In the first game of Clay Helton’s second season at Georgia Southern, the Eagles rolled to a 34-0 win over The Citadel, an FCS squad from South Carolina. The Eagles jumped out to a 14-point first quarter lead, and the margin ballooned as the game progressed. Davis Brin, filling the enormous void left by former quarterback Kyle Vantrease, passed for 244 yards and two scores with a 75% completion rate. On the ground, Jalen White posted 125 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown late in the first quarter.
While Brin and White stole the spotlight with their playmaking skills, several former Georgia high school football stars also contributed to the Eagles’ blowout win on the offensive side of the ball.
In the running game, sophomore OJ Arnold complemented White’s contributions with a rushing touchdown to accompany 46 yards. Arnold set several records during his time at Brooks County. As a senior he rushed for 2,544 yards and 42 touchdowns, including a 320-yard, 5-touchdown performance against Irwin County in the state championship. He stands in 16th place all-time for career rushing yards and in 10th place for career rushing touchdowns in Georgia high school football history.
Dalen Cobb and David Mbadinga also notched carries, combining for 20 yards. Cobb was a true athlete at Washington-Wilkes, where he totaled more than 3,000 all-purpose yards and 38 touchdowns. During his tenure with the Tigers, Washington-Wilkes reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. Cobb also caught three passes in Georgia Southern’s victory. Mbadinga began his career at Kell before transferring to North Cobb for his senior season. As a senior, he helped the Warriors to eight regular wins and a second-round playoff appearance.
The receiving game was dominated by two Georgia natives, Derwin Burgess Jr. and Khaleb Hood. Burgess, a Riverdale Raider, hauled in six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. He was entrusted with that same volume in high school, where as a senior he led the Raiders to their best season since 1998.
Hood, on the other hand, played safety for the majority of his high school career. The Eagle’s Landing Christian star earned three state championships and did not experience a loss as a junior or senior. Burgess and Hood were the Eagles’ leading pass catchers last season, and it appears they will be relied upon heavily this season as well.
Besides Hood and Burgess, four other former Georgia high school football players logged a reception. Josh Dallas (Trinity Christian), KD Dorsey (Evans), DeAndre Buchannon (Carver-Atlanta), and Jaylon Barden (Westside-Macon) all caught at least one pass. Buchannon and Dorsey are true freshmen, while Dallas is a redshirt freshman.
Helton and Georgia Southern will look for a similar impact from these players as they seek win No. 2 against UAB this Saturday. The true test, though, comes a week later at 19th-ranked Wisconsin. Can the Eagles pull off another Big Ten upset?
