Kenneth Harrison
Running To NFL
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 NFL Draft is next month. We are going to take a look at some of the top running back prospects in the draft.
# 1. The top prospect is Ashton Jeanty (Boise State). Jeanty is from Jacksonville, Florida and he went to high school in Frisco, Texas.
Last season he rushed for 2,601 yards, 29 touchdowns and averaged 7 yards per carry.
In 2023 he had 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had 43 catches in 2023 and 23 in 2024.
He won the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Unanimous All-American and he finished second in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting.
I think he can be picked as high as 6th by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chicago Bears are picking 10th and they could trade up to pick Jeanty.
# 2. Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) should also be selected in the top 15 picks.
The North Carolina native is 6’0, 221 pounds so he has a great combination of size and speed.
He’s been a workhorse for the past two years for the Tar Heels. In 2023 he rushed for 1,504 yards and 15 TD’s. In 2024 he had 1,660 yards and 15 scores, while averaging 5.9 ypc both years.
He had 29 receptions in 2023 and 38 in 2024. He can run and catch passes out of the backfield. I don’t expect him to slip past Dallas who has the 12th pick.
# 3. Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) is 6’1, 224 pounds. He rushed for 1,537 yards, 21 scores and averaged 6.4 ypc.
He also had 22 catches for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was a Consensus All-American, First-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
# 4. Dylan Sampson (Tennessee) is a Louisiana native. He’s 5’8, 200 pounds so he’s a smaller back.
Last season he ran for 1,493 yards, 22 TD’s and averaged 5.8 ypc. He also had 19 receptions for 141 yards. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC and a Second-team All-American.
# 5. TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) split time last season with Quinshon Judkins.
The senior rushed for 1,016 yards, 10 touchdowns, 7.1 ypc and he had 27 receptions.
Henderson is 5’10 and 202 pounds. This was his first thousand-yard season since his freshman year.
# 6. Brashard Smith (SMU) is a Florida native that transferred from Miami.
He was a wide receiver and kickoff returner for the Hurricanes.
Last year he ran for 1,332 yards, 14 scores and averaged 5.7 ypc. He also caught 39 passes for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Smith is 5’10, 194 lbs. and he’s very explosive. He was named First-team All-ACC.
# 7. Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State) is an Alabama native that started his career at Ole Miss.
As a freshman he rushed for 1,567 yards and 16 scores. As a sophomore he ran for 1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He transferred to Ohio State for the 2024 season and split carries with TreyVeon Henderson. In 2024 he had 1,060 yards, 14 touchdowns and he averaged 5.5 ypc. Judkins is 6’0, 220 pounds and he has a nice balance of speed and power.
The depth of the defensive line in this year’s draft class has been primarily what the media has focused on. The running back class has great depth. I think a player drafted in the third round or later can make an immediate impact as a rookie.
SEC Survival Time
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The last time an SEC team won the men’s college basketball national championship was Kentucky in 2012.
The last team to play in the national championship game was Kentucky in 2014.
Obviously, the Wildcats are the most successful program in the conference. This season the SEC has been the best basketball conference in the nation. Let’s take a look at the top teams as they head into the SEC Tournament.
# 3 Auburn: The Tigers (27-4) lost their season finale to archrival #5 Alabama 93-91 over the weekend.
They also lost to Texas A&M before that so they are on a two-game losing streak.
Despite that, they are still the top seed in the SEC Tournament. The top four seeds have a bye for the first two rounds of the tournament.
They are led by veteran head coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl was the head coach at Tennessee from 2005-11. He took over at Auburn in 2014 and they did reach the Final Four once in the 2018-19 season. They are led by senior forward Johni Broome. He averages 18.6 points per game and 10.6 assists per game.
They will face the winner of Ole Miss and South Carolina/Arkansas.
# 4 Florida: The Gators (27-4) are the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Head coach Todd Golden is in his third season in Gainesville and they have improved every year. Last year they made it to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and lost in the round of 64.
This season they have a chance to be a No. 1 seed, which would make the path to the Final Four much easier.
