Joe Delaney
Gator Bait
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jason Strickland’s 2025 edition of the Ware County Gators was a senior led group that rolled into the GHSA playoffs with an 8-2 record in a very tough region and title aspirations.
After a first round dismantling of Flowery Branch the Gators moved on and ran into a juggernaut in the Creekside Seminoles. One of the top high school football programs in the nation took it to the Gators early and often. The result was a 9-3 final record for a great group of seniors at Ware County High School.
Now looking toward the 2026 season, the Gators will be young, very young.
Gone are Ja Mario Rice, DL Walker Hudson, DL Seth Seuss, LB Nick Grant, LB Avontae Ballentine, RB Jamir Boyd, RB Tayshaun Franklin, OL Landon Smallwood, OL Carson Hall, and OL Kyler Matthews.
There are others but needless to say that’s a long list of experience and talent that has moved on. The question is are the Gators gonna reload or rebuild?
Several quality players are back for the ‘26 season and Ware is a talent hotbed so the cupboard is definitely not empty.
Leading the 2026 Gators will be returning Quarterback Isaiah White. He was an All-Region player last year and should be one of the top players in south Georgia this year.
And he will have Ja’Londi O’Hara, and Gunter Fore back at wideout. Both were All-Region last year.
Several other pieces of the puzzle are back also on offense so the Gators should be ok. Replacing those 3 All-Region linemen will be key.
Returning are RT Jaylen Sturdivant and OL Kydarian Bennett. These guys will be the leaders with a bunch of young Gators vying for playing time behind them.
At running back look for Moomoo Mckoy and Jimmy Taylor to step in and fill some big shoes from last year. Coach Strickland thinks both of these guys could be special. Great ability and good speed. Coach called them slashers. The offense will be good and look for White to have an All-State type of year.
The defense will be a work in progress with most of the front 7 graduating. There is talent all over and while these aren’t the biggest group of Gators we’ve seen on defense, they are fast and strong.
Jamarion Keyhay returns at linebacker and is a team leader. Add in Rod Lewis and Jameer Barkley who are coming back from injury and this defense could be good.
Davion Jones returns at corner and will also handle kick returns and punt returns.
One big returning piece to the puzzle is Jeffery Gonzalez. The veteran will handle the kicking and punting for Ware and should be one of, if not, the region’s best.
Landon Smallwood will be missed at snapper and there are three young ones trying to fill those big shoes.
Ware County Gators 2026 Schedule
8/7 vrs Brunswick (scrimmage)
8/21 @ Bainbridge
8/28 @ Coffee
9/11 vrs Richmond Hill
9/18 vrs Groves
9/25 @ Statesboro
10/2 vrs Richmond Academy
10/9 @ Evans
10/23 vrs Jenkins
10/30 @ Wayne County
11/6 vrs Benedictine
The 2026 edition of the Gators will be fun to watch. The backfield could be electric. Add in the returners on the O-line and at wide receiver and Coach Strickland has a lot to work with.
Defensively the Gators will be just as fun. With a good returning group of leaders, the Gators will fly all over the field with stunts and slants, using that speed and power.
Add in very good special teams play and the Gators will be a force in the region and a dangerous group of reptiles come playoff time. The Gators are reloading!
Effingham Rebels 2026 Preview
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Coach John Ford and the Effingham County Rebels are hard at it.
They are out to show that last year’s 9-3 record and a narrow one-point playoff loss was no fluke.
Coach Ford was upbeat about the coming 26 season. And while there are definitely holes to fill from a great group of graduated seniors, this is a team on the rise in southeast Georgia.
In my conversation with Coach Ford, he was dialed into coach speak. “We’re taking it one day at a time’ and “we’re working hard to make something happen today and every day.”
Sure, you’ve heard that before but in listening to Coach Ford you could tell that’s where the Rebels were, working hard and focused.
It doesn’t hurt that Effingham County itself is one of the fastest growing areas in the state and that makes the turnover more manageable.
