You may not know of many of the players listed here yet, but chances are you will soon. We think these players have the potential to become future stars in Georgia high school football. While we understand that there are more players not listed here who are destined to do great things, we thought this was a good group to start with.
We break it down by class and then by position, starting with the youngest group, the Class of 2029, and working our way up to the Class of 2026.
Some of these athletes are just now emerging from their middle school careers, and some are ready to make a mark right away with their high school varsity teams after debuting last season.
Here are ITG Next’s Georgia high school football “Ones to Watch.”
Class of 2029
These rising ninth-graders will be trying to find playing time with their varsity teams in the upcoming 2025 Georgia high school football season.
QUARTERBACKS
Lamar “LJ” Thomas Jr. | Valdosta
Quarterback Lamar “LJ” Thomas Jr. just completed his eighth-grade season at Valdosta Middle School and will join the high school varsity squad in 2025.
Several fans suggested Thomas as one to watch.
According to Ryan Davis, who is a strength and conditioning coach at Valdosta Middle School, Thomas squatted 315 pounds and had a bench press of 215 pounds as a seventh-grader.
Trey Wetherington, who coached Thomas as a member of the sixth-grade Valdosta Middle Alley Cats team, described Thomas as a “true QB talent” with a “cannon arm” and “long stride” who is “deceptively fast.”
“LJ has all the measurables,” Wetherington said.
Josiah Frazier | Newton
Quarterback Josiah Frazier put up video-game-type stats last season as an eighth-grader with the Grayson Rams in the Gwinnett Football League.
The 5-foot-9, dual-threat QB threw for 40 touchdowns and ran for six TDs. He passed for 2,520 yards and rushed for 290 yards while leading his team to a 14-2 record, the GFL 8th Grade D1 Championship, and the B2C 8th Grade Division State Championship.
On Jan. 24, 2025, Frazier announced via X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will be attending Newton High School for the next four years.
Michael “MJ” Fowler | Colquitt County
Michael “MJ” Fowler is an eighth-grader with tons of upside, according to Nate Madison, who is the head football coach of Colquitt County’s eighth-grade team.
“MJ has very impressive ball placement and uncanny accuracy,” Madison said. “He has the ability to improvise and buy time out of the pocket until he finds a receiver. It’s very impressive to see how he reads defenses at such a young age. That skill doesn’t normally develop until quarterbacks reach high school. He also possesses great leadership skills for a younger player. He’s a natural leader.”
Fowler competed in several showcase events this offseason, including the DOMO Middle School All-American Game and Rusty Mansell’s Georgia Elite Classic.
Last year, Fowler threw for an estimated 700 yards and eight touchdowns.
Brandon Davis II | Lawrenceville Black Knights (GFL)
Brandon Davis II is only 14 years old, but he’s making a name for himself already as a rising freshman.
In 2023, the quarterback led his Cedar Grove Middle School team to a 7-2 record and the DeKalb County Trail to the Title Middle School Football Championship. He was named the MVP that season.
In 2024, Davis played for the Lawrenceville Black Knights in the GFL. He threw for 1,005 yards with 11 touchdowns and led the team to the playoffs.
According to his father, King Davis, the QB will attend either Central Gwinnett or Redan for high school and could compete for the starting position at either school.
Nole Register | Cook
Rising freshman Nole Register is a dual-threat quarterback who could compete for the starting job at Cook High School in 2025.
In 2024, Register led Cook Middle School to the Deep South Conference championship. In seven games, he threw for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he had zero interceptions. He also rushed for 185 yards with six touchdowns.
“Noel is very athletic and is already 6 feet tall,” said Dr. Byron Slack, Cook High School head football coach. “He has a natural snap to his arm that you just can’t teach. We expect Nole to come in and compete right away for the starting quarterback spot.”
Long-time Cook supporter and play-by-play announcer Dr. Mike McCartney recalled late last season when Register was brought up to practice with the varsity Hornets.
“They brought him up to practice, and the varsity defense couldn’t do anything with him,” MCCartney said.
RUNNING BACK
Gabriel Watson | McEachern
Gabriel Watson led his middle school team to back-to-back Georgia Middle School Athletic Association state championships as a seventh-grader in 2023 and as an eighth-grader in 2024. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 866 yards.
Watson also won a Georgia Recreation and Park Association Class A track state title in 2024 in the 13-14 boys 100-meter dash.
“He’s fast and elusive, but he doesn’t shy away from contact,” Michael Martin, McEachern director of football operations, said about Watson.
Despite elite running back Jayreon Campbell returning as McEachern’s No. 1 back for the 2025 season, Martin said that Watson will get reps as a freshman playing behind Campbell.
WIDE RECEIVER
Trent Wilcox | Gainesville
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds, Trent Wilcox is a sure-handed receiver. He caught 12 touchdowns last season as the go-to receiver for Buford’s eighth-grade GFL squad. Wilcox helped lead them to a 7-1 record and a trip to the playoffs, where they advanced to the semifinals.
Wilcox stood out in the UA Next 8th Grade All-America Game, catching two passes, one of which was a 37-yard touchdown catch.
He’s transferring to Gainesville High School, where he’ll be expected to compete for a starting receiver job.
KICKER / PUNTER
Matthew Manning | Walton
Walton High School head football coach Daniel Brunner called Matthew Manning “the best kicker I have ever seen at the middle school level.”
Last year, Manning was perfect on all 35 extra point attempts and 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, good from 31 yards, 31 yards, and 27 yards, respectively. He successfully converted 2-of-6 onside kicks and had seven touchbacks. His punts averaged 40 yards in the air with a hang time of 3.2 seconds.
