Kenneth Harrison
College Football Progress Reports
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are only a few weeks into the college football season but we have learned about some of the prominent teams around the country.
It’s a little too early for report cards but we can make progress reports for some of the programs around the Southeast.
Georgia: The Dawgs are 3-0, which is good. They beat up on #14 Clemson 34-3 to start the season. The biggest take away from that game was the Tigers are not very good.
They followed that up by beating FCS Tennessee Tech 48-3. Last weekend they struggled at Kentucky and won 13-12. These are the same Wildcats that lost 31-6 to South Carolina the week before. I think UGA will be fine but the next test comes September 28 at Alabama.
Grade: A-
Alabama: Nick Saban is gone and Kalen DeBoer has stepped in. The Crimson Tide have beaten Western Kentucky, USF and Wisconsin. The South Florida game was close in the first half but they won 42-16.
These wins are not impressive but the schedule will get harder. We will learn a lot about this team when they play Georgia.
Grade: A
Tennessee: This has to be the most surprising team in my opinion. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava stepped in as the starter and he looks like a Heisman candidate.
The Vols started the season with FCS Chattanooga and won 69-3. They played #23 NC State in Charlotte and won 51-10. Last weekend they demolished Kent State 71-0.
Grade: A+
Miami: Are the Hurricanes back? We seem to ask this question every few years. They opened the season at Florida and won 41-17. They followed that up with blow out victories against FCS Florida A&M and Ball State.
QB Cam Ward transferred in from Washington State and he’s playing great. Their next game is at USF. You can’t say I have something against the state of Florida with this grade.
Grade: A
Florida State: The wheels have completely fallen off in Tallahassee. They started last season 13-0 but have not recovered since losing the Orange Bowl.
The Seminoles came into the season ranked #10 and lost to Georgia Tech in Ireland. Then they dropped home games against Boston College and Memphis to fall to 0-3.
Mike Norvell’s seat is burning up right now.
Grade: F-
Florida: Speaking of hot seats, Billy Napier’s is in flames. Unlike Norvell, he has not had double-digit wins in Gainesville.
He actually has not had more than 6 wins in a season. We talked about the embarrassing loss to Miami earlier. They did beat FCS Samford for their lone win this season.
The Gators lost to Texas A&M at home 33-20 over the weekend. The score makes this game seem closer than it was. They travel to Mississippi State for their next game.
Grade: F
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are 3-1, which is better than most people expected them to start the season.
The wins are against FSU, Georgia State and VMI, an FCS team. The loss was at Syracuse, 31-28. I thought that was a game they were going to win. They play at #19 Louisville this week.
Florida State Semi-Noles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 football season is underway and some teams have left us with more questions.
Florida State is one of those programs. I think we have to start with head coach Mike Norvell to see what the problem is with this program.
Norvell coached at Memphis from 2016-19 and his record was 38-15. He led the Tigers to a 12-1 record in his final season, which is why he was hired at FSU.
In his first two seasons, the Seminoles were 3-6 and 5-7. Things turned around in 2022 and they went 10-3. Last season they won their first thirteen games, which included the ACC Championship. They were snubbed from the College Football Playoff.
This is where problems with Florida State’s culture started to show. Over a dozen starters left the team after the ACC championship.
The #5 Seminoles playing the #6 Georgia Bulldogs sounded like a great Orange Bowl matchup on paper. UGA was also disappointed to not play in the CFP but their players chose to play in this bowl game.
We know what happened next, Georgia beat FSU 63-3.
“Well, the game mattered because we’re playing a game,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart, whose team set a couple of Orange Bowl records, including for point differential (60) and total yardage (673).
“As long as winning matters, we’re going to compete like hell at Georgia, it doesn’t matter what it is.”
That is an interesting statement by Smart; it seems like a jab at FSU because it is. Georgia has a winning culture so their players still played in the Orange Bowl, unlike Florida State.
Coming into the 2024 season the expectations were high at Florida State. They had the #4 transfer portal recruiting class in 2024. The class was headlined by former five-star QB DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei played at Clemson and Oregon State.
Last season at Oregon State, he passed for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and he completed 57% of his passes. He has not lived up to his recruiting ranking and he hoped to reach his potential in Tallahassee.
They had five players transfer in from Alabama: linebacker Shawn Murphy, running back Roydell Williams, corner Earl Little II, offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson and receiver Malik Benson.