In 2026 the Rebels will have a schedule that includes opening games at Richmond Hill and at home against Tift County.
That’s a tough way to start and the Rebels will have to be on their game early.
From there it’s into region play with Brunswick and Glynn Academy looming. It is a workable schedule and being tested in those two opening games should have the Rebels ready for games down the road.
On offense Effingham has a very good running back in Jamere Doe-Davis. He is a great center piece to work from and expect him to shoulder the load early and often.
He will run behind a completely revamped offensive line as all five of the O-line graduated. This and the quarterback position will tell the tail for the offense.
Three youngsters are currently in the mix to start at QB. Whoever takes the job will be young and inexperienced and need to mature quickly.
One thing the new quarterback will have is a talented and experienced group of wide receivers.
Back are Isaiah Brown, Malik Letman, and Trayvis Hunter. Look for Coach Ford to lean on these 3 quality wideouts. They all have good speed and hands.
Defensively the Rebels should be stout. Back on the defensive line is Deyvon Aaron and RJ Brown. Behind them at linebacker are Genard Albright, and Jackson Eubanks.
This should be a very good front seven and couple it with the entire secondary coming back and the defense should carry the team early.
2026 Effingham County Rebels schedule:
8/21 @Richmond Hill
8/28 vrs Tift County
9/4 vrs New Hampstead
9/18 @ Lakeside
9/25 vrs Bradwell
10/2 @ Glynn Academy
10/16 vrs SEHS
10/23 vrs Grovetown
10/30 @ Brunswick
11/6 vrs Greenbrier
Look for the Rebels to field a very good football team in 2026.
While it may be difficult to match last year’s total. The early toughies on the schedule should make this team mature quickly.
The keys will be the offensive line play and a solid season from the new QB. If those fall into place this could be a very tough out come playoff time.
Glynn Academy Red Terrors Positional Breakdown
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With one of the best overall sports programs around, the Glynn Academy Red Terrors are a force in spring sports.
Whether it’s Soccer, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, etc etc. The Red and White excel. And while we could spend hours on those accomplishments, today were going to look at Spring Football and preparations for the upcoming 2026 season.
The 2025 edition of Rocky Hidalgo’s Red Terrors is in the books. A winning season and a spot in the playoffs for the umpteenth time highlighted the 2025 team. They carried the Terror tradition well. The 2026 team looks to improve on that.
Back are a dozen or so starters from last year. Add in some solid up and comers and a couple of new players and the Terrors have a chance to be good. Let’s take an early look at what the Red and White might look like come the Fall.
At QB the Red Terrors return Junior Max Noonan. As a solid starter as a sophomore, Noonan proved he belonged. The next chapter for him is work and improvement. He has the ability and moxie to be great. A very good athlete with smarts…… the sky is the limit for Noonan.
The running backs look to be by committee instead of one or two. Caden Robinson, Ayden Wilson, Ian Pomiechowski, and Brock Wilson should all see totes for the Terrors this fall. And let’s add Cooper Reiss in here when they need someone to come in and run over people. The only thing missing here is a real game breaker. The Terrors will look to pound people in 2026.
And they may be able to do that with a great returning group of linemen. While the Terrors will miss 3-year starter Josh Baker, they return some very good football players.
Grant Ferrell is back along with Sam Ricks, Cam Cleghorn, and Aaden Ward. Andrew Gleaton has moved in nicely to the center position. Add in Grayson Forsyth, and Zach Cox at the tight end position and this should be a team strength.
The wide receivers are a position of need with the loss of DaSean Howard, Sean Wallace and T Y Chisholm. Look for someone to step up and take this. Whoever they are they will have a great chance to shine with Noonan in the backfield throwing darts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Terrors should be stout. Especially in the front seven, with Baron Hayes Cobie Cutler, Zamir Bell, Amahry Moore, Zach Cox and Grant Ferrell all back.