The team’s leading scorer is senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. with 17.2 ppg. Sophomore forward Alex Condon leads the team with 8 rpg and 11.4 ppg.
They will face the winner of Mizzou and LSU/Miss State.
# 5 Alabama: The Crimson Tide (24-7) have been good at basketball for the last few years. That’s because of head coach Nate Oats, who was hired in 2019.
They made it to the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons. They went to the Final Four last year and the Sweet 16 twice.
Senior guard Mark Sears averages 19.2 ppg and 5 apg. Senior forward Grant Nelson averages 12.1 ppg and 7.9 rpg. Bama is the third seed so they will play the winner of Kentucky and Oklahoma/Georgia.
# 8 Tennessee: The Vols (25-6) are the fourth SEC team ranked in the top ten. They are a very good team but they are inconsistent. They have been swept by Kentucky and have lost to Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Florida beat them by 30 points in early January. They got revenge in February when they beat them by 20.
Head coach Rick Barnes has been in Knoxville since 2015. He’s led the Vols to the NCAA Tournament six times. They advanced the Elite Eight last season and they have been to the Sweet 16 twice.
Senior guard Chaz Lanier averages 17.9 ppg. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler is the second leading scorer with 13.1 ppg. Tennessee is the fourth seed and they will face Texas A&M or Texas/Vanderbilt.
# 15 Texas A&M: The Aggies (22-9) had a four-game losing streak before winning the final two games of the season. One of those wins was against Auburn. They are the fifth seed and will play the winner of Vandy/Texas.
Southern Needs
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 NFL Draft starts April 24, 2025. I looked at the AFC South and examined the potential first round picks. Now let’s take a look at the NFC South.
Carolina (5-12): The Panthers hold the 8th pick in the draft. They drafted quarterback Bryce Young with the top pick in the 2023 draft.
They had the ninth overall pick but they traded D.J. Moore and several other draft picks to Chicago to move up. One of the picks they traded was the 2024 first round pick, which turned out to be the first pick overall.
C.J. Stroud was drafted second in that draft and he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in 2023.
Thus far Young has looked like a bust. He played poorly and got benched last season. He got back in the starting lineup Week 8 and he played much better. The biggest team needs are edge, defensive tackle, wide receiver and center.
I can see the Panthers drafting WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) or edge James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee). I think the biggest focus should be on defense but they have a chance to add a weapon to help Young.
McMillan had 84 receptions, 1,319 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. He was a Consensus All-American and First-team All-Big 12.
Pearce had 23 solo tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in 2024. He’s a two-time First-team All-SEC selection (2023, 2024).
New Orleans (5-12): The Saints hold the 9th pick. They recently hired Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as head coach. They started the season with two wins before going on a seven-game losing streak.
The biggest needs are edge, WR, TE, CB and DT. They also need to strengthen the offensive line.
If Carolina does not draft James Pearce Jr. the Saints will. If he is not available I can see them drafting OT Armand Membou (Mizzou). He’s had 30 starts in three seasons and played in 36 games total. He was Second-team All-SEC in 2024.
Atlanta (8-9): The Falcons have the 15th pick. The team hired head coach Raheem Morris and signed QB Kirk Cousins. They expected to be a playoff team in 2024 and that did not happen.
Cousins was benched toward the end of the season for rookie Michael Penix.
The positions of need are edge, S, CB, C and WR. It seems like every year we talk about the Falcons not being able to rush the passer.
I think they will take edge Mike Green (Marshall) or edge/LB Jalon Walker (Georgia). Green had 38 solo tackles, 23 TFL, 17 sacks, 3 FF and 1 FR last year.
Tampa Bay (10-7): The Buccaneers have the 19 pick. They had a pretty good season, losing to Washington 23-20 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The biggest needs are WR, OG, LB, CB and OT. Receiver Chris Godwin suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October and he might depart in free agency. 2025 is the final year of Mike Evans’ contract.
