The all-time leading rusher in Georgia high school football history is Frederica running back Jordan Triplett. If you aren’t familiar with this talented running back, let us fill you in on some details from his recently completed career at the St Simons Island school:
- Triplett ran for 9,028 yards over his four-year career, breaking the 23-year-old state record for career rushing yards previously held by Monty Williams of Commerce.
- He tied the record for most single-season rushing yards in Georgia high school history. His 3,172 yards in 2023 equaled the total put up by Washington-Wilkes RB Daccus Turman in 2000.
- He set the state record for most career carries with 1,252.
- His 115 career rushing TDs puts him at No. 3 on the all-time list.
- His career offensive yards total was 10,250, and he scored 132 TDs, including several via kick return and interception return.
- He is the only player in Georgia high school football history to have three 400-yard rushing games.
- This season Triplett had 439 carries and 41 rushing touchdowns for Frederica. He averaged a staggering 264.3 yards rushing per game and scored 254 points in 2023. He even threw the ball some, too, completing 23 of 56 attempts for 396 passing yards and 5 TDs. His total yardage (passing, rushing, special teams) was 3,568, and his total TD count was 46 for the 2023 season.
Whoa.
“He is probably the best running back I have coached in my 25-year coaching career,” Frederica head football coach Brandon Derrick said. “He worked extremely hard to achieve these goals because of his offseason workouts and disciplined training plan.”
Derrick was just as complimentary of Jordan off the field, too: “He is one of the most humble kids you will ever meet and was always about the ‘team, not me’ attitude.”
Jordan is the son of Mark and Rebecca Triplett. His father’s career has led the family to live in various spots around the country. In fact, Mark thinks that’s one of the reasons Jordan turned out to be such a great talent.
“Everywhere we lived, Jordan played for various teams, and they all won some kind of championship,” Mark said. “He truly dominated everywhere he played, from the very beginning when he first played.”
In Montana, Jordan’s youth team won the Missoula School League championship and the Missoula Youth League. Then, in Colorado, Jordan’s middle school team won the championship, and his travel league team also won its league title.
The Triplett family ultimately moved to coastal Georgia, and Jordan enrolled at Frederica in the eighth grade. He joined the Knights’ varsity basketball team and helped them win the region championship. Mark Triplett said it was during these various moves that he knew his son was a special talent.
What’s next for Triplett? He’s been a three-sport athlete at Frederica, playing basketball and baseball in addition to football, but he’s undecided if he will play those winter and spring sports as a senior. Jordan currently has a football offer from the Air Force Academy, which Mark said has already sent Jordan a letter of intent. South Carolina also has shown interest.
“They have offered Jordan a preferred walk-on [PWO], which could turn into a scholarship offer, but we will see what happens,” Mark said.
Whatever the future holds for this outstanding player, Jordan is grateful.
“I am blessed for what God has done for me,” he said. “I have the most unselfish teammates and great coaches, and I can’t thank them enough.”