The Red Terrors should be solid and this could be a team strength especially when adding in Cooper Reiss. Reiss is one of the better players in the region and was almost unstoppable in the spring from his linebacker position.
The defensive backs will be led by Ja’Kori Roman, Brock Wilson, and the Cox brothers Aaron and Charlie. There is room here for younger players to step up.
The kicking and punting will be handled by returning starter Patrick Coyle. With a great leg, Coyle will be instrumental in this team’s mode of operation and success. Long punts and kickoffs into the endzone will back teams up which fits the Glynn gameplan.
I don’t see the 2026 Red Terrors outfit as being a real flashy team. With returners all over they should be very solid.
More ground and pound than throw and go. Coach Hidalgo sees this team that way also. Physicality was the trademark of the spring and Rocky was very happy with the effort and results. Coach said, “we don’t just spend time here, we invest in ourselves and in the team”.
That seems to be the theme of this edition of the Red Terrors. I expect well start seeing the dividends this fall.
Natty Or Bust?
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, spring is here and one of the most beautiful places in the state is Athens. With a temperature in the 70’s and the azaleas busting out everywhere, Athens is hard to beat.
Throw in a couple tickets I had to see the Tennis Dawgs take out South Carolina on a Friday night and the Baseball Dawgs do the same the next day to those Florida Gators and well, it’s just special.
At that same time, we got glimpses of the 2026 Football Dawgs as they were hard into spring practice.
The general consensus was that the football Dawgs could be very special this year. VERY special.
The next week was the spring game and after seeing it, I can see why. These Dawgs are tight. They have leadership, athleticism, depth, and a hunger to go back to the top.
From Kirby on down, these guys want all the marbles in 2026. The great Georgia guru Rusty Mansell put it out there. Georgia has “a roster built to play for a national championship”.
Are they as loaded as the back-to-back National Champions of a couple years back? Maybe not, but they might be just as good. Let’s take a look.
It starts with the top. Georgia has Kirby. The Dawgs also have one of the best overall staffs in the country. Throw in an administration and athletic director that are all on the same page and few programs in the country can match the Red and Black.
On the field it all starts with the QB, and Georgia has a good one in Gunner Stockton. While he might not be as flashy as some, he has that something that his teammates love; grit, determination, and a will to win.
With his experience running this offense, he is one of the top returning signal callers in the country. Behind him are 4 others with Ryan Puglisi currently number 2. Watch out for upcoming Ryan Montgomery who is pushing up the depth chart. The key to these guys is keeping Gunner healthy.
The backs will be very good, led by Nate Frazier. Throw in Chauncey Bowens, the electric Dwight Phillips and a couple of highly touted youngsters and Georgia will run the ball. And look out for Dante Dowdell, a transfer with speed, size and experience. His 20 something yard run while hurdling a defender was one of the spring game highlights.
Next are the wide receivers and tight ends. The wideouts will be bolstered by transfer Isiah Canion, and have talent all over with returners Landon Humphreys, C J Wiley, Talyn Taylor and newcomer Kaiden Prothro a 6’ 6” 230 lb 5-star freshman who starred in the spring game.
This group should be solid especially when paired with the best tight end group in the country. Between Lawson Luckie, Elyiss Williams, Ethan Barbour, and Jaden Reddell, the only problem will be how to get them all on the field.
Reddell showed out in the spring game and there are 2 or 3 others behind these guys. Like I said, this is the best TE group in the country. Look for the Dawgs to run some 3 or 4 TE sets with 1 running back.
None of the above means a thing if the O-line can’t do its thing but Georgia should be deep and very good on the line.
Drew Bobo will anchor the O-line at center. Add in returning starters Dontrell Glover, Juan Gaston, Earnest Green and it will be solid. Oh, and don’t forget newcomers Zykie Helton, and Jah Jackson, all 6’10” 350 lbs of him. This offense will have a hundred different ways to score and should be lethal.
