland (2024), OL Dontrell Glover (2025), LB Jordan Thompson (2024)

This can be copied and pasted from what’s above. The trio of Air Noland, Dontrell Glover and Jordan Thompson all have national offers early on.

Noland has been one of the passers in the state with 3,832 yards and 52 touchdowns. Glover has blossomed at left tackle this season. He added an offer from Alabama on Saturday

Thompson is one of the thumpers on defense. He’s ranked as a three-star in the 2024 On300.

Four-star LB Zayden Walker (2025) and four-star WR Jalewis Solomon (2024)

Schley County has two superstars that are already national recruits. Jalewis Solomon is the No. 91 overall prospect in the 2024 On300. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine favors Georgia at the moment in his recruitment.

Zayden Walker stars as a linebacker and running back for Schley County. He’s the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2025 On3 rankings. RPM currently favors Florida State.

WR Demello Jones (2024)

Swainsboro (Ga.) wide receiver Demello Jones has been one the hottest names on the recruiting trail in recent weeks. Georgia offered the 6-foot-1, 180-pound playmaker.

Jones and Swainsboro will be on display in the final game on Thursday.

Four-star CB Kayin Lee (2023)

Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove four-star cornerback Kayin Lee has played a lot of football for Cedar Grove. He’ll be heading to Ohio State upon graduation.

Lee is the No. 197 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus. Lee is the veteran face. There are two younger players to know in 2025 quarterback EJ Colson and 2026 wide receiver Devin Carter who could have big impacts.

Four-star DL Vic Burley (2023)

Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley has been a force for years. He’s set for Clemson once his high school career ends.

Burley will thrill with his physical style of play on Saturday afternoon.

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