Kenneth Harrison
Bowers-less Bulldogs
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s not often that the best offensive player on a college football team is the tight end.
The last time we saw that was in 2020 when Kyle Pitts was at Florida.
That is also the case for the Georgia Bulldogs. Junior tight end Brock Bowers is a two-time All-American and he’s a projected top five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bowers suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first half against Vanderbilt.
After being helped off the field and attended to in the medical tent on Georgia’s sideline, Bowers was escorted out of the stadium and taken for a magnetic resonance imaging, MRI exam. The Bulldogs knew what they were dealing with before their plane left Nashville.
He will have surgery on his ankle and that raises several questions. Will he return this season or is his college career over?
Bowers could choose to come back for a College Football Playoff run for the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs. Due to his on-field success and numerous Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities over the last two seasons, he is represented by a considerable management team. Along with Bowers and his parents, that group ultimately will decide whether he will continue his collegiate career.
The tight-rope surgery to repair a high-ankle sprain requires on average a recovery time of four to six weeks. Starting right tackle Amarius Mims underwent the same surgery on Sept. 18 and has yet to return.
Freshman tight end Lawson Luckie also had this procedure in mid-August and recently returned to the field.
Bowers has been the centerpiece of Georgia’s offense this season. He leads the team with 41 catches for 567 yards and has 4 touchdowns. He had more than 100 receiving yards in each of the past three games.
“Next man up,” quarterback Carson Beck said after the game. “That’s what we’re all about here at Georgia.”
With Bowers sidelined, Georgia will turn to sophomore Oscar Delp, freshmen Pearce Spurlin III and Luckie.
“I was proud of them,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “… Those guys practice every day. They take all of the same reps. I thought our guys did a great job.”
As it stands, Bowers would finish his Georgia career fifth in receiving with 2,395 yards, sixth in receptions with 160 and second in touchdown catches with 24. He would leave unchallenged as the greatest tight end ever to play for the Bulldogs.
It’s never a good time to have a star player injured but UGA is getting to the toughest part of their schedule.
That starts with playing rival Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 28. Then the Bulldogs play home games against No. 20 Mizzou on Nov. 4 and No. 13 Ole Miss the next week before going to No. 17 Tennessee on Nov. 18.
Georgia is clearly not as good as they have been over the last couple of years, so they might struggle without Bowers. The SEC is not as strong as it has been in previous years so that will help. We will see what playmakers step up in his absence.
In Need Of Highlights
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s October now so the NBA season will begin later this month.
There are typically about four teams that have legitimate chances to compete for a championship. Atlanta is normally not one of those teams.
Let’s take a look at the Hawks and what we should expect for the 2023-24 season.
Star point guard Trae Young is entering his sixth season in the league. He’s a two time NBA All-Star (2020, 2022) and he averaged 26.2 points per game and 10.2 assists per game last season.
The biggest struggle the franchise is having is adding another great player to the roster.
Atlanta is typically decent enough so they do not get a high draft pick. They consistently pick in the middle of the first round so they add role players. Also, they are not a free agent destination and I am surprised by that.
A couple of decades ago the franchise also had this problem with Dominique Wilkins. Hopefully history does not repeat itself and they don’t waste a star players prime years.
Last year they finished the season 41 – 41 and beat the Miami Heat in the Play-In tournament. Then they lost to the Boston Celtics (2 – 4) in the first round of the playoffs.
Head coach Nate McMillan was fired in February and he spent three seasons with the team. Quin Snyder was hired as the head coach a few days later.
The Hawks drafted guard Kobe Bufkin (Michigan) with the 15th pick in the draft. The sophomore earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors. He’s a 6’5 left hander and hopefully he can become a solid scoring option.
In the second round they drafted 6’6 guard/forward Seth Lundy (Penn State). He’s a four year starter and as a senior he averaged 14.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg.
They also brought in two veterans in guards Patty Mills and Wesley Matthews. They will both contribute to leading the team and sharing their knowledge with the younger players.
The team emphasized how important it is to establish good habits.