Defensively the Dawgs will be loaded with returning starters all over the place. The D-Line will be big, deep, and athletic with plenty of experience.
Josh Horton, Xzavier Mcleod, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, Nnamdi Ogboko all return and are back along with Elijah Griffin who has All-American written all over him. There is depth there also.
What the TE’s bring to the offense the LB’s are to the Georgia defense.
Raylen Wilson, Justin Williams, Chris Cole, and Gabe Harris make this group elite and remember the Name Chase Linton. Look for him this fall. There is also depth behind these guys with Nick Abrams, Zayden Walker and others..
The DB’s should be solid with returners Ellis Robinson IV, K J Bolden, Demello Jones, Rasean Dinkins, Kyron Jones, and transfers Braylon Conley, Khalil, and Gentry Williams.
The kicking is in good hands with Peyton Woodring although the punting cannot match the loss of thunderfoot Brett Thorson.
The special teams should be very good with a host of players vying for playing time to get on the field and impress.
All and all this is a loaded football team. Big, fast, physical with depth all over.
To me the keys to a run at the Natty are things that need to be improved on from a 12-2 team in 2025.
First is rush the passer, Georgia was lacking in this last year and the injury to transfer Amaris Williams during the spring didn’t help. That’s priority number one.
Next is, keep Gunner healthy. While there is quality behind him, Gunner is the man.
And last is get a little luck. This team can beat any team in the country if they are on. But they are not the 21 or 22 outfits. They’ll need a little luck here and there. If those three keys come to fruition, I like our chances.
Killer Kirby
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs have played NCAA Football for 122 years.
During that time they have won over twice as many games as the have lost. That is a very good record.
In the last 30 years the Bulldogs have had a winning record in 28 of those seasons. Not many schools have had that kind of success.
But in the last 10 seasons the Bulldogs have won 117 games. That includes multiple SEC Championships and multiple NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. They have gone from good, to great, to arguably the best college football program in the country.
How did the Dawgs accomplish this? The answer can be summed up in one word, KIRBY.
Leaving Alabama after the 2015 season, Kirby returned to his alma mater where he was an All-SEC defensive back in the 90’s.
Starting with 2016 season, Smart led Georgia to an 8-5 record and a 31-23 win in the Liberty Bowl. Humble beginnings. It was just a mere taste of what was to come.
The 2017 season was highlighted by the 54-48 double overtime win over the Oklahoma Sooners. And while the Dawgs would lose in the National Championship to Alabama that year. The dye was cast.
The Dawgs have gone on during these 10 years to more SEC championships and 2 national championships.
The first National Championship being a thrilling win over the nemesis Crimson Tide 33-18 in 2021. The Dawgs then went 15-0 and back to back in 2022 with the cap being a 65-7 crushing of TCU in the final.
In Kirby Smart the Georgia Bulldogs have the best football coach in the NCAA.
They have become in Coach Smarts words “elite”.
In 2025 the Dawgs went 12-2. The lost 2 games were by a total of 8 points.
They won another SEC championship and finished ranked in the top 5.
Ask a gazillion Georgia fans and they will say it was a good year. A good year? Yeah, that’s it. That’s how high Kirby Smart has set the bar at UGA.
His favorite saying is that “you’re elite or you’re not”. Never has a Georgia football coach expected so much from himself, his players, his team and school. That’s saying a lot when you look back at all the great Georgia coaches.
So how did Kirby Smart go from eating hamburgers at Twin Lakes and coaching linebackers at Valdosta State University to being the head honcho of college football? Two reasons with one being just as important as the other.
First, you coach for almost a decade under the best college coach ever. You coach with Nick Saban every day and you learn and learn and learn. You grow with the guy and when your time comes, you’re ready.
And the second is you bleed Red and Black. Your family bleeds red and black. Kirby isn’t a coach for hire. He’s a damn DAWG. Those two things are what have made him he is. And that is ELITE.
