By: Colin Lacy

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

There’s plenty of “new” in Brooklet heading into the 2025 season.

A new head coach, new coordinators, heck even a new principal. The comforting thing for Southeast Bulloch is the fact that while the roles are new, it’s familiar faces filling those roles.

After a 5-5 finish for Southeast Bulloch in 2025, former Head Coach Jared Zito submitted his resignation and SEB named then Defensive Coordinator Jason Anthony as interim head coach throughout the 2026 season.

After the elevation to Head Coach, Anthony announced the promotion of two current SEB Coaches to the coordinator roles.

Brandon Peterson, who has spent the past two decades on the SEB Football staff and is honorarily inducted into the SEB Athletics Hall of Fame this fall, will take over as the offensive coordinator.

Replacing Coach Anthony as Defensive Coordinator will be Anthony Hammett who has been on staff for the past four years working with the secondary.

With Jayden Murphy and Colby Smith finishing their time as a Yellow Jacket, there are roles to be filled. Those roles will look different with the change in leadership and style.

The past 3 years have seen SEB run a version of the split-back veer. Now the Jackets will transition back into the shotgun and see the Jackets spread the ball around.

While there is some production that has to be replaced, there are many weapons already on this roster that have been waiting in the wings.

The most glaring is the new signal caller Ja’kalian “JK” Small. The rising sophomore saw very few snaps last season but is a budding talent waiting to burst on the scene.

Small is anything but standing at 6’3”, the new QB1 has a dynamic arm and playmaking ability. To me, Small could be one of the most impactful players in this area in his first season in the role.

There are also many threats for SEB for Small to connect with. Obviously, Aaden Peterson has been on the college camp circuit this offseason with multiple offers already heading into his senior year.

AP can affect the game in a couple different ways on the offensive side but mostly will be seen as a receiver and defensive back for the Jackets.

Eli Reed is another receiver that makes an impact this year for SEB with the size and physicality he brings.

On the defensive side, it’s a unit that could be incredibly impactful. The secondary seems to be solidly intact with AP, Eli Reed, and a number of returners, but the group that is expected to be the force is the linebacking corps.

Led by Brant Horst who had over 200 tackles in his career and almost career TFLs will anchor the group in the middle of the SEB Defense along with returners like Bailey Hutchins, and Kaiden Gaskins.

At the end of the day, SEB faces a steep mountain with the schedule in front of them.

A non-region slate that includes games against Statesboro, East Laurens, Burke County and Westside (Augusta) combined with the new region slate poses an elevated challenge for SEB, but it’s one that this Jackets team feels up to the task.

Despite much of the change being filled by familiar names, the feeling around this SEB team has shifted in a positive way.

A big credit of that goes to the new Head Coach Jason Anthony who has talked all offseason about the sole focus of this program is the players.

That mindset is what has made ‘Ant’ one of the most respected coaches by his team that you’ll come across.

SEB has hit the weightroom hard, and I’m fired up to see what the Yellow Jackets look like in less than a month when it gets shown on Fred Shaver Field.