I think they will draft CB Jahdae Barron (Texas). He won the Jim Thorpe Award (2024), Consensus All-American (2024) and First-team All-SEC (2024). Last season he had 46 solo tackles, 5 interceptions, 11 passes defended, 3 TFL and 1 sack.
Southern Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 NFL Draft starts April 24, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. We are going to take a look around the AFC South and see what position each team should address in the first round.
Tennessee (3-14): The Titans are tied with Cleveland and the New York Giants for the worst record in the NFL. That earned them the first pick in the 2025 draft.
Quarterback Will Levis was drafted in the 2nd round, No. 33 by the team in 2023. He started the season opener and for a total of twelve games.
He passed for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and he completed 63% of his passes. He showed that he takes risks and throws bad interceptions. I think Tennessee has to look at their QB of the future.
The most likely candidate to pick is Cam Ward (Miami). This year’s quarterback class is considered weak but Ward is the best in this class.
He transferred from Washington State and played great at Miami. He threw for 4,313 yards, 39 TD’s, 7 interceptions and completed 67% of his passes.
He also rushed for 204 yards and 4 scores. Ward won the Davey O’Brien Award (2024), Manning Award (2024), ACC Player of the Year (2024) and Consensus All-American (2024).
Jacksonville (4-13): The Jags need help on the defensive line or in the secondary. They have the fifth pick so I think they will draft a pass rusher.
The best pick is Abdul Carter (Penn State). He was an off-ball linebacker his first two years before he was moved to edge rusher for the 2024 season.
In 2024 he had 43 solo tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Carter was a Unanimous All-American (2024), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2024) and two-time first-team All-Big Ten (2023, 2024).
He’s 6’3 and 259 pounds so he has great size and speed. He’s a great athlete that could have an immediate impact like another Penn State pass rusher has recently, Micah Parsons.
Indianapolis (8-9): The Colts were only one game under .500 so they are close to becoming a playoff team. They have the No. 14 pick.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson was drafted 4th in the 2023 draft. In his two seasons he has only played in 15 games. They are really hoping he can stay healthy and make a drastic leap going into his third season.
Indy can go in a couple of different directions with this pick. They could select an offensive lineman or defensive back.
If they pick a lineman it could be inside offensive lineman Armand Membou (Mizzou). He was a tackle at Missouri but he’s 6’3 and 332 pounds so he’s not the ideal size for an NFL tackle. He will probably be moved inside to guard.
If they pick a DB safety Malaki Starks (Georgia) might be the pick. He’s very smart and athletic so he would be a great fit.
Houston (10-7): The Texans were very inconsistent but they still won the division and a playoff game. Second year QB CJ Stroud regressed and the offensive line did a bad job protecting him. They can address the offensive line, defensive line or add a weapon on offense. They are picking No. 25.
I think they might draft guard Grey Zabel (North Dakota State). He’s listed as 6’6, 305 lbs. and he’s a two-time FCS national champion. He was also named first-team FCS All-American (2024).
New Homes
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college football season recently ended. This was the first season with a 12-team playoff. I want to take a look at some of the top transfer portal recruiting classes around the Southeast.
LSU: The Tigers have the top portal class in the nation with 16 commits. Eight of them are 4-star players and seven are 3-star players.
This class is highlighted by edge rusher Patrick Payton (Florida State), CB Tamarcus Cooley (NC State), TE Donovan Green (Texas A&M), CB Mansoor Delane (Va Tech), IOL Braelin Moore (Va Tech), WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), WR Barion Brown (Kentucky), TE Bauer Sharp (Oklahoma) and CB Ja’Keem Jackson (Florida).
Ole Miss: The Rebels are the second ranked portal class with 22 commits. They have eight 4-star recruits and fourteen 3-star recruits.
Some of the big names are WR Harrison Wallace III (Penn State), RB Jordon Simmons (Akron), S Kapena Gushiken (Washington State), OT Percy Lewis (Auburn), WR Traylon Ray (West Virginia), QB Pierce Clarkson (Louisville), WR Caleb Odom (Alabama), RB Kewan Lacy (Mizzou) and TE Luke Hasz (Arkansas).