Red Terrors Moving Forward
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 season is in the books for the Glynn Academy Red Terrors.
Jackson County ended the season with a first round romp over the Terrors.
The top seeded Panthers moved to 10-1 on the season and the fourth seeded Terrors take a long bus ride home ending at 6-5.
Looking back, it truly is a season of ups and downs for Glynn. I had predicted at the first of the year that the Red and White had a great chance to go 7-3 or 8-2 on the season.
Well, as the saying goes ‘close…….. but no cigar’.
Glynn dropped three games by 7, 4, and 3 points. It’s the difference between a winning season that the Terrors are very used to under Rocky Hidalgo and a very good season which was oh so close.
Let’s take a look back at the crazy wacky season that was Red Terror football in 2025.
Wayne County and Richmond Hill started the season for the Terrors. They split these first two games.
They take down Wayne County as expected 38-14 in the season opener and then stepped up in class and dropped a 21-0 game to a very tough Richmond Hill squad.
Next up was the shocker…… Glynn traveled to Hinesville to take on the Bradwell Institute Tigers. The Red Terrors have more infractions and yellow flags thrown at them than some of the inmates down the road in Reidsville and lost their second game 35-28.
How they committed a dozen or so penalties in the second half is beyond me. Bradwell finished the season 2-7. I could go on but it is what it is.
Next up was the Statesboro Blue Devils and the Terrors took care of business 36-8. Funny that the next week Statesboro took care of Bradwell 38-28. I could go on….
The Red Terrors took out Lakeside the next week and put 54 points on the board in a 54-28 victory.
Next is the City Championship game with the Brunswick High Pirates. Besides the Bradwell loss, here is the stunner.
Glynn led and controlled the game for three quarters and looked to close out the Pirates; driving down to the Brunswick goal line to really put the game away when they fumbled inside the Brunswick 3-yard line.
Brunswick proceeded to score, and score, and score in the fourth quarter and came back to take down the Terrors 41-37. It truly was a heartbreaker for the Terrors who gave up over 300 yards passing with much of it in the last terrible 12 minutes.
To the Terrors credit they bounced back and took 3 of the next 4 games.
They beat Evans, South Effingham, and Greenbrier and lost only to Effingham in a close one 45-42.
Glynn ended the regular season 6-4 and the region 4th seed.
After the long bus ride to Jackson County the Red Terrors failed to really get off the bus and gave up big plays and fumbled their way to a season ending loss.
The Terrors finished 6-5 on the year.
Looking ahead to 2026 the Red Terrors should be solid.
They played a large number of sophomores and juniors.
Back on offense will be 7 or 8 starters and 6 on defense plus Patrick Coyle with the kicking duties.
Terror fans are looking forward to seeing Max Noonan progress and get better at quarterback.
The junior to be had a solid first season and gives the Red Terrors a solid foundation on offense. Add in Caiden Robinson, Grant Ferrell, Zamir Bell, Ian Pomiechowski and others and the Terrors should be solid on offense.
Defensively the Terrors will return 6 starters including Cooper Reiss, Kori Roman, Sam Ricks, Cam Cleghorn, Aaden Ward, Amari Moore and several youngsters who got valuable playing time.
The key here will be restocking the DBs.
All in all, the Red Terrors look to be in good shape moving forward after another winning season on the Southside.
Georgia Memories
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, here we are with the latest installment pf the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”.
This year’s edition has twist and turns as is usual in this heated rivalry.
Gone is Billy Napier and the Gators are in disarray. The Dawgs are ranked #5 and should win easily right? Not so fast………….
When you look at the history of the rivalry it makes you realize how scary a game this is for the Dawgs.
The Gators have absolutely nothing to lose and that makes them very dangerous. The Dawgs better be ready to play because this IS the biggest game for Florida and stranger things have happened.
Let’s look at a few of the great games, notes and players in Georgia Florida history through the Bulldogs eyes.