“It’s about a day in day process about creating good and sustainable habits so that when you do reach those goals, you can continue to surpass them, because you’re leaning on the process of your work, rather than just ‘we’re doing anything we can to just achieve this specific goal,’” general manager Landry Fields said. “So that sort of paradigm of that mindset is really what we’re hopping on right now.”
Spacing the floor is also crucial to their success this season.
“I mentioned spacing a lot last year and spacing allows you to move the ball, it allows you to attack and even though you think it’s subtle, if you’re spaced properly sometimes that can be as simple as like you’re not in someone’s way when they get to go lay the ball in,” Snyder said. “So again, you’re doing something for someone else.”
Another goal entering the season is establishing an unselfish mindset.
“This season is about hard work,” Snyder said. “I would like for that to be characteristic of our system, us being a selfless team is huge and you can point to that in so many different areas, whether it’s taking the charge, making the extra pass, running back on defense, celebrating your teammates successes, all those different things.”
The season will begin at Charlotte on October 25 and is followed with a home game against the Knicks two days later.
I think they will finish the season slightly above .500 with an early playoff exit.
Just Pretending?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We have only played a few games in the 2023 college football season but I’m still left with questions.
Who are the real national title contenders? Let’s take a look at the top four teams and see what’s going on.
#1 Georgia: The Bulldogs have won two consecutive national championships and were undefeated last season. They have been ranked as the top team this year despite losing several key players from those teams.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett graduated and he’s on the LA Rams roster. The players drafted in the first round were defensive tackle Jalen Carter, tackle Broderick Jones and linebacker Nolan Smith.
Junior Carson Beck is the new QB this season and we have not learned much from the first three games. They opened SEC play against South Carolina at home. They went into halftime trailing the Gamecocks 14-3. The ‘other USC’ lost their season opener to North Carolina so they are not an elite team.
The Bulldogs shut them out in the second half and won, 24-14. The next game is against UAB so that will be an easy win. I want to see how they play against better competition but they do not play a ranked opponent until October 28, which is No. 25 Florida.
#2 Michigan: The Wolverines had an undefeated regular season in 2022 and went to the College Football Playoff. Michigan has played East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green so these are basically glorified preseason games.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the returning starter so they do have continuity at the most important position on the field. The next games are against bad teams, Rutgers and Nebraska. They don’t face a ranked team until No. 7 Penn State on November 11.
#3 Texas: The Longhorns made a big jump in the polls after they beat No. 3 Alabama 34-24 on the road.
Now we should put an asterisk next to this because it does not hold the same weight as it would have over the last decade. The Crimson Tide are struggling at quarterback and Jalen Milroe was benched after that game. Alabama struggled at USF, so I think the quality of this win will be diminished as the season progresses.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers cut the mullet in the offseason and put himself in the Heisman Trophy race after the Bama game.
Texas responded by sleepwalking the first three quarters at home against Wyoming. They started the fourth quarter tied at 10. They ended up winning 31-10.
They only have one more ranked team on the remaining schedule and that’s No. 16 Oklahoma. I think they might be the hardest team to evaluate because the Big 12 has expanded and they don’t have many good teams to play.
#4 Florida State: Going into last week I thought this was the best team in the nation. They started the season with a blowout win over No. 5 LSU, 45-24. The Tigers have played well after that so it’s a good win.
Senior quarterback Jordan Travis is a returning starter and he might be a first-round pick in the 2024 draft. He’s thrown 8 touchdowns with only 1 interception, so he takes care of the football.
The Seminoles struggled and barely beat Boston College, 31-29. The next opponent is Clemson but they have lost seven straight meetings.
FSU does have three more ranked opponents on their schedule; No. 18 Duke, No. 20 Miami and No. 25 Florida.
I’m looking forward to November so we can truly see who the real contenders are.
NFC South Week 1 Recap
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL season kicked off yesterday. I’m going to take a look around the NFC South and see what we can take away from these performances.
Atlanta- 24 Carolina- 10: As a Falcons fan I’ve always been grateful to the Panthers. No matter how bad the Falcons are you can always count on one win against the guys from Charlotte.
I expected it to be a rough day for Bryce Young since he’s a rookie quarterback on a bad team making his debut. The first pick in the draft went 20-38 passing for 146 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. I expect him to get better as the season goes on.
