Last season, Georgia high school football fans were treated to some of the finest quarterback talent we have ever seen taking snaps behind center.
Carolltons’s five-star quarterback, Julian “JuJu” Lewis, may have been the most heralded QB to ever play the position that the state has ever witnessed. He received just about every award that a high school football player could and is considered to be one of the primary reasons the GHSA agreed to allow Georgia high school athletes to benefit from NIL deals.
Quarterback Luke Nickel led Milton to back-to-back state championships and had the ability to take over a game, which he did many times during his reign as a three-year starter for the Eagles.
AJ Hill was a four-year starter as Houston County’s quarterback. At 6-foot-4, Hill was a pro-style QB with a huge arm.
Weston Bryan was a bruiser-type quarterback for Lee County. He threw for 29 touchdowns and rushed for 34 touchdowns in 2024 while combining for over 4,000 yards rushing and passing.
They are all gone now.
Let’s take a look at their possible replacements and hear from the coaches themselves about who could be their starting quarterbacks in 2025.
Who Replaces Carrollton QB Julian “JuJu” Lewis?
Dylan Bishop, a rising senior, will likely be the guy leading the Trojans for the 2025 season.
Bishop stepped up last year when Lewis went down with a thumb injury in the quarterfinal matchup against Hillgrove. Bishop showed that he was up to the task, completing 10-of-14 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
Bishop proved he’ll be ready when his name is called. Now it’s his turn to show what he can do as the starter for the Trojans.
Who Replaces Milton QB Luke Nickel?
It appears the battle to become the new starting QB at Milton could come down to two newcomers who arrived this offseason.
Derrick Baker, a rising junior, transferred to Milton from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds with a strong and accurate arm, he will compete for the starting job.
Brayln Albritton, a rising senior, transferred to Milton from Milwaukee Academy of Science in Wisconsin. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he is coming off a junior season of over 2,800 yards passing with 29 TDs.
Milton head football coach Ben Reaves said it’s going to be fun watching the battle to replace one of the best to ever take snaps under center at Milton.
“It’s a big deal to be the starting QB at Milton High School,” Reaves said. “Luke helped elevate this program and left his legacy, and I cannot wait to watch the guys battle it out this spring to take over where he left off and see how high they can elevate the program as well.”
Who Replaces Houston County QB AJ Hill?
Hill, a four-star recruit, raised the bar of Houston County football, leading the Bears to the state quarterfinals in 2022 and again last season.
Those are big shoes to fill, and with Hill off to play college ball at Memphis, Houston County head coach Jeremy Edwards must now turn to Hill’s replacement.
“It’s a battle right now between (rising) junior Grey Dunlap and (rising) sophomore Ryan Maxwell,” Edwards said.
Edwards gave a comparison between the two: “Ryan has a super strong arm and played last year as a freshman, but he is well built to be a freshman. Grey is a cool, cerebral-type player who is mobile and has the ability to extend plays.”
Edwards said he is not opposed to playing both.
“If we have to platoon them, we will do that if that’s what gives us the best chance to win,” Edwards said.
Who Replaces Lee County QB Weston Bryan?
Bryan, a dual-threat QB who is bound for Georgia Southern, will be missed for his ability to run and pass equally well.
“Weston had a phenomenal senior season and career for us, and obviously it’s going to be tough to replace him,” said Dean Fabrizio, Lee County head football coach. “But the thing is, if you’re a good program, you lose good players every year, and when you’re talking about kids 13 to 16 years old, the progress that they can make in one offseason is huge. We’ve got some good kids here, and I’m excited to see what they can do this spring.”
Fabrizio said the QB position is wide open at the moment.
“We’ll see who steps up,” he said. “It’s still early.”
As we have seen, transfers can impact the quarterback position more than any other spot on the field, especially when it comes to replacing a top-tier QB like the four we have mentioned here. Just keep that in mind. We’ll certainly keep you updated.