Let’s start at the beginning. Did you know the two schools can’t even agree on how many games have been played?
Florida says that the 1904 game doesn’t count because that was the University of Florida Lake City. Well Georgia won the game 52-0 played in Macon. The great UGA historian Dan Magill remarked many years later, “that’s where Florida was back then. We can’t help it if they got run out of Lake City.” Now that’s how you start a rivalry!
Who can forget the 1975 game and the amazing Larry Munson. Yes it’s the Appleby to Washington game with Larry being ……well Larry!
With 3:10 left in the fourth quarter Vince Dooley calls an end around pass. Larry takes it from there………“and Washington caught it thinking of Montreal and the Olympics and ran out of his shoes right down the middle 80 yards!” Georgia goes on to win 10-7.
A year later it was Florida leading the Dawgs 27-20 in the third quarter. Head Coach Doug Dickey has a brain fart of epic proportions and goes for it on 4th and 1 from his own TWENTY NINE yard line. Florida gets stuffed and Georgia goes on to win 41-27. The play and the game are always remembered as “fourth and dumb”.
Ah yes, 1980. No column on the Georgia/Florida game is done without it. A strong dose of Herschel and a shot of Buck and Lindsay! The great Larry Munson ends the call of Buck and Lindsay with “man is their gonna be some property destroyed tonight! I gave up….you did too….out of it…..out of it and gone. Miracle!” Nuff said.
In 2007 it was the “Gator Stomp”. Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno dives into the endzone for a first quarter touchdown and the ENTIRE Georgia team runs on the field. Georgia goes on the sack Heisman winner Tim Tebow 6 times in the 42-30 Georgia win.
And who can forget the “evil genius” aka Steve Spurrier. Ole Stevie went 11-1 against the Dawgs in his Tenure as Head Coach of the Gators.
He was a brilliant coach and probably loved beating the Dawgs more than anything. His “fun and gun” offenses had some of basics of what offenses run today.
So why did Spurrier have such a distain for Red and Black? It goes back to 1966.
Dooley’s Dawgs roll into the old Gator Bowl to face the Heisman winner Spurrier and the Gators. Well, the Dawgs intercept Spurrier 3 times and he was constantly harassed by Bill Stanfield, the Georgia great.
In the funniest quote I’ve ever seen the good old country boy Stanfield would say, “holding pigs for my dad to castrate was quite a challenge. I can’t say that it helped me prepare for football, but it sure did remind me an awful lot of sacking Steve Spurrier”!
Yeah its Georgia Florida. The old boys from Florida have their share of golden memories also. That’s what makes it so great. For many it’s the biggest game of the year.
No matter what the records are. Its Georgia Florida, a great big slice of Americana. Strap em up Dawgs and don’t forget that injured Gators are dangerous.
The First 100
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Knights defeated Bulloch Academy 35-20 recently to move to 5-3 on the season. As a result, the Knights coach Brandon Derrick reached the 100-win plateau in his career. After talking to Coach Derrick, I’m getting the feeling it’s just the start.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching him coach and mentor young men since he came to Glynn Academy as the Offensive Coordinator a dozen or so years ago. He coached my son Preston Delaney as the quarterbacks coach and OC at Glynn. And trust me, Preston absolutely loves the guy. I sat down with Coach last week and had a great conversation.
Brandon told me that while, yes, he was the Head Coach at Frederica he was really in the “kid business”. His real job was getting those young men ready and prepared for life.
He said, “Once you get on the Frederica Family Bus, you’re on it from now on and everyone is welcome”. He told me that sometimes the bus ride can be bumpy with a lot of hard work and some tribulations. But he added that there is a standard at Frederica to be held to and that requires kids to work every day to get a little better at football and life. He said that sometimes holding on to that standard can be tough and you learn more when you lose. But you get better.