I was curious how the Falcons backfield would look since they drafted Bijan Robinson with the 8th pick in the 2023 draft. Tyler Allgeier rushed for over one thousand yards last season as a rookie. Allgeier rushed for 75 yards and two TD’s on 15 carries. Robinson had 10 carries for 56 yards and 6 receptions for 27 yards and a score.
“This was a super-fun first game for me,” Robinson said. “I just can’t wait to showcase what we’ve got going down the line.”
Desmond Ridder is not the franchise quarterback of the future. He was efficient passing the ball, completing 15 of 18 attempts. He only passed for 115 yards though. He does not throw the ball downfield so playmakers like Kyle Pitts or Drake London can excel. London had zero catches and only 1 target. Pitts caught 2 passes for 44 yards.
Tampa Bay- 20 Minnesota-17: This game surprised me and left me thinking the Buccaneers have a chance to win the division. It’s way too early to make that prediction but they were the most impressive NFC South team yesterday.
Tom Brady retired for good, allegedly, and they replaced him with Baker Mayfield. The former number one pick is a journeyman who is on his last opportunity to be a starter in the NFL. He passed for 174 yards and 2 TD’s. Those aren’t impressive numbers but it is a big deal that he did not throw a pick. Mike Evans caught 6 passes for 66 yards and a score.
“It just comes with playing quarterback for a long time,” said Mayfield, who hopped from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams to before landing with the Bucs. “The most important play is the next one.”
The Vikings won the NFC North last season and made the playoffs so this is a good win. Kirk Cousins passed for 344 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also lost 2 fumbles so the defense did a good job causing turnovers.
New Orleans- 16 Tennessee- 15: Derek Carr made his debut with the Saints and he did a decent job. He threw for 305 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. He was sacked four times so he took a beating.
“I’m glad we won. That’s all I wanted to do,” said Carr. “That was one of the more physical games I’ve played in my 10 years. … We showed that we could win the ultimate physical type of game.”
Star running back Alvin Kamara is suspended the first three games of the season. Jamaal Williams had 18 carries for 45 yards, which is a paltry 2.5 yards per carry.
Second year receiver Chris Olave led the team with 8 catches and 112 yards.
New Orleans was the favorite to win the division before the season started. I think the Bucs will challenge them.
Kick It Off
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Week 1 of the college football season kicks off this week.
Let’s take a look at some of the teams from the South.
Florida at 14 Utah: This was a very close game last year that Florida won at home, 29-26. Now the Gators travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utes on Thursday.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson left for the NFL draft and was picked fourth overall. Fifth-year redshirt junior and Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz has been named the starter.
Florida coach Billy Napier is entering his second season but he’s already on the hot seat. Utah is the better team and I expect them to beat the Gators by double digits.
Virginia vs 12 Tennessee: This game is in Nashville at Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans. It’s considered a neutral site game but the Vols will have most of the crowd cheering for them.
QB Hendon Hooker played great last season before suffering a season ending injury. He’s now in the NFL and his former backup, Joe Milton is the starter.
Milton is 6’5, 236 pounds with a very strong arm. He was named the MVP of the 2022 Orange Bowl against Clemson.
The Cavaliers were 3-7 in 2022, which was head coach Tony Elliott’s first season. Tennessee should easily win this game.
Georgia Tech vs Louisville: This is the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night. Both teams have new head coaches this season. Jeff Brohm was hired to coach the Cardinals in December. He was previously the head coach at Purdue and his record is 36-34.
Brent Key was the interim coach for the Yellow Jackets last season and went 4-4 to become the head coach. I think this will be a close game but I give the edge to Louisville.
21 North Carolina vs South Carolina: The battle of the Carolinas is a neutral site game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The Gamecocks have Spencer Rattler in his second season as the QB there. Coming out of high school he was the MVP of the Elite 11.
He was also featured on the show QB1: Beyond the Lights. His career initially looked promising at Oklahoma before things fell apart. Let’s see if he can finally put everything together this season and be an elite quarterback.