The other notable transfers are edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia), wide receiver Jalen Brown (LSU), defensive lineman Sione Lolohea (Oregon State) and defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia).
As you know, FSU lost their first two games to Georgia Tech and Boston College.
Both of those teams were unranked. This is Norvell’s third 0-2 start in his five seasons at Florida State.
They are coming off a bye week and will play Memphis this week. The question we have to wonder is, will this team implode or will they drastically improve the rest of the season?
I don’t think it’s possible to get much better. This should be Norvell’s last season at FSU if they lose any more games.
Revised Reality
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A few weeks ago, I did a season preview for Georgia Tech. I said I expect them to lose the season opener against Florida State and struggle to win 6 games and become bowl eligible.
By now, you have to be aware of their upset win in Week 0, beating #10 FSU 24-21.
“It’s definitely a special moment, definitely want to enjoy this one tonight, but like the guys said, it means nothing if we can’t go out next week and handle business,” Tech running back Jamal Haynes said. “We gotta get back (Sunday) got to practice, clean up the details, clean up anything that we made mistakes on and get to work.”
Tech was more physical than the Seminoles. They had a physical run game, which accounted for 190 yards of the 336 yards of total offense. They scored on four of seven drives and were 5-of-9 passing on third downs.
They ranked 120th last season in total defense out of 130 FBS teams. They looked much better in that game and if they can sustain this, they can have a special season.
They have a new defensive coordinator this season, Tyler Santucci. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Duke last season. Before that he was the co-DC and LB coach at Texas A&M.
“We talk about putting the extra emphasis on response, how to respond to adversity,” linebacker Kyle Efford said. “We knew after that first drive we had to respond. We can respond negatively or positively. We got on the sidelines and was talking about it, ‘Hey we gotta step up. It’s gonna be on us.’ It was really just that response.”
This win has led to a recruiting win. Two days after the game, four-star defensive lineman Christian Garrett committed to Georgia Tech. The 6’4, 280-pound senior at Prince Avenue Christian was previously committed to Georgia since June and then he backed off that pledge earlier this month.
He is a top 20 defensive lineman in the nation. Garrett had offers from programs like Tech, UGA, Clemson, Florida, Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
This is a bit different from when Paul Johnson was the head coach. The players he recruited would have offers from teams like Austin Peay and Gardner-Webb.
I have reexamined their schedule and I think they can get off to a fast start. The next game is home against Georgia State. That should be a blowout win.
The next five games are at Syracuse, VMI, at Louisville, Duke and at North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets should be favored in all of those games. I believe they have a real shot to start the season 7-0. The schedule will get drastically tougher after that.
They will face off against #7 Notre Dame October 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Initially, I did not think Tech had a chance in this game but I think they have a chance to win.
Establishing the run game and playing physical gives them a puncher’s chance in every game.
The final games are at Virginia Tech, #19 Miami, #22 NC State and at #1 UGA. My new assessment of GT is they can win nine games as a best-case scenario. Realistically, I think they go 8-4 and that is a very good season.
Break Outs
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are less than one week away from start of the 2024 college football season. Let’s take a look at some of the preseason All-American players that are expected to have breakout seasons.
QB Carson Beck, Georgia: He’s the quarterback on the #1 team in the country. Last season was his first as the starter and he made it look easy. He led the SEC and ranked third nationally in passing with 3,941 yards. Star tight end Brock Bowers is in the NFL but UGA still has playmakers on the roster. He completed 72.4% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: He was a true sophomore in 2023 and he finished fifth nationally in rushing with 1,504 yards. He led all FBS players in yards after contact with 1,072 yards. He scored 16 TD’s (15 rushing & 1 receiving) and he averaged 5.9 yards per carry with 254 attempts.
OT Will Campbell, LSU: The 6’6, 323 lb. junior might be the first lineman drafted in the 2025 draft. He was First-Team All-SEC and SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2023. He’s started 26 straight games and he’s a great pass protector. He didn’t give up a sack last season in 491 pass attempts.
OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia: Not to be confused with original gangster, Ratledge is a right guard. The senior is 6’6, 310 lbs. and one of the leaders on the offensive line. He was named Second Team AP All-American in 2023. He is on the preseason Outland Trophy watch list and the Lombardi Award watch list.