Derrick spoke of the early days at McMinn Central in Tennessee where he was the Head Coach from 2006-2008. He took them from a 3-7 record to back-to-back 9-2 seasons. From there it was on to Glynn Academy and finally to Frederica.
The Frederica Coach spoke of the special teams at Frederica and included the 2018 squad with the great Jaylen Simpson. The 2020 state runner up squad and the 2021 team nicknamed the “mean 19”. Yes they only had 19 players!
I put him on the spot and asked who were the top 5 kids he had coached and he immediately told me that they were Jordan Jackson from McMinn, James Dean and Joe Nathan Alford at Glynn. Jaylen Simpson and Jordan Triplett from Frederica. That’s a great top 5!
We went on to talk about all the great high-quality players and kids he has had on the Frederica Bus. Names like Patrick Brunson, Jayshawn Sheffield, Harry Veal, Isiah Jackson and Michael Tindle. The list went on with Will Counts, Deke Jernigan, Josh Meadows, Thomas Veal, Garrett Squire, Brice Riley and Sam Norris. All great players and young men.
What struck me as I left his office was that we hadn’t really talked about the great games, wins and losses. We had mostly talked about the kids.
Brandon Derrick is indeed in the “kids business” and that’s a great big bus he’s driving. The Frederica Academy Knights, players, coaches and fans are very lucky to have him.
Congrats on the first hundred coach!
Back To The Top?
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
War damn Eagle! After a disappointing 2024 season the Auburn Tigers are looking to take a step back up to the first tier in the SEC.
The slide over the last few years has been directly correlated to an overall lack of talent and depth for the Tigers.
The Bryan Harsin debacle was just that. Two straight 7-loss seasons got him a pink slip and the real issue was Hugh Freeze stepped into a mess.
If you look at the two seasons under Freeze you still see 7 losses in 2023 and 2024. Not any better? The difference is that Freeze is rebuilding the program.
Most pundits think this is the year that the Tigers step back up. Freeze has done a great job recruiting with two top ten classes and some stellar portal additions. The Tigers will be dangerous this year.
That all starts with transfer Jackson Arnold at Quarterback. The former Oklahoma QB is a killer dual threat, ask Alabama.
In the 2024 Oklahoma Alabama game, Arnold rushed for 131 yards and was 9 of 11 throwing it. The result was a 24-3 thumping of the Tide.
Receivers for Auburn will be a strength. Cam Coleman, Malcom Simmons are All-SEC caliber players. Add in portal addition Eric Singleton Jr and this group ranks as one of the best in the country. There is depth and talent here.
Back at tight end is Brandon Frazier after missing much of 2024 with an injury.
The running backs are solid though not spectacular. Look for Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb to tote the load. Jarquez Hunter will be missed.
The line should be solid with Dillon Wade, Connor Lew, and Jeremiah Wright all back. Add in Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy via the portal and you have 5 returning starters.
The bottom line is that this should be a much better offense. If Jackson Arnold brings it, then the Tigers should be very good. This will also help the defense who played steady last year.
The Auburn defense was solid in 2024. Can they do the same in 2025?
They have one guy who says YES. That’s Keldrick Faulk. The Jr. defensive end is a Bonafide All American.
At 6’6” and 270 lbs he looks the part and plays the part. He has NFL written all over him. Throw in Malik Blocton and Bobby Jamison-Travis and the Tigers will be solid on the defensive line.
Auburn does have to replace talent at the linebackers. Demarcus Riddick was an ALL-SEC freshman last year and will be joined by Caleb Wheatland and Champ Anthony who is returning from an injury.
If this group steps up then the Tigers may be able to keep opponents at that 21.3 points per game on defense that they surrendered last year. That was good for 28th in the country. We’ll see.
All the Defensive Backs return. Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, Kaleb Harris, and Sylvester Smith are solid and this should be a team strength. Add in Champ Anthony back from an injury at Nickel Back and this is one of the better groups in the league.