Manning played in the Georgia Elite Classic, FBU National Championship, and American Youth Football All-Star Game.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Landon Ghea | Milton
Landon Ghea is already 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds, and he is expected to start as a freshman on the offensive line in 2025 for the two-time defending state champion Milton Eagles.
He is the younger brother of Milton tight end Ryan Ghea and has already received college offers from Auburn and Georgia State. (Ryan Ghea signed with Auburn following his senior season in 2024.)
Class of 2028
RUNNING BACK
Keshon Blow | Buford
Keshon Blow could be the next great rusher to start for the Buford Wolves. The 5-foot-7, 155-pound running back showed a glimpse of great speed, change of direction, and vision during Buford’s 2024 spring game. Trying to break into a talented Buford offense will take a special talent, and Blow seems to check all the boxes.
“Keshon is an every-down back,” said Chris Gant, Blow’s eighth-grade coach. “He wants the ball. His competitive balance overrides his stamina, which makes him never want to tap out.”
Gant said that Blow has one particular skill that sets him apart from other players his age.
“The hardest thing to teach the younger kids is pass protections, but not Keshon,” Gant said. “He excelled in it, and that will really set him apart from other aspiring backs.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Trey Bush & Montravious Clay | Lee County
Rising sophomores Trey Bush and Montravious Clay both started every game for Lee County last season. As freshmen, they lined up against some of the state’s best receivers in arguably the toughest region and classification in Georgia high school football.
Jacorey Hunt | Collins Hill
Collins Hill head football coach Drew Swick said that Jacorey Hunt made quite the first impression last year in his freshman season, playing any number of positions on both offense and defense.
“He played wide receiver and quarterback last season on offense and played several positions in the Eagles secondary, competing at the highest level,” Swick said.
Swick said that Hunt also played every snap on special teams last season.
“Jacorey’s eagerness to learn the overall game is what separates him from the rest,” Swick said. “He’ll have a great opportunity to come in and compete for several spots this season.”
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Christian Webb-Scott | Buford
Christian Webb-Scott saw little playing time last season as a freshman on a talented Buford defensive roster, but that doesn’t seem to bother the college recruiters who are already fighting for the services of this talented rising sophomore. According to 247Sports, Ole Miss, USC, Florida State, Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia State are among those showing interest.
Webb-Scott was selected for the 2024 MaxPreps High School Football Freshman All-America Second Team defense.
Kenny Perlotte, who was Webb-Scott’s eighth-grade defensive coach, said: “He (Webb-Scott) started at our Ram (strong side defensive end) position and was dominant. He helped us finish 11-0 with a win over Grayson in the championship. He played a few snaps this past year with the freshmen and just continued to dominate. He is a special player.”
Bryce Hurst | Collins Hill
Bryce Hurst, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, was an impact player in his first high school game last season.
“Bryce came in late this past season and played in just two games of freshman ball,” Swick said. “He was so dominant that we had no choice but to let him get varsity reps on Friday nights, and he competed at the highest level every snap. He will play and contribute on the varsity this season. We are expecting big things from him. The sky’s the limit for this young man.”
As an eighth-grader, Hurst was selected to participate in the 2023 Georgia Elite Classic game.
ATHLETE
Braxton Palmer | Peachtree Ridge
Peachtree Ridge head football coach Matt Helmrich said that rising sophomore Braxton Palmer is a “freaky athlete that can play anywhere, including quarterback.”
Helmrich said he has been watching Palmer play since the athlete was in the third grade and that Palmer’s performance last year convinced him that Palmer was one of the best athletes he has ever coached.
“I haven’t had a freshman with his skill set in over 15 years of coaching high school football,” Helmrich said. “He’s special. He will be one of this state’s Top 5 best all-around athletes for the Class of 2028.”
Helmrich expects Palmer to line up at defensive back, receiver, punt returner, and quarterback for the 2025 season.
RECEIVER
Kaevone Thomas | Lowndes
Following his freshman season at Lowndes, Kaevone Thomas received college offers from Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, USF, Liberty, and UConn.
He will continue to grow from his current 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame.
Thomas and Lowndes quarterback Jayce Johnson will be one of the top Georgia high school football passer-receiver duos to keep an eye on for the next couple of seasons.
Class of 2027
QUARTERBACK
Jayce Johnson | Lowndes
Speaking of Johnson, the dual-threat QB enjoyed a breakout sophomore season as the starting signal-caller for Lowndes in 2024. He completed 67% of his pass attempts for 1,799 yards and 16 touchdowns with only three interceptions across the season. He also rushed for 318 yards with three touchdowns.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Johnson has all the tools great quarterbacks possess.
RUNNING BACK
Canton Williams | Lee County
Canton Williams, a rising junior, will have the responsibility of filling the mighty big shoes of FSU commit Ousmane Kromah as Lee County’s next primary ball carrier. Williams ran for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024.
“We expect him (Williams) to break out of Ousmane’s shadow and be a really special player this year,” said Lee County head football coach Dean Fabrizio.
Class of 2026
RUNNING BACK
Kentavius “KJ” DeBruce | Coffee
Coffee’s offense has centered around a strong rushing attack over the past two seasons under head football coach Mike Coe. Fred Brown, ITG Next’s 2023 South Georgia Offensive Player of the Year, led the Trojans to the state title in 2023. Last year, Tyrese Woodgett was the guy in Coffee’s rushing attack.
For the 2025 season, Coe said that it could be running back by committee, but that Kentavius “KJ” DeBruce “will be in there when the money is on the line.”
“KJ leaves a lasting impression,” Coe said. “He has the natural gifts like exceptional balance, blazing speed, and an elite ability to change direction.”