C Parker Brailsford, Alabama: Head coach Kalen DeBoer is now the head ball coach in Tuscaloosa. He got his center to transfer with him. Brailsford was a Freshman All-American last season with the Huskies. He started 13 games at center and 2 at right guard. He was also All-Pac-12 Second Team. He had an 80.7 run-blocking grade that ranked second among Power Five centers.
OG Tyler Booker, Alabama: He was First-Team All-SEC last season as a true sophomore. He only missed the USF game last season with back spasms. Booker had 41 knockdown blocks in 2023, which led the team with an average of 3.4 per game. He’s 6’5, 325 lbs. and he’s good at pass and run blocking. The Crimson Tide should excel at running between the tackles.
DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee: He is one of the best pass rushers in the country. He tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks last year and fifth nationally with 38 pressures. He also had 14.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. He’s 6’5, 243 lbs. so he looks like the prototypical defensive end. He could be the first defensive player drafted in 2025.
DT Deone Walker, Kentucky: He was Third Team All-American and First Team All-SEC in 2023. He led the Wildcats with 12.5 TFL and he had 7.5 sacks. Walker is 6’6, 348 lbs. so he eats up space in the middle of the defensive line.
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson: He’s a versatile player that has played several positions along the back seven. Carter has been described by his head coach Dabo Swinney as “one of the best pure football players I’ve had in 20 years”. He had 62 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
S Malaki Starks, Georgia: He was fourth on the team last year with 52 total tackles and he had 3 interceptions. He was a consensus All-American in 2023 and First-Team All-SEC.
New Look Panthers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia State University was founded in 1913 and it is one of University System of Georgia’s four research universities.
They started playing football in 2010. They have had some success but their overall record is 61-106 (.365). Surprisingly they have a winning bowl record at 4-2 (.667).
Head coach Shawn Elliott abruptly retired in February 2024. He coached the Panthers from 2017-2024. They started the 2023 season 6-1 and then they lost five straight games. They did win the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to finish 7-6.
GSU hired Dell McGee as their head coach in late February. The Georgia native was the running backs coach/run game coordinator at Georgia from 2016-23. He has 22 years of coaching experience, including the back-to-back national titles while he was at UGA.
“We are proud to announce Coach Dell McGee as our head football coach,” Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb said. “Coach McGee is an outstanding and authentic man with a strong passion for developing young men. His track record of competitive success at the high school and college levels makes me confident that he will lead our football program to its greatest achievements. We welcome Linda and Dell to Georgia State University!”
He is known as a good recruiter but he was hired too late in the recruiting cycle to make a difference for this season.
Roster turnover has become the norm in college football and it’s no different for Ga State. They have 48 new players this season between high school signees, transfers and walk-ons.
Quarterback Darren Grainger was the only three-year starter in GSU history. He graduated so now the Panthers have to find their new signal caller.
“That’s one of the toughest positions in football,” McGee said. “Just looking for how they respond, how they lead, who can throw, and minimize mistakes and play clean football every day.”
Redshirt freshman Braylen Ragland is the only QB that was on the roster last season. He was the No. 54 quarterback in the nation coming out of high school.
Redshirt senior Zach Gibson transferred from Georgia Tech and he’s the favorite to win the starting job. He’s from John’s Creek and played two seasons at Akron, passing for 2,471 yards and 15 touchdowns, before transferring to Tech.
In 2022 he played in six games and made three starts. One of those was an upset of No. 13 North Carolina. He did not see game action in 2023.
Former Coastal Carolina running back CJ Beasley might be the best transfer player. Last season he had just under 1,000 rushing yards.
They also return running back Freddie Brock, who got his first start in last year’s bowl game. He rushed for 276 yards on 24 carries.
The only returning All-Sun Belt player for the Panthers is corner back Gavin Pringle. He had four interceptions, including a pick-6 and four pass breakups last season.
They were the worst pass defense in the conference so the rest of the secondary has to step up.
I think Georgia State is going to have a rough season in 2024. They have a lot of new players, a new coach and a relatively tough schedule. I think they will win 4 to 5 games.
Here is their schedule:
8/31 @ Georgia Tech
9/7 vs Chattanooga
9/14 vs Vanderbilt
9/28 vs Georgia Southern
10/12 vs Old Dominion
10/17 @ Marshall
10/26 @ Appalachian State
11/1 @ UConn
11/9 @ James Madison
11/16 vs Arkansas State
11/23 @ Texas State
11/30 vs Coastal Carolina
Fixed Ramblin’ Wreck?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech’s season begins August 24th against #10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.