Back for the Special Teams is Alex McPherson. McPherson was one of the best around before a severe illness sidelined him for much of the 2024 campaign. His return brings stability back.
In 2023 he was 13 for 13 on FG’s and 40 for 40 on PAT’s.
Hudson Kaak takes over the punting chores and Jeremiah Cobb is slated to kick return although one of the talented wideouts could make a move here.
The schedule is grueling. Welcome to the SEC.
A season opener against Baylor on the road will be telling. Then throw in road trips to Oklahoma and Texas A&M before the end of September. Ouch.
Add in Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt and there is no rest for the weary. Ohhhh, and Auburn hosts Alabama at Jordan-Hare for the Iron Bowl. A game that Auburn has not won in 5 years.
The bottom line is that this should be Hugh Freeze’s best team. There are quality players throughout the roster.
Freeze has recruited well and worked the portal hard. Now let’s see if the Tigers can start winning again.
Elite Or Not?
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2024 the Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC Championship and went to the College Football Playoffs. They won 11 games and beat the 2025 consensus number 1 team Texas twice.
What a great year, right? Not hardly sports fans. Such are the expectations in Athens, Ga these days. It doesn’t matter that many of the 2024 starters are in NFL camps right now. And the 2025 schedule has top twenty teams all through it. The Dawgs are expected to win and win big!
This all starts with Kirby Smart. Widely acknowledged as one of if not the best college coach in America. Kirby has built a dynasty.
And while the Dawgs annually reload, this year’s edition has more young gunslingers than in the past. That means Kirby will have to be at his best. And that goes for Bobo, Schuman, and the rest of staff.
There are holes to fill and changes to be made. The talent is younger than ever. Georgia will be very good. But will they be elite? That is probably Kirby’s’ favorite phrase. With the schedule they play they had better be.
For me there are 4 critical keys for Georgia in 2025. If these end up positive then the Dawgs will be hell.
First is the offensive line. Georgia lost 4 linemen to the NFL this year. And yet they underachieved. Rushing per game was horrendous. Especially in the 3 losses.
Granted many of Georgia’s second teamers would start for many SEC schools. Well, it’s time for some young pups to get rabid.
Monroe Freeling, Micah Morris (Camden County), Drew Bobo, and Ernest Greene all have starting experience. Add in Daniel Calhoun and these guys have got to be better in the rushing game and protecting the QB.
Secondly is the defensive line. Kirby Smarts Dawg teams have regularly sent D linemen to the NFL. This year was no exception.
And while Christen Miller, Gabe Harris, Xavier McLeod and Jordan Hall have all played extensive minutes for the Red and Black. They and their cohorts will need to step it up in 2025. The linebackers and defensive backs should be solid. So how the defense plays will rest on how the line plays.
Next is Brett Thorson. What? The punter? YEAH…… Think how many times Thorson flipped the field against teams. It’s a big difference to have to drive 80 or 90 yards as opposed to 50. He was missed terribly in the Playoff loss to Notre Dame. How he returns from ACL surgery is critical for the Dawgs.
And last but not least is you guessed it……. Gunner.
Is he serviceable or is he elite? We’re about to find out. With an improved rushing game and receivers who don’t lead the nation in drops, Gunner could be very good.
They have brought in help for both of those shortcomings from last year. If he plays within himself and limits his mistakes, he could be very good.
Throw in the best tight end room in the nation and it’s there for him.
He is completely different from Carson Beck and the team loves the guy. How he held on to the ball on the run to inside the 5 against Texas I’ll never know.
The Dawgs need to run the ball and catch the ball. That’s bottom line. Do that and Gunner has a good chance to shine.
The schedule gets Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas at home.
Alabama and Texas will see Athens go completely crazy.
Road games at Tennessee and Auburn are scary.
Throw in the Gators and Jackets and the pups had better be DAWGS by the time they head to Knoxville.
The Dawgs have the talent. They also have two home games to start the season that should help them fix any issues. After that all hell will break loose one way or the other.
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