As I write this, we are officially less than a month away from the kickoff of the 2023 high school football season.
With most teams starting their regular season campaigns on Friday, August 18, I thought it would be a good time to start taking a peek at who the power players in the Augusta/CSRA area could be.
After all, there’s no such thing as too soon for football, right?
I left the area last year just before the season began, but I was around long enough to help identify who I thought would be some of the top 2022 talent. Well, let’s just say I’m excited about the fact that this year, not only will I be working to identify the talent in the preseason, I’ll be here to see it up close and personal all the way up through December.
We’ll start with 18 players I think you should keep an eye on this year. Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list, so if you’ve got some other names you think should be on this list, please send them my way.
This list is in no specific ranking order, by the way. Here goes:
OL Mason Short, Evans, Jr. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman is at the top of this list because the four-star prospect is among the best players, not only in Georgia, but in the nation. 247sports.com says he’s the No. 16 overall player in Georgia and 103rd nationally, while also being considered the No. 4 inside offensive lineman in the nation for the 2025 class. Short committed to Alabama back in April right after his sophomore season, so perhaps the biggest thing to watch for the Evans High junior is to see how much better he can get over the next two years and if any other school could potentially woo him away from ‘Bama.
OL Brian Bailey, Hephzibah, Sr. Standing 6-foot-3, 350 pounds, Bailey is one of the largest linemen in the CSRA. But he’s more than just size. Bailey is, legitimately one of the most well-rounded trenchmen in the area. He helped pave the way for one of the top tailbacks in Richmond County, Telly Johnson, to run for over 1,200 yards. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage and powerful at the point of attack. He’ll return to anchor the Rebels’ line which will be surrounded by a young quarterback and several inexperienced but talented skill position players.
LB Clark Jackson, Aquinas, Sr. Through his high school career, Jackson has been an absolute stat machine. Nothing about that changed during a junior season where he rushed for 591 yards and four scores averaging almost nine yards per pop. Additionally, he caught 24 passes for 433 receiving yards, finding the end zone as a pass catcher four times. He tallied 96 total tackles, 11 for loss while registering five sacks in just seven games of action. It’ll be fun to see what the rising senior will do for an encore in his last high school go-round.
ATH Javaris Harris, Laney, Sr. After two years on the sidelines, Harris burst onto the high school football scene with a monster junior campaign at Greene County. He caught 54 passes for 915 receiving yards and 12 scores. He showed flashes of excellence as a defensive back also, picking off three passes from his cornerback position. He’s bringing his talents back to Laney for his senior season, and should be a welcomed addition of athleticism to what should be a stout Wildcats squad.
RB Telly Johnson, Hephzibah, Sr. Richmond County’s lone returning 1,000-yard rusher, Johnson rolled up 1,205 yards while averaging a whopping 8.3 yards per carry and scoring 23 touchdowns. He’s arguably the area’s top returning rusher — at least one of them — and with players like quarterback Jalen Patrick and wideout Eric Grant graduated, Johnson will likely carry an even greater load in 2023.
WR CJ Holmes, Laney, Sr. Some may have seen Laney’s 2022 campaign as a bit of a surprise. After a 6-5 finish to the 2021 season, the Wildcats ripped off seven wins in its first eight games of 2022 while having the distinction of playing Class AA state champion Thomson closer than anybody (aside from Burke County’s win against the Bulldogs in the season opener, of course). CJ Holmes was a big reason why last year’s team finished 8-3 and, at times, looked like a dark horse state title contender. Holmes got it done all over the field as Laney’s leading rusher and receiver, and the senior will be a key cog in the Wildcats’ offense as they look to clinch a third straight postseason berth.
OL Stephen Heard, Evans, Sr. How many times do you hear an offensive lineman being named player of the game in football? It doesn’t happen often, no matter what level of the game you’re talking about. But when Laney dispatched Greenbrier 28-7 in last year’s second game of the season, that’s the exact accolade that fell upon Heard. It would be a sign of a solid season to come. Much is made about Alabama commit Mason Short, and rightly so. But Heard is no slouch by a long shot, and the two trenchmen together make Evans’ offensive line one of the area’s sturdiest units. Look for a potentially stellar 2023 from this versatile senior.
OL Chance Bush, Laney, Sr. Much of Laney’s 2022 success came because of its strength in the trenches. And this 6-foot-1, 270-pound performer did much to anchor both sides of the line of scrimmage. He’s particularly talented on the offensive side, as he helped pave the way for a more-than-solid Wildcat ground game. He’s one of the most consistently high-grading linemen Laney has, and with some new pieces on offense, his run blocking and pass protection skills will be even more valuable.
DL/LB Jacob Jackson, Evans, Jr. Jackson could be poised for a breakout year in 2023, and that’s saying something, considering what he did in 2022. The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder won Region 3-AAAAAA defensive player of the year and first-team all region honors in 2022. Of his 225 registered tackles during his sophomore and junior seasons combined, 126 of those were solo stops. He pops off the film as a high-motor guy who plays with non-stop intensity and has a natural nose for the football.
