The talent pool for football is increasingly deepening in the CSRA, and that makes it hard to choose any list of “top players,” no matter how many you include.
Here, we’ve narrowed it down to 11, plus a couple of dozen “next-up” players we think can turn some heads before the season is over.
OL Mason Short, Sr., Evans
The 6-foot-5 1/2, 305-pound senior is headed to Athens to play for the Georgia Bulldogs once his senior season is done, so there shouldn’t be much recruiting drama left for Short. Which means the focus will be on him finishing out his time at his future high school alma mater that’s meant so much to him and his family. With a talent upgrade in several key positions, 2024 could be Short and the Knights’ best season together.
QB Jim Franklin, Sr., Aquinas
He’s probably the top returning signal caller in the CSRA — at least in our coverage area. And he’s gotten even better from his stellar junior season, according to Irish coach Jim Leonard. Franklin’s 2,692 passing yards and 31 touchdowns to just seven interceptions earned him a few scholarship offers, including one from Davidson where the 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior committed during the offseason. A sometimes-overlooked stat: Franklin proved himself as a bit of a dual-threat guy with 587 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground last year. He’ll have a chance to shine with potentially stronger competition as Aquinas makes a move to Class AAA this season.
WR/LB C.J. Crite, Sr., Lincoln County
The two-way star is a big reason why the Red Devils are seen by many as a program trending upward. He’s a 6-foot-2, 200-pound Cincinnati commit and a 3-star prospect who has tremendous collegiate upside and is one of the more versatile football talents in the state, let alone the area. He tallied 139 tallies, including 17 for losses, as a linebacker. And with the departure of sophomore Jerry “Andrew” Beard who transferred to Prince Avenue over the offseason, it’ll be Crite and junior linebacker Christian Elam (128 tackles in 2023)’s defense to lead.
RB Jeanarion Kamga, Sr., Westside
What can Jeanarion Kamga do for an encore after rushing for over 1,500 yards for a Patriots squad that just barely missed the playoffs? Coach Lee Hutto feels like the answer could be, “a lot,” given the team’s strength and o-line and the overall depth that’s been built. There were times last year when it felt like Kamga almost singlehandedly willed Westside to victory. He may not be asked to do as much this year with a stronger supporting cast. But he’s still proven himself as one of the top tailbacks in Georgia.
RB Anthony Jeffrey, Sr., Thomson
Speaking of top tailbacks in Georgia, you can’t have that conversation without sliding Jeffrey’s name in the mix. With almost 1,200 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns last year, he’s looking to be a workhorse for the Bulldogs again this season as they break in a new quarterback and some other new skill players around him. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound back is a 3-star prospect who got offers from the likes of Arkansas and Central Michigan, but settled on Kent State.
DE Jaden Wuerth, Soph., Aquinas
Perhaps one of the most impressive underclassmen in Georgia, Wuerth will have a chance to shine in Class AAA ball this year as a sophomore. We can’t prove it, but he may be the only freshman among GHSA football playing schools to lead his team in total tackles. His 139 total stops and 36 TFLs were certainly tops among Aquinas defenders, as were his 14 quarterback sacks. It’s almost scary to consider how good Wuerth can be by the time he’s a senior if he keeps up his freshman pace.
RB Jevon Edwards, Sr., South Aiken
Similar to Westside’s Kamga, Edwards was a bright spot at running back for a team that otherwise struggled at times during the 2023 season. His 1,442 rushing yards and 16 scores helped the Thoroughbreds into the SCHSL Class AAAA playoffs, despite coming in with a 3-7 record. According to 247Sports.com, he’s got offers from Army, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Liberty and Old Dominion, and if he performs anywhere near what he did in 2023, watch for that offer list to grow.
WR/DB BuddyRow Garrer, Sr., Evans
After almost 1,000 yards receiving as a junior at Aquinas and an offseason commitment to Kent State, Garrer is looking to be the featured wide out in Evans’ passing attack. His presence should bring an immediate upgrade to a Knights offense that struggled at times to find consistency in the vertical passing game last year.
OL Evan Scott, Sr., Lakeside
At 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, the Duke commit is another in what will be a solid class of offensive linemen across the CSRA this season. He’s a 3-start offensive tackle that chose the Blue Devils over the likes of Navy, South Florida, Georgia State and Appalachian State. He’ll bolster the Panthers’ offensive line and help shore up what was, at times, an inconsistent offensive attack in 2023.
WR Jack Rhodes, Jr., Aquinas
With Garrer over at Evans now, Rhodes has a chance to be even more involved in Aquinas’ passing game — which would be quite the achievement considering his 57 catches, 1084 yards and 16 touchdown snags last year with another near-1,000-yard receiver flanking out opposite of him. The intriguing thing about Rhodes is that, would Aquinas quarterback Jim Franklin go down, Rhodes has shown legit signal caller chops during his time at Aquinas. When Franklin went down with a season-ending injury midway through 2022, Rhodes stepped in admirably as a freshman completing 118 of 168 passes (70% completion rate) for 1,273 yards and nine touchdowns to just three interceptions. Although coach Leonard is hoping Franklin will remain healthy, having the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Rhodes as a more-than-capable fill-in if necessary is no doubt comfortable for the Aquinas coaching staff.
OL Malcolm Gaston, Jr., North Augusta
Rounding out a solid o-line Class of 2024, Gaston may be the most intriguing trenchmen prospects in the CSRA. He’s huge at 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, but has good feet and is strong at the point of attack. He has offers from Georgia, Florida State, Jackson State and Charlotte, and helped paved the way for North Augusta running back Michael Doe who rushed for well over 1,000 yards last year as a sophomore running back for the Yellow Jackets.
Next Up: RB Michael Doe, Jr., North Augusta; LB Baylor Davis, Sr., Harlem; K Tyler Wallace, Sr., Evans; RB Preston McNair, Sr., Midland Valley; LB Deondre Baskett, Sr., North Augusta; RB A’Merre Williams, Sr., Burke County; OL Barry Story, Jr. Cross Creek; WR Cam Nixon, Sr., Cross Creek; LB Aiden Hawkins, Sr., Midland Valley; WR/DB Dallas Carter, Sr. Augusta Christian; TE Jack Thexton, Sr., Lakeside; WR/DB Lo’than McBride, Soph., ARC; WR Connor Brown, Sr., North Augusta; RB/LB James Pride, Sr., Laney; RB/LB Cole Trupp, Jr., Greenbrier; WR/DB Ryan Clayborn, Sr., Greenbrier; OL Solomon Mathis, Jr., Hephzibah; QB J.J. Gant, Sr., Hephzibah; LB Christian Elam, Jr., Lincoln County.