Auburn: The Tigers have the fourth ranked class that consists of 16 commits. Six of them are 4-star players and eight are 3-star players.
This class has S Taye Seymore (Georgia Tech), OT Mason Murphy (USC), OT Xavier Chaplin (Va Tech), CB Raion Strader (Miami OH), WR Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech), LB Xavier Atkins (LSU), QB Ashton Daniels (Stanford), DL Dallas Walker IV (Western Kentucky) and QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma).
Miami: The Hurricanes are the fifth rated class with 11 commits. It includes seven 4-star recruits and four 3-star recruits.
They have QB Carson Beck (Georgia), TE Alex Bauman (Tulane), IOL James Brockermeyer (TCU), CB Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin), CB Charles Brantley (Michigan State), S Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State), WR CJ Daniels (LSU), CB Emmanuel Karnley (Arizona) and DL David Blay (La Tech).
Kentucky: The Wildcats have the sixth rated portal class that has 19 commits. They have six 4-star players and thirteen 3-star players.
Some of the standouts are Edge Mi’Quise Grace (South Dakota), WR Kendrick Law (Alabama), Edge Sam Greene (USC), IOL Joshua Braun (Arkansas), WR Troy Stellato (Clemson), DL David Gusta (Washington State), RB Dante Dowdell (Nebraska), WR Tru Edwards (La Tech) and TE Henry Boyer (Illinois).
Florida State: The Seminoles have the seventh ranked class. Last season was a disaster that showed what can go wrong by building a roster with transfer players.
They are hoping for better results in 2025. They have 16 commits, consisting of five 4-star recruits and eleven 3-star recruits. Some of those players are LB Caleb LaVallee (North Carolina), WR Squirrel White (Tennessee), Edge Jayson Jenkins (Tennessee), IOL Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest), OT Micah Pettus (Ole Miss), WR Duce Robinson (USC), LB Elijah Herring (Memphis), TE Randy Pittman Jr. (UCF) and Edge James Williams (Nebraska).
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have the twelfth ranked class with 24 commits. They have two 4-star players and twenty-two 3-star players.
The big names are RB Fluff Bothwell (South Alabama), QB Luke Kromenhoek (Florida State), WR Brenen Thompson (Oklahoma), DL Darron Reed Jr. (Auburn), WR Anthony Evans III (Georgia), WR Ayden Williams (Ole Miss), IOL Koby Keenum (Kentucky), LB Jalen Smith (Tennessee) and Edge Malick Sylla (Texas A&M).
Beck’s Big Move
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Carson Beck shocked the college football world by transferring from Georgia to Miami.
Georgia is an elite program and they won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. Stetson Bennett was the quarterback of those teams but Beck took over as the starter in 2023.
Beck led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record. The only loss was in the SEC Championship game to #8 Alabama, 27-24. I think they would have won the national championship if they were in the four team College Football Playoff.
In 2023 Beck passed for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and he completed 72.4% of his passes. In 2024 he threw for 3,485 yards, 28 TD’s, 12 interceptions and his completion rate was 64.7%.
He did get hurt on the last play of the first half in the SEC Championship game against Texas. He injured his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He had surgery on it in December and he is expected to make a full recovery.
I can’t put all of the blame for Beck’s regression in 2024 on him. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo took over for Todd Monken in 2023 after he left to coach the Baltimore Ravens. Bobo played quarterback at UGA and he was a college teammate of Kirby Smart. He has struggled this season with play calling though.
The 2023 team had two skill players that were drafted early in 2024; tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The 2024 team did not do a good job of replacing the talent they lost.
UGA’s receivers led all Power 4 programs with 31 drops. They also had injuries on their offensive line, allowing 1.79 sacks per game (58th among FBS programs).
Cam Ward transferred to Miami from Washington State last season and he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He passed for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and completed 67.2% of his passes. Watching Ward have that success probably played a role in the decision to transfer to the Hurricanes.