They come into this season with some expectations because they went 7-6 last year and 5 – 3 in the ACC. Tech beat UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, 30-17.
Brent Key is entering his second full season as head coach in Atlanta. They have less than 10 practices remaining until the season opener. They had a scrimmage to wrap up their second week of preseason camp.
Key pointed out how well wide receivers Christian Leary and Leo Blackburn, tight ends Brett Seither, Jackson Hawes and Luke Harpring and quarterbacks Haynes King and Zach Pyron played. Every Yellow Jacket was able to play in the scrimmage.
“Went into this talking, ‘This isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is game day. Prepare yourself going into it as if it’s game day.’ Then we’ll hit a hard reset (Sunday) and go back into camp preparation, building our football team mode,” Key said.
“I think now is the point in camp where the guys know what to do. It comes down to the details, the techniques, the alignments, getting into the proper stances and alignments before the snap, being able to play whether it was a huddle play or a tempo play or whatever it may be.”
The transfer portal is something that all programs have to deal with. They had 32 players enter the portal ahead of the 2024 season. They have also added some transfer talent.
Some of these new additions are tight end Josh Beetham (Michigan), safety Jayden Davis (Cincinnati), defensive lineman Thomas Gore (Miami), defensive end Romello Height (USC), cornerback Zachary Tobe (Illinois), linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Georgia), corner back Warren Burrell (Tennessee), defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase (Florida State) and defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg (Penn State).
The Yellow Jackets ranked 120th in total defense last season out of 130 FBS teams. They should be better since they have added more talent. It’s also very hard to get worse than that.
Quarterback Haynes King transferred in from Texas A&M. He passed for 2,842 yards, 27 touchdowns and he rushed for 737 yards and 10 TD’s. He did lead the ACC with interceptions so he will need to improve his decision making and cut down on his turnovers. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
Tech has a total of 17 starters returning, which is tied for 7th with Cal. They have eight on offense and seven on defense.
That includes most of their offensive line, leading rusher Jamal Haynes and top-two receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr.
Haynes rushed for 931 yards, 7 scores and averaged 6 yards per carry. He had 1,129 all-purpose yards. He should be one of the best backs in the nation this season.
I believe the Yellow Jackets are looking to win six games again to become bowl eligible. They have games against five teams that are ranked in the preseason top 25 Coaches Poll. They will need to win against at least one of those teams to make that happen.
Here is the rest of their schedule:
8/31 vs Georgia State
9/7 @ Syracuse
9/14 vs VMI
9/21 @ Louisville
10/5 vs Duke
10/12 @ North Carolina
10/19 vs #7 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
10/26 at Virginia Tech
11/9 vs #19 Miami
11/21 vs #22 NC State
11/29 at #1 Georgia
High School Football Factory
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Some of the most talented football players in the country come from Georgia.
Georgia has the fourth most players in the NFL with 150. Let’s take a look at some of the top recruits from the great state of Georgia that will be playing this Fall.
QB Julian Lewis, Carrolton: Lewis is the prodigy that appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year as a 15-year-old sophomore. He has reclassified to the class of 2025 so he is graduating a year early.
The five-star recruit is currently committed to USC. In his two seasons, he has a 25-3 record and he was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year in 2022 and MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year in 2023.
As a freshman, he led the Trojans to the 7A state championship game and an undefeated record before losing to Mill Creek. He set the state-finals record with 531 passing yards in that game.
Last season he threw for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and he completed 66.4% of his passes.
He was named to the Elite 11 finals roster, which is prestigious for the top quarterbacks in the nation. He is going to try to lead Carrolton to the 6A state championship this season but they do not have the same level of talent as teams like Buford or Milton.
DL Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian Prep: He’s the top player in the state for the class of 2025 and a five-star recruit. Griffin is 6’5 and 285 pounds so he’s a man amongst boys in the high school, especially at the 3A level. He has committed to Georgia.
Last season he was named Georgia Class AAA Defensive Lineman of the Year and MaxPreps Junior All-America selection. He helped lead the Raiders to the AAA state title game. In 2023, he had 97 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and an interception.
I expect him to have more huge numbers in 2024.
LB Zayden Walker, Schley County: Walker is the No. 2 player in the state, a five-star recruit and committed to UGA. The 6’1, 225 lb. linebacker also plays basketball and runs track.