Drake Maye is the signal caller for the Tar Heels and he’s projected to be the second quarterback picked in the 2024 draft. Last season he passed for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
I think this game will be decided in the trenches so I give South Carolina the advantage.
5 LSU vs 8 Florida State: This game is at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The Seminoles won this game last season 24-23.
The defense is led by defensive end Jared Verse. He transferred from FCS Albany and in his first season at FSU he had 17 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.
Redshirt senior QB Jordan Travis had a good 2022 season and he’s expected to take the next step this season.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels transferred in from Arizona State last season. He was pretty good and led the Tigers to an upset win over Alabama.
I think this will be a close game but I’m picking FSU.
NFC South Rookie Of The Year?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 NFL season will start in a few weeks. Let’s take a look around the NFC South and see what rookies in the division will have the biggest impact.
Bryce Young, Carolina: Young was the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft so we have to start with him. He had a lot of success at Alabama. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, won the SEC Championship and led the Crimson Tide to the National Championship game.
His biggest question at the next level is his size. He’s only 5’10, 205 pounds. He has a slight build so we do not know if he can take the punishment from being hit by pro defenders.
He is the projected starter Week 1 and we keep hearing positive things from his teammates.
The Panthers played the Giants in their second preseason game last week. Young finished 3-of-6 for 35 yards on two series at MetLife Stadium, making him 7-of-12 for 56 yards in two preseason games.
“I thought Bryce looked sharp,” coach Frank Reich said. “Put together a nice drive. Would have liked to have finished if off [with a touchdown]. Obviously, unhappy with the number of penalties we had.
“But I thought Bryce looked sharp. I think he wanted to throw the ball more, but I thought he looked sharp.”
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta: The Falcons picked Robinson with the No. 8 pick in the draft, which raised some eyebrows.
Rookie Tyler Allgier rushed for 1,035 yards, 3 touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He only started seven games so he did well in a limited role, so it did not look like the Falcons needed another running back.
They also still have Cordarrele Patterson and they are listed as the top two backs on the depth chart.
The value of running backs has gone down since most offenses showcase the passing game.
Robinson was the top rated back and he had a great career at Texas. He won the Doak Walker Award last year and he was a unanimous All-American. He rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 TD’s. Running backs can make an immediate impact so he is expected to produce like Saquon Barkley did as a rookie in 2018. Barkley had 2,028 all-purpose yards and 15 scores.
Bryan Bresee, New Orleans: Bresee was selected 29th in the draft.
He was considered as the top recruit coming out of high school but he did not live up to that at Clemson. He is 6’5, 305 pounds, so he has prototypical size for a defensive tackle.
He is a very good athlete with excellent strength so he should help the Saints interior line. In the second preseason game against the Chargers he recovered a fumble.
Calijah Kancey, Tampa Bay: Kancey was the 19th player selected and he draws comparisons to another Pitt defensive tackle, Aaron Donald.
He was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2022 he started 11 games and missed two games with an injury. He had 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Kancey has great speed and he should routinely make plays in the opposing team’s backfield.
I’m looking forward to see how these rookies perform in 2023.
Panthers On The Prowl
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia State football program started in 2010. Head coach Shawn Elliott is entering his seventh season as the head coach in Atlanta. Elliott has led the Panthers to four bowl games and an overall record of 34 – 38.
He had his most wins in a season in 2021, finishing 8 – 5 and winning the Camellia Bowl.
They were not able to carry that momentum into 2022, going 4 – 8. That snapped a streak of three consecutive winning seasons.
Last season did start with South Carolina and North Carolina. Georgia State was tied with the Tar Heels in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get that one extra push in the 35-28 loss.
The pass defense didn’t show up in an inexcusable home loss to Charlotte, and overall the team was 0-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less.
The offense should be good. They are led by senior quarterback Darren Grainger. He passed for 2,443 yards, 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 734 yards and 6 scores.
Star receiver Jamari Thrash transferred to Louisville, but the next six top receivers are back. They also added junior Jacari Carter, who transferred from Merrimack. He’s a speedster and he will add more options to the passing game.
Senior running back Marcus Carroll rushed for 622 yards, 7 TD’s and averaged 5 yards per carry in 2022. The offense should increase his workload this season. Senior Freddie Brock transferred from Maine and he adds depth and speed.
