The 2024 Georgia high school football season is around the corner with the 33rd-annual Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic kicking the season off next Wednesday. Before the season switches into full gear, Score Atlanta announced the Preseason Watchlist of the inaugural Mr./Ms. Georgia High School Football Award ahead of the 2024 season.
The watchlist was announced at the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic Luncheon on Monday morning with the members of the watchlist in attendance.
The award is meant to be Georgia’s high school version of the Heisman Award, named for the legendary Georgia Tech head coach John Heisman and given to the best college football player each season.
Like the Heisman Award at the collegiate level, the ceremony will include inviting the five finalists to the event where guests will celebrate their accomplishments and award the inaugural Mr. Georgia Football at the event.
The watchlist will be updated every Monday throughout the season from Score Atlanta’s Craig Sager II and Najeh Wilkins.
The Mr./Ms. Georgia Football Ceremony will be held on Sunday, December 8th at the Teamsters Local 728’s 13,000 square foot Union Hall.
The 2024 Mr. Georgia Football Watchlist includes:
Milton QB Luke Nickel, Toombs County DB Lagonza Hayward, Hebron Christian DT Sichan John, Fellowship Christian OT Josh Petty, Warner Robins DE Isaiah Gibson, Manchester DT Justus Terry, Camden County TE Elyiss Williams, Hebron Christian WR Gerritt Kemp, Westlake WR Travis Smith Jr., Lee County RB Ousmane Kromah, Valdosta RB Todd Robinson, Savannah Christian Prep DT Elijah Griffin, Carrollton QB Julian Lewis, Perry RB Ahmad Gordon, Cedar Grove DB Tae Harris, Hebron Christian DE Carrington Coombs,, Milton WR CJ Wiley, Buford LB Jadon Perlotte, North Atlanta DE Chase Linton, and Douglass-Atlanta DB Jontae Gilbert.
The 2024 Ms. Georgia Flag Football Watchlist will be announced later.
For the first time this year there will be a Mr. Georgia and Ms. Georgia for the top athlete in the state. There will be 5 finalists on both sides, December 8th. Here are the male student athletes on the watch list. #ckdhclassic pic.twitter.com/ZJQE6sU5Oe
— GHSA (@OfficialGHSA) August 5, 2024
The preseason watchlist includes six 5-stars, nine 4-stars, and three 3-stars. The list features six ACC commitments, five SEC commitments (three committed to UGA), three Big 10 commitments and six still undecided on their decision.
The talent level and the production of the players included in the watchlist can be evaluated by their combined stats throughout their multitude of high school football experience. These players have combined for 8,095 passing yards, 96 passing touchdowns, 9,171 all-purpose yards, and 112 total touchdowns on offense while combining for 520 tackles, 51.5 sacks, 94 tackles for loss and eight interceptions on defense— leaving their impact everywhere on the field.
Warner Robins defensive end and Georgia-commit, Gibson, is the highest-rated player on the watchlist and is a top-20 player in the country on both On3 and 247Sports. The 5-star edge rusher totaled 17 sacks and 55 QB pressures last season for the Demons.
Hebron Christian holds the most players on the watchlist with three, each committed to different ACC schools (Kemp: Duke, Coombs: Georgia Tech, John: Virginia).
The highly-touted Milton-duo of Nickel and Wiley each received nominations to the Preseason Watchlist after their stellar state championship season a year ago. A season ago the duo averaged close to 22 yards per completion with Wiley amassing 68 receptions for almost 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The University of Georgia holds three commitments from players from the watchlist with two 5-stars in Gibson and Williams and one 4-star in Robinson. However, the Bulldogs have their sites on more top-players involved with the Preseason Watchlist with two of the top-10 players in the country in Manchester’s Terry, and Savannah Christian Prep’s Griffin. Both Terry and Griffin are ranked as the top-two defensive linemen in the country, each with big decisions to make soon.
Throughout the season, the watchlist will be updated based on player-performances and will be cut to five finalists before the award is announced at a ceremony on December 8th at the Teamsters Local 728’s Union Hall.
Loading ...