Last season he had 77 carries, 518 yards, 13 TD’s and he averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He also caught 10 passes for 169 yards and 4 scores. He had 40 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 27 quarterback hits, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a pass breakup.
The Wildcats were 13-1 last season and I expect them to compete for the single A state championship this year. Walker might be able to lead them there.
DL Justus Terry, Manchester: He’s the third ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but he’s a five-star recruit and committed to Georgia.
In 2023, he was a MaxPreps Junior All-America second-team selection. He led the Blue Devils to an 11-3 record and their first state title game appearance in 26 years. They lost the single A division 2 state championship to Bowdon, 28-27.
Last season Terry had 78 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 13 sacks, 2 FF and 2 PBU.
There are many other great athletes around the state to watch this fall. If you have the chance, you should try to watch some of these future stars.
Soaring Eagles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last season Milton won the final 7A state championship.
They beat Walton 31-21 to capture their second state championship. They also won the state championship in 2018. It looks like Milton has become an elite program.
They have a lot of talented players that are looking to repeat as state champions in 2024.
Tight end Ethan Barbour is the 18th ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. The four-star tight end is 6’3, 235 pounds and he’s a great pass catching tight end. Last season he had 49 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s committed to UGA and he also plays basketball.
As good as Barbour is he’s the second target on this team. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley is the primary target. He’s 6’4, 195 lbs. and he has the great combination of size and speed. He also runs track and he ran 100 meters in 10.83 seconds. In 2023 he had 68 receptions, 1,473 yards, 14 TD’s and he averaged 21.7 yards per catch. He’s committed to Florida State.
Quarterback Luke Nickel is a three-star recruit. The 6’2, 205 pound signal caller made the Elite 11 finals roster in 2024. He was named MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team in 2023. Last season he passed for 3,914 yards, 39 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and he completed 66.1% of his passes. He also ran for 181 yards and 6 scores. He’s committed to Miami.
Three-star tight end Ryan Ghea should see his role expand this season. In 2023 he caught 32 passes for 273 yards (18.2 ypc) and 3 TD’s. He’s 6’5, 231 pounds and he also plays basketball and baseball. He’s committed to Auburn.
Corner back Tyler Redmond is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He’s 6’1 so he’s a big corner.
Defensive lineman Caleb Bell is also a three-star player. At 6’3, 270 pounds he’s one of the biggest guys on the field at the high school level. He’s committed to Arkansas.
They have another corner back that’s also committed to Tennessee, Dylan Lewis.
Safety Ma’khi Jones is a three-star player that’s committed to Duke.
This is their schedule:
August 16- Buford: This will be a tough game. The Wolves were 11-2 last year and one of the most talented teams in the state. I give Milton the slight edge since their at home.
August 23- American Heritage (Plantation, Fl): The Patriots were 10-2 last year and they are an elite program from Florida. I think American Heritage will win this game.
August 30- Alpharetta: The Raiders are solid but no match for Milton.
September 13- @Blessed Trinity: The Titans are pretty good but the Eagles will win.
September 20- Chattahoochee: The Cougars have been struggling recently so this is an easy win.
September 27- @Seckinger: Seckinger is the newest school in Gwinnett and they just started playing football in 2022. This is a blowout win.
October 4- @Lanier: The Longhorns are tough but give the W to Milton.
October 11- @Gainesville: The Red Elephants were 12-1 in 2023. This will be a close game but I give the edge to Milton.
October 25- Johns Creek: This is another blowout win.
November 11- Roswell: This might be for the region title. The Hornets were 11-2 last year. This is too close to call.
I believe the Eagles will finish the regular season with eight wins and repeat as state champions.
Wolf Pack
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 high school football season is kicking off next month. One of the new developments is that class 7A has been eradicated and 6A is now the highest classification.
We are going to look at the Buford Wolves and see how they will do this season.
Buford is always a state championship contender. They have 14 football state championships from single A up to 6A. They have one championship prior to the year 2000.
This year will be no different. They have a very talented roster so I expect them to have another great season.
Last season they were 11 – 2. Buford was 9 – 1 during the regular season with their only loss to Mill Creek, 31 – 24. They advanced to the third round of the playoffs and lost to Grayson, 19 – 14.
They have the No. 13 ranked recruit in the state, four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte. He’s 6’3, 210 pounds and he’s committed to Georgia.
Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is also a four-star recruit and the No. 16 player in Georgia. He’s 6’7 and 310 lbs. so he’s a behemoth, especially at the high school level. He’s committed to Clemson.
Four-star corner back Devin Williams is the 21st ranked player in Georgia and he’s an Auburn commit.
Three-star linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Colorado.
Running back Justin Baker is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He also runs track so he has good speed.
Wide receiver Jordan Allen is also a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Louisville.
Three-star linebacker AJ Holloway is committed to South Carolina.
Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright is a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player in the class of 2026 in Georgia.
Four-star corner back Nassir McCoy is also a junior.
Buford is in AAAAAA Region 8. Their non-region schedule to start the season is pretty tough.
The first game is August 16th on the road against the defending 7A champs, Milton. The Eagles are very talented so I think this game can go either way. It’s too tough to call but I will give the advantage to Milton.
Week 2 is the home opener against Benedectine (Savannah). The Cadets are in 4A but they are a very good program. They were 13 – 1 in 2023. The Wolves will win this game.
Buford travels to Roswell after a bye week. The Hornets were 11 – 2 last year and they also have a very good program. I think Buford will win a close game.
The final non-region game is at Douglas County. The Tigers were 13 – 1 last season and they expect to have similar results in 2024. The Wolves will win this game.
The region schedule begins September 20th at Discovery (Lawrenceville). The Titans are one of the newer schools in Gwinnett County and they have not had much success. They were 1 – 9 in 2023. This is a blowout win.
After another bye week they play Collins Hill at home. Collins Hill has produced some great players but they are inconsistent as a program. Last season they were 5 – 7. This is another W.
The last four games are against Dacula, Central Gwinnett, Mountain View (Lawrenceville) and Mill Creek (Hoschton). The only team that has a chance to beat Buford is Mill Creek. The Hawks won last year’s matchup and they were 12 – 1. I believe Buford will get their revenge this year.
I think Buford will win eight or nine regular season games. Their tough schedule should prepare them to make a deep playoff run.
The Frenchman
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to recap the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look around the Southeast and rate each team’s first round pick.
#1 Atlanta: 6’9 SF Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (France)
For the second year in a row, the top pick from the NBA was a French player. It’s interesting to see France now as a hotbed for basketball talent.
This draft was a bit different from because there was not a person that was a consensus number one pick.
Another Frenchman, Alex Sarr was selected No. 2 by Washington. He obviously was in play to be picked by Atlanta but he refused to workout with the team, which forced them to go in a different direction.
Risacher has potential, which will get the general manager fired if he does not live up to it. He’s a solid 3-and-D prototype player. You do wish you could say more about a top draft pick though. His stats are not impressive when you look at them.
He played pro basketball in France and he averaged 10.1 points per game and played 22 minutes per game. He was 18 last season playing against adults so take that into consideration.
“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said at the team’s introductory press conference. “I’m just realizing my dream, and I feel like I’ll just focus on the good stuff and on the right stuff.”
He wants to compete and contribute to winning in Atlanta.
“Just focusing on like the good stuff, like being a pro player, who is serious, who has his routine, who doesn’t pay attention to outside noise, who is always with his teammates, who feel like he’s a part of this family,” Risacher said. “And I think that those are important for, especially, first-round pick to have. Because there was a lot of expectations and a lot of noise around. So it’s important to focus on the good stuff, and I’m super glad to get into this great organization with those great people who want to develop me as a player, who want to win. So that’s amazing.”
Grade: B
# 6 Charlotte: 6’9 PF Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
He’s still 18 so we also cannot put a huge emphasis on his stats last season. He averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 22.7 mpg. He does have a high motor and the potential to improve his shot. He does fill a position of need for the Hornets but he was also picked based off his potential
Grade: B-
# 9 Memphis: 7’4 C Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is one of the most decorated college players ever. He led the Boilermakers to a national championship game appearance against UConn.
Even though his team lost, he scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. He was projected as a late first round pick because some people doubt his athleticism but I think this is a great pick.
Grade: B+
# 15 Miami: 7’0 C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware averaged 15.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg last season. He has all of the measurables but there are questions about his motor and physicality. He has also said that he’s not sure how much he loves basketball.
Grade: B-
# 18 Orlando: 6’8 Wing Tristan da Silva, Colorado
He’s a four-year starter so he has a lot of experience. He can step in and play right away. He averaged 16 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He will probably play small forward now unless he bulks up enough to be a small-ball power forward.
Grade: B