Beck is also reportedly going to make $4 million from Miami’s NIL collective. It is believed the number is closer to a little over $3 million.
Ward earned $1.6 million through Miami’s collective, which is not including additional deals with Bose, Adidas and others.
I’m sure the main reason for the transfer is his girlfriend, Hanna Cavinder, who plays basketball at Miami with her twin sister, Haley.
“Nice to finally meet you in person,” Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson told the 6-4, 220-pound gunslinger.
“So, when are you going to start throwing?”
Like Ward, Beck is motivated to increase his draft stock in his final season.
“Watching his success and what he was able to do and the position he’s in now (with the NFL Draft) made (Miami) very attractive to me,” Beck said Saturday when he emerged from Miami’s football offices about five hours after arriving on campus.
This move should also get more talented receivers to transfer to the U. They have already added LSU transfer CJ Daniels, who started 30 games in his career.
Initially I was shocked when I heard Beck was transferring from Georgia. There are only 3 or 4 other programs on par with the Bulldogs. I do think this move makes sense for him to showcase his talent and improve his draft stock.
This reminds me of Kyle McCord when he transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse last season. I thought he was crazy for leaving the Buckeyes but he played better at Syracuse. This could be a similar situation.
The Fall Guy
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL regular season is over and coaches are starting to get fired as a result. Let’s talk about the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville fired head coach Doug Pederson after going 4-13. They have lost 18 of their past 23 games. He did go 9-8 in his first two seasons before the bottom fell out in 2024. His record in Jacksonville is 22-29.
“I had the difficult task this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to hire a new head coach to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars,” owner Shad Khan said in a statement.
“Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and I will be rooting for Doug and his wife Jeannie when that occasion arrives. As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation first and foremost to serve the best interests of our team and especially our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded. In that spirit, the time to summon new leadership is now.”
The Jags have retained General Manager Trent Baalke who is entering the final year of his contract. I do raise an eyebrow when only the head coach is fired from a losing team but the GM keeps his job. I view them as a package deal because the GM assembled the subpar roster that could not win games.
Khan will be looking for his sixth head coach since he purchased the team in November 2011 and assumed control in 2012.
Currently the other teams searching for a new head coach are the New York Jets, Chicago, New England and New Orleans. Out of these openings I think Jacksonville is the fourth best job with New Orleans being last.
This next year will be very important because we may finally have to look at quarterback Trevor Lawrence to see if he is a franchise QB. He was considered a generational talent when he was drafted #1 in the 2021 draft.
The Jags were 1-15 the previous year and they hired Urban Meyer for his first NFL head coaching position. They were 2-11 under Meyer before he was fired December 16, 2021. We don’t hold Lawrence’s rookie season against him.
His best season was his second year when he passed for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension, including $142 million guaranteed on June 14, 2024. That tied Joe Burrow as the highest paid player in NFL history at the time of the signing.
Lawrence has dealt with injuries this season, which include a significant AC joint sprain and a concussion so he only played in ten games. With that being said, he did not perform like Burrow in the games he did play.
Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was great. He had 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 TD’s.
The defense is ranked 31st in yards allowed per game (389.9) and last in passing yards allowed per game (257.4). On offense they were 25th in yards per game (305.8).
The top coaching candidate is Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator. They just secured the top seed in the NFC so they might make a deep playoff run.
Todd Monken, the Ravens offensive coordinator is also someone to look at.
Detroit’s defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady are two more names to consider.
It will be interesting to see who the Jags hire and if they can quickly make them a contender.
Growing Wings
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are still early in the NBA season but I want to take a look at my hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
I’m normally critical of this franchise because they are never championship contenders.
Atlanta desperately needs to pair All-Star point guard Trae Young with another star player. Young has been with the franchise since he was drafted in 2018 and the Hawks still have not figured out how to do that.
They drafted Michigan shooting guard Kobe Bufkin with the 15th pick in the 2023 draft. He played poorly and was assigned to the G League to play for the College Park Skyhawks. He also dealt with injuries so he has not been able to make a contribution to the team.
