By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Georgia high school football season will start in August. We are going to take a look at some of the most talented recruits in the state. NIL has made a huge difference in recruiting because most of the elite players are not committed to Georgia.

Edge DJ Jacobs, Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, GA): Jacobs is listed at 6’5 and 235 pounds. He’s a five-star recruit and the top-rated player in the nation. He’s currently committed to Ohio State.

He finished last season with 102 tackles (24 TFL), 16 sacks and 2 FF in 11 games. Jacobs participated in both the Under Armour All-America Game (1 TFL) and the Polynesian Bowl (1 sack, 1 TFL) as an underclassman.

The Titans were 7-5 in 2025 and they lost in the second round of the AAAA playoffs. We will see if they can become state championship contenders this season.

Edge KJ Green, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA): Green is 6’4, 230 lbs. and a five-star recruit. He’s the second ranked player in Georgia and sixth nationally. He’s an LSU commit.

He had a monster junior year, with 129 tackles (40 TFL), 18 sacks, 4 FF and 1 FR. Also caught 1 pass for 10 yards and 1 TD on offense.

Green was the Region 5-AAA Defensive Player of the Year. Ha also participated in the Polynesian Bowl (1 tackle) as an underclassman.

The Jaguars were 11-2 in 2025 and only lost one regular season game by one point.

S Kamarui Dorsey, Hampton (Hampton, GA): Dorsey is committed to Texas A&M. The 6’3, 200 lbs. safety is a four-star recruit.

In 2025 he had 61 tackles, 2 TFL and 4 interceptions. As a sophomore in 2024 he had 58 tackles, 4 TFL and 3 interceptions.

He helped lead the Hornets to an 8-3 record last season.

WR Jaden Upshaw, Lee County (Leesburg, GA): We have our first offensive player on the list. Upshaw is the fourth ranked recruit in the state and a four-star player. He’s also committed to play for Texas A&M.

He finished his junior season with 47 catches for 902 yards (19.2 YPC) and 8 TD in 10 games after missing a few contests due to injury. Upshaw also played in the Navy All-American Bowl (3 catches for 19 yards on 5 targets) as an underclassman. He’s 6’1, 200 pounds so he has good size for a receiver.

The Trojans were 8-4 last year. In 2024 they made it to the AAAAA state championship game.

OT Kennedee Jackson, Lithonia: Jackson is the fifth ranked recruit in Georgia and he’s committed to UGA. He’s 6’6, 297 pounds so he has perfect size for an offensive tackle.

He also plays on the defensive line full-time and he plays basketball. He’s a very good athlete and he’s good when pulling and climbing.

The Bulldogs were 10-3 in 2025 and they got to the third-round of the AAAA playoffs.

ATH AJ Tillman Jr., Lithonia: He’s a four-star player like his teammate that we talked about previously. Tillman has committed to Louisville. He plays running back and defensive back. I believe he wants to play on offense at the next level.

As a junior, Tillman ran for 461 yards on 61 carries, averaging 7.6 yards a pop. He also managed to reach the end zone five times.

At DB, Tillman had 22 tackles, 6 passes defended, and a fumble recovery. He combined for over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 TD’s the last two seasons.

He has taken an official visit to Virginia Tech after committing to Louisville, so we will see if he changes his mind.