The offensive line struggled with pass protection last year. Travis Glover is a 6-6, 323-pound tackle who can work either side, transfers Colin Henrich (South Carolina) and Tyden Ferris (Central Michigan) are good interior presences. The rest of the line is young.
The defense struggled last season. Chad Staggs from Coastal Carolina has been hired as the new defensive coordinator. He will have to figure out how to fix the secondary because they were the weak link.
Top defensive tackle Thomas Gore is a Miami Hurricane now, but hybrid outside linebacker Shamar McCollum and Clemson transfer Kevin Swint have the upside to add plenty of plays in the backfield.
They’ll have to shine with Jamil Muhammad gone to USC, but overall the linebackers should be a strength with the combination of Jordan Veneziale and Jontrey Hunter sure to combine for over 150 tackles again.
The big question is can the Panthers avoid giving away close games? The Sun Belt conference is tough so each week will be challenging.
They will need to get off to a strong start. The season begins with Rhode Island, UConn and at Charlotte. They should be able to win all of these games. They lost to Charlotte last year, 42 – 41 so I expect them to avenge that.
Week 4 is September 23, at Coastal Carolina. This is a pivotal game and the conference opener. The Panthers are 3-3 against the Chanticleers, handing them one of their two losses in 2021 only to get mauled 41-24 at home last year. One interesting fact is the road team has won all six times in the series.
The next games are Troy, Marshall, at Louisiana, at Georgia Southern, James Madison, and Appalachian State. I’m not sure if they will be favored in any of those.
GSU travels to Death Valley to face LSU, November 18. I think we know the outcome of this game.
The season finale is at Old Dominion. I believe Georgia State will have five wins going into that game. Let’s see if they can get back to a bowl game in 2023.
Who? KSU!
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s hard to believe Kennesaw State started playing football in 2015.
During that time, they have made four playoff appearances. The Owls have a record of 68 – 24 (.739).
KSU won the Big South Conference and went 11 – 2 in 2021. They were ranked No. 8 in the 2022 preseason poll. The season did not go as planned and they were 5 – 6, which was their first losing season in program history.
Kennesaw State is making the transition from FCS to FBS. This is the final season in FCS before they join Conference USA in 2024.
“This is a great day for all of Owl Nation as our ascent into Conference USA will help the Owls soar to new landmarks. I am most excited for our student-athletes, coaches, and staffs that have worked so hard to represent KSU. Our student-athletes will have an opportunity to showcase their talent on a larger stage. President Schwaig’s leadership played a pivotal role in this opportunity, and I am grateful for her and all those that made this possible. I look forward to new opportunities and achievements for KSU within a conference that has a history of growing the brands of its members,” KSU Director of Athletics Milton Overton said.
FBS-transitioning Kennesaw State’s 2023 schedule features five FCS opponents, three non-D1 teams, and one FBS opponent at Sam Houston.
The leading returning rusher is graduate student quarterback Jonathan Murphy. He rushed for 468 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. He became the seventh player in KSU history to surpass 1,000 career rushing yards.
Wide receiver Isaac Foster is also a returning starter and grad student. In 2022 he rushed for 450 yards and 4 scores. He was also the leading receiver with 27 catches, 314 yards and 2 TD’s.
Junior running back Preston Daniels rushed for 423 yards, 4 touchdowns and he averaged 5 yards per carry.
Grad student defensive back Markeith Montgomery led the team in solo tackles last season. In 2022 he had 37 tackles, 5 interceptions, 7 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles. He is a leader on defense and he should have another great season in 2023.
The season kicks off on Thursday, August 31 against Tusculum. The Pioneers are a Division II team so this will be an easy win.
Week 2 is at Tennessee-Chattanooga. The Mocs were 7 – 4 last season so they are a good team. I think UTC will win this game.
The next game is home against Furman. The Paladins were 10 – 3 last year. Furman should win this game.
Week 4 is at Tennessee Tech. KSU is a better team than the Golden Eagles.
The second consecutive road game is at Charleston Southern. They played last season and Kennesaw State won, 30 – 20. I expect a similar result this year.
