We tell you everything you need to know about the 2023 Jefferson football team, including roster changes and what fans can expect from the Dragons this season.
2022 Stats
- Overall Record: 8-3
- Points Scored: 347
- Points Allowed: 137
Key Losses
Head Coach Travis Noland heads into the 2023 season looking to replace his starting quarterback, Max Aldridge, who has graduated. Aldridge threw for 1,361 yards and 16 TDs last season, and he rushed for 156 yards and 3 more scores. Other offensive stars who have graduated include RB Shontez Porter, who had 76 carries over the past two seasons for 402 yards. Last season he ran for 4 TDs.
Two-way standout Isaiah Copeland was a two-time All-Region performer and four-year starter who got it done on both sides of the ball for the Dragons, but he’s not done. Copeland is headed to Sewannee to play for the Tigers. OG/NG Bryson Hill is another two-way standout who will be missed along the Jefferson line of scrimmage. He committed to Berry College. WR Jack Eubanks and DL Guy Carson were Second-Team All-Region selections last year; they too will not return.
Who’s Back
Jefferson has some talent returning, including the Max Preps 2022-2023 Male Athlete of the Year, Sammy Brown. The Clemson-bound standout will be back for his senior season, and he can do a little bit of everything. He rushed for 1,449 yards and 21 TDs last season, and he has run for a total of 32 TDs and 2,202 yards as a Dragons RB. Brown also has 94 tackles from his linebacker spot over the past two seasons.
Joining Brown among the 2023 returners are OLB Skyler Zimmerman and four-star OLB/DE Kelan Butler. Senior Brian Senter will return to the Jefferson OL, and the 6-foot, 3-inch, 285-pound lineman has numerous offers as he heads into his final season as a Dragon. Safety Justin Beatty and junior QB Gavin Markey also will be back.
What to Expect
A player like Sammy Brown can be a game-changer, and his presence will raise the play of his already-talented teammates. Jefferson is the reigning region champion, and Noland’s team will likely be the favorite to repeat as the top seed heading into the Class 5A state playoffs.
Jefferson is hoping for more than just a region title in 2023, however, as the Dragons seek to regain their 2020 form, when they won 14 games and played for a state championship. (The Dragons lost to Marist in the GHSA Class 4A title game that season.)
Most observers feel like Jefferson has the talent to go further than they have in each of the past two seasons, and with Brown in his senior season, they’d love nothing more than to send out one of the program’s best players with a championship. They have the pieces to do it.
Prediction
Look for the 2023 Jefferson football team and Sammy Brown to make some noise in Class 5A: 10-3 overall finish.
Game to Watch
Sept. 8 against Noland’s former Oconee County squad.
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