Last season they were 36-46 and did not make the playoffs. The Hawks did get the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and they selected small forward Zaccharie Risacher (France).
So far he averages 10.9 points per game and 23.7 minutes per game. I understand he’s a rookie but more is expected from a No. 1 pick.
He’s shooting 27% from three, which is one of the reasons he does not play major minutes. He did score 33 points against the Knicks in early November so he has shown flashes of his talent.
De’Andre Hunter is in his sixth year and he comes off the bench for Risacher. He’s actually the better player because he averages 19.3 ppg and makes 45% of his threes.
He’s led the team in scoring in six games. I know the organization wants to show their top pick they have confidence in him but he should be coming off the bench.
Jalen Johnson is also listed as a small forward and he’s having a breakout season. He was picked in the first round of the 2021 draft from Duke.
Johnson is averaging 19.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 5.5 apg. He has led the team in scoring in eight games so far with 29 as the season high twice.
Shooting guard Dyson Daniel (Australia) was picked 8th in the 2022 draft by Charlotte. He was traded to the Hawks in July for Dejounte Murray. Daniels is averaging 13.4 ppg but he has led the team in scoring twice.
The team is currently 14-13. They have young talent and it shows because they are very inconsistent.
They started the season with two wins then they lost their next four. They lost three in a row in late November, then won six in a row.
The NBA has the pointless in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup. The Hawks beat the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals, 108-100. They lost to Milwaukee in the semifinals, 110-102 over the weekend.
“Just as a team, we got a lot of room to grow,” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson said. “I’m proud of everybody. We defeated a lot of odds, coming in and making it all the way to Vegas. So, there’s nothing to hang our heads about. We just gotta keep moving in the right direction.”
“Our growth is not going to be just linear,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “We’re going to have those moments, and every time we have, like tonight, you know, what can we take from it? And I think that’s really true for Zacch and Dyson and JJ. These moments, because they’re getting an opportunity at a young age to be in them there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Atlanta has potential to be a good team and I think they can make the playoffs as a fifth or sixth seed.
Birmingham Bowl
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 college football regular season is over.
Now we move to bowl season.
Georgia Tech (7-5) will play Vanderbilt (6-6) in the Birmingham Bowl on December 27th.
Tech head coach Brent Key is from Birmingham and played high school football 20 minutes from Protective Stadium, the site of the bowl game.
“Birmingham’s had a bowl game for as long as I can remember. Probably one of the first football games I ever went to was, ironically enough, the 1985 All-American Bowl (a 17-14 Tech win over Michigan State),” Key said. “Goodness gracious, never would have thought full circle coming back.”
“Birmingham’s a city of grit and toughness. There’s a lot of things about the city of Birmingham that are right in the same parallels as our football team. I know family will be excited; friends will be excited. It’s pretty neat.”
Key went to Tech in 1996 to play football for the Yellow Jackets. He took over the program four games into the 2022 campaign and was named the full-time coach of the Jackets in November of that year.
He’s gone 14-11 in his first two full seasons and he received a five-year contract extension and a raise recently.
“It’s exciting. I think it just shows the leadership here,” Key said of his new deal. “It shows from (Tech) president (Angel) Cabrera to (athletic director) J Batt and then to the coaches, the alignment that takes place here. It also shows the commitment to the future of Georgia Tech athletics. Couldn’t be more excited. Doesn’t change anything about our day-to-day, but very, very appreciative of those people.”
Georgia Tech beat #10 Florida State and #4 Miami this season. They lost to #6 Georgia 44-42 in an eight-overtime thriller. The Jackets lead 27-13 with 3:39 left in the game before UGA came back and tied the game.
Tech’s top receiver Eric Singleton Jr. entered the transfer portal the first day it opened, December 9th.
The sophomore receiver had 56 receptions for 754 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s also a member of the Tech track and field team and he’s the fastest player on the football team.
Tech has had three receivers enter the portal in Singleton, Christian Leary and Leo Blackburn, from Westlake High.