LB Brandon Lively, Burke County, Jr. There’s a ton to like about the 6-foot, 210-pound senior. He tallied 113 total tackles as a junior, with 85 of those being solo hits. Eight times, he stopped ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage in 2022. His instincts seem to get him to spots on the field before his speed does. Lively anchored the linebacking corps of a sturdy Burke County defense that surrendered only about two touchdowns per game. He’s masterful at sniffing out plays against the run game. He’s a great gap filler, and he’s sure as a tackler in space.
QB Amare Clark, Grovetown, Sr. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound dual-threat signal caller completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,116 yards and 12 TDs to six INTs last year. He also gained 520 yards rushing, averaging 5.2 per carry with five scores on the ground. The team’s leading rusher and passer in 2022, Clark is truly what makes the Warriors’ offense go.
QB Noah Story/Jahkiaus Jones, Thomson, Sr. We’re putting these two together because, when you’re a defending state champion with two returning senior quarterbacks who have shown ample evidence of being able to carry the offense without drop off, you’re in a good, rare place. Such is the case with Thomson as both Jahkiaus Jones and Noah Story return to the Class AA defending state champs. Jones completed 64 of 117 passes for 1,012 yards and 10 TDs to just three interceptions. Story was just as efficient as a passer with his 845 yards, eight touchdown tosses and just two interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes. While both QBs have good mobility, Jones is the true dual threat. He complemented the Thomson run game with his 450 rushing yards and 6 scores while averaging 6.1 yards per tote.
RB A’Merre Williams, Burke County, Jr. Rushed for 430 yards on 76 carries and 8 TDs in 2022 as a companion back to team rushing leader Charlie Dorsey. Dorsey has graduated which means Williams, a junior, will now have two years to be the team’s feature back.
WR Deonte Singleton, Hephzibah, Sr. After spending a couple of seasons as a 1-2 punch option with receiving corps leader Eric Grant, Singleton has now emerged as the Rebels’ top receiver coming in to 2023 with Grant graduating. His 424 receiving yards on 27 catches were second only to Grant on the team last year. He had a 60-yard reception that was Hephzibah’s third longest pitch-and-catch play last year.
RB Anthony Jeffery, Thomson, Jr. Jontavis Curry got the brunt of the headlines last year as he electrified the state’s football scene (particularly in the playoffs) with his 12.1 yard-per-carry average that helped him to 1,508 rushing yards. But Jeffery was no slouch. Thomson relied on Jeffery as a sophomore just as much as Curry, and his sophomore campaign numbers prove it. Jeffery rushed for 1,015 yards on 121 carries (only four fewer carries than Curry), and his 18 rushing scores were second on the team to Curry’s 23. According to On3.com recruiting, Jefferey has at least one Power 5 offer from Arkansas while North Carolina is expressing interest. Jeffery and Jordan Lane ought to ensure that there will be little to no drop off in Thomson’s run game as the Bulldogs try to defend their crown.
RB Rayshaun King, Evans, Jr. It could be a breakout year for King who currently holds an offer from Miami (OH). With interest from several others. More of a north-and-south runner, King has just enough juke to make you miss in tight spaces if you underestimate his lateral movement. But his strength is his vision and his speed and decisiveness when he finds a hole to run through. He used those tools to post 575 rushing yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns while averaging eight yards per carry. It helps that he’s got an experienced offensive line in the area with one of the best offensive linemen in the country in Mason Short blocking for him. But King is a solid performer in his own right, and may be able to make a case for being one of the area’s top rushers by the time 2023 is done.
OL/DL Roderick Collins, North Augusta, Sr. Standing 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, Collins looks the part. And he was a first-team all-region selection last season. He helped hold down an offensive line unit that began to get better as the 2022 season went on. Despite a 1-5 start, the Yellow Jackets picked up steam in the second half of the year, finishing 4-0 in its region and making it to the second round of the state playoffs. Much of that can be attributed to how North Augusta began to hit its stride once region play started. Collins will, once again, be counted on to help establish North Augusta’s ground game early.
RB Jordan Lane, Jr., Thomson, Sr. with Jontavis Curry and his 1,500-plus rushing yards, Thomson tailbacks like Anthony Jeffery and Lane still had plenty of opportunities to shine. In fact, Lane finished his junior season ranked third on the team in rushing with 461 yards on 71 carries and a 6.5 yard-per-carry average. His nine rushing scores were also good for third on the team last year for the defending Class AA state champions. With Curry graduated, it’ll be intriguing to see how Lane flourishes with more carries sure to be coming his way.
RB James Pride, Jr., Laney, Jr. As a sophomore, Pride finished second on the team in rushing behind Holmes, toting for almost six yards per carry and being among the team’s leaders in rushing scores. Holmes and Pride could combine for an intriguing 1-2 punch in the Wildcats’ offensive backfield. At 5-foot-11, 237 pounds, Pride is a load to bring down, but he’s got deceptive speed for his size. He proved himself as a formidable pass rusher and solid pursuit defender from his linebacker position as well.
Who did we miss? Drop a line in the comments, on social media or in my email inbox (gabriel@theaugustapress.com) and let us know who missed.
