By: Joseph Stuckey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

On Halloween, the annual Georgia vs. Florida game will take place in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Last year’s game ended in a narrow Bulldog victory, 24-20.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have some new homes for the next couple of years because of construction work on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home stadium.

Like I said above, this year’s game will be in Atlanta and next year’s game will be in Tampa, Florida, before returning to Jacksonville in 2028.

This year’s game, like many in the past, will feature many impact players from across Southeast Georgia.

Here is a list of some of those players on the Georgia Bulldogs roster.

To start with, Thomas Blackshear is a product out of Calvary Day School in Savannah. He has played in 6 games for the Bulldogs and has averaged close to 10 yards per catch. Coming out of high school, he was ranked as high as the #38 prospect in the state of Georgia.

Next is Demello Jones, who was a Swainsboro Tiger before committing to the Bulldogs. He has played in 22 games and has racked up 35 tackles during his time so far in Athens. Coming out of high school, he was a top-5 safety prospect in the country.

Elyiss Williams is from Kingsland and went to Camden County High School. He has appeared in 17 games for the Bulldogs and already has 2 touchdowns as a sophomore. He was the No. 1 tight end prospect in the 2025 class.

Jae Lamar is a freshman from Colquitt County High School. He scored a touchdown against Western Kentucky earlier this season in the Bulldogs’ whiteout game. In the 2026 class, he was a top-25 player in the state of Georgia.

Elijah Griffin is a defensive lineman from Savannah Christian. He has appeared in 18 games for the Bulldogs with 27 total tackles. Elijah was the #2 overall prospect in the 2025 class. He was a freshman All-SEC selection in 2025.

The Florida Gators also dip into Southeast Georgia to recruit talent in the region.

To start with, Lagonza Hayward is from Toombs County. He has played in 16 games for the Gators and has recorded 23 total tackles. He was a top-3 player in the state of Georgia in the 2025 class.

Next is tight end Amir Jackson out of Portal, GA. He has played in 16 games for the Gators and has recorded 2 touchdowns, both against SEC opponents. He was a consensus 4-star player in the 2024 class before heading to The Swamp.

Tight end Heze Kent is a freshman from Brunswick who has already appeared in 4 games for the Gators. He was a consensus 4-star recruit in the 2026 class.

So, as you can see, both teams have spent a lot of time recruiting Southeast Georgia.

It should be a much-anticipated matchup on Halloween, as both teams are currently finding themselves in the CFP projections at the moment.

I think we will look back on this game at the end of the season as a signature win for one of these teams that propelled them into the CFP.