Defensive lineman Horace Lockett (also a former Westlake High standout), quarterback Zach Pyron, running back Evan Dickens and offensive linemen Corey Robinson (from Roswell High) and Jordan Brown previously announced their intentions to leave Tech.
The Commodores beat #1 Alabama earlier this season. This is their first bowl game since 2018.
Vandy is led by their transfer QB Diego Pavia. He has 2,133 passing yards, 17 TD’s and 4 interceptions. He is the team’s leading rusher with 716 yards and 4 scores. He only completes 59.2% of his passes.
Yellow Jacket senior quarterback Haynes King played in 10 games this season. He threw for 1,910 yards, 11 scores, 1 pick and completed 72.5% of his passes. He also rushed for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns.
I think Vanderbilt will win this game. Georgia Tech is the better team but I think they lost too many talented players to the transfer portal before the bowl game.
Final Four
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The state semifinals for Georgia high school football is this weekend. Let’s take a look at the 6A matchups.
The top four teams in the preseason have made it; #1 Buford, #2 Carrolton, #3 Grayson and #4 Douglas County. Those rankings changed during the season, with Buford (12-1) trading spots with Carrolton (13-0) after they lost their season opener. Douglas County (11-2) is now #4 and Grayson (12-1) is #6.
Douglas County at Grayson
This game is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Grayson Community Stadium in Loganville. This is the first meeting between these teams.
Grayson’s only loss was the season opener to #5 Collins Hill. The Rams avenged that loss by beating them in the quarterfinals 38-14.
Douglas County’s two losses were to Buford and Carrolton. The Tigers beat West Forsyth 20-14 in the quarterfinals. In that game James Johnson (committed to USC) rushed for 100 yards and scored three touchdowns, one receiving.
Some other key Douglas County players are QB D.J. Bordeaux (2,645 yards passing), RB Zamarcus Lindley (1,183 yards rushing), WR Devin Carter (top-40 national junior prospect), WR Aaron Gregory (Texas A&M), LB Michael Hastie (Region 2 defensive player of the year committed to West Virginia) and DE/LB Jordan Carter (Texas A&M).
Grayson’s key players are QB Tyler Burgess (1,823 yards passing, 535 rushing), wide receiver Alexander-Sanchez (three-star prospect), LB Tyler Atkinson (five-star junior prospect, team’s leading tackler), LB Anthony Davis (four-star junior prospect) and DE Andre Fuller (Georgia Tech).
Grayson is in the semifinals for the 6th time in 10 seasons, the most in that time among any school in the highest class, and won state titles in 2020, 2016 and 2011.
Douglas County was in the semifinals last season in 6A but it was the second-highest classification at that time. This is their first time making it to the semifinals in the highest classification.
I believe Grayson will win this game.
Carrolton at Buford
The game is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tom Riden Stadium in Buford.
The last meeting between these teams was in 2021 in the 6A semifinals. The Wolves won 21-6.
Both of these teams have been dominant in the playoffs. This is the true state championship game because these are the two most talented teams in the state. They are both top 25 teams in national polls.
Both of these teams joined the highest classification in 2022. Buford is 34-4 in that time and the Trojans are 38-3.
They are still looking to win a title at the highest classification. Carrolton’s last state championship win was in 1998. They did play in the 7A state title game in 2022. Buford has won 13 state championships since 2000.
Buford has beaten seven top-10 teams during its 12-game winning streak. The Wolves key contributors are Dayton Raiola (1,717 yards passing), Justin Baker (889 yards rushing) and Jordan Allen (771 yards receiving). They have 10 seniors committed to major Division 1 schools. They also have 3 juniors who are top-300 national prospects.
The top offensive players for Carrolton are Julian Lewis (3,272 yards passing), Kimauri Farmer (1,142 yards rushing) and Peyton Zachary (821 yards receiving). Lewis was injured early the week before against Hillgrove in the quarterfinals and he did not return. We do not know his status going into this game. If he cannot play the Trojans don’t have a chance.
I think Buford wins this game and they will win the state championship the following week.