Week 6 they return home to face Tennessee State. The Tigers are coached by former Tennessee Titan great, Eddie George. This will be an easy win for the Owls.
Surprisingly, KSU has a two-week layoff before the play Division II Lincoln. This is another W.
KSU travels to Sam Houston State next and this is a loss.
The season finale is home against Division II Virginia-Lynchburg. Pencil this in as a victory.
Kennesaw State should win six of their nine games this season.
Old Familiar Sting?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech has a great athletic tradition. When I was growing up they were one of the few programs where the football team went to bowl games and the men’s basketball team made the NCAA tournament consistently.
From 1997 to 2014 there was just one losing season, and even then it was because the 2010 team lost the Independence Bowl. Over the last few years that has completely changed.
The last winning season for the Yellow Jackets was in 2018. That was also Paul Johnson’s final season in Atlanta.
The Geoff Collins era began after that. Collins was flashy and seemed to be more concerned with establishing a social media presence than focusing on coaching. He was fired after the team started the 2022 season 1 – 3. His overall record at Tech was 10 – 28.
Assistant head coach/offensive line coach Brent Key was named the interim head coach. He led them to a 4 – 4 record and the interim tag was taken off on November 29 as Key was named Georgia Tech’s 21st head football coach.
This seems like a perfect fit to lead the program in the right direction. Key played guard at Tech from 1997 – 2000, starting all four years. The team showed significant improvement when he took over and they hope that momentum will carry over into the 2023 season.
Quarterback Jeff Simms transferred to Nebraska. He was the starter for the last three seasons. Haynes King has transferred in from Texas A&M and he is battling Zach Pyron for the starting job. King has a 3 – 4 record as a starter for the Aggies.
Wide receiver Dominick Blaylok has also transferred in from UGA. He’s a former four-star recruit that has battled injuries. He tore his ACL as a freshman in 2019 and later re-injured it in 2020. Last season he caught 15 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown.
This season the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions have been eliminated. With the two-division setup gone, the top two teams will now play for the ACC Championship.
The offense should be better this season. In 2022, the Yellow Jackets had the worst passing offense in the ACC, were dead last in third down conversions, downfield passing, and tackles for loss allowed. The team scored more than 16 points just five times – those were the five wins, by the way.
The offensive line has to step up. They have four starters returning so that experience should help.
Transfer linebackers Braelen Oliver (Minnesota) and Andre White, Jr. (Texas A&M) are hard hitters that played roles for their former teams. They have a chance to be stars this season. Defensive lineman Etinosa Reuben transferred from Clemson and he will bring a physical presence to the D line.
Junior LaMiles Brooks is one of the best safeties in the ACC. Last season he had 52 tackles, three interceptions and he earned third-team all-ACC recognition in his first season as a starter.
Let’s take a look at the schedule and see how this season should play out.
Wins: SC State, Bowling Green, Boston College, at Virginia
Losses: Louisville, at Ole Miss, at Wake Forest, at Miami, North Carolina, at Clemson, Syracuse, Georgia
I picked the games that should be wins for the Yellow Jackets. I think they have a chance against Louisville, Wake Forest and North Carolina. If they can win two of those games they will play in a bowl game.
Ramming Through
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Grayson Rams have been an elite program for over a decade now.
They won state championships in 2011, 2016 and 2020. They will be legitimate contenders to win this season.
In 2022 they were 10 – 3, so they have a solid team. On paper they have one of the most talented teams in Georgia.
Four-star senior tight end Kylan Fox is the No. 19 recruit in the state for the class of 2024. He’s 6’4 and 208 pounds so he’s a man amongst boys at the high school level. He is currently committed to UCF.
Inside offensive lineman Waltclaire Flynn Jr. is also a four-star recruit and UCF commit. He’s a mountain of a man, standing 6’2 and weighing 305 pounds.
Defensive lineman Nasir Smith is a three-star recruit. He has offers from Georgia, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Michigan, and Florida. He’s 6’4 and 290 lbs. so he will be hard to block for most teams.
Senior wide receiver John Cineas is another three-star player. He also has great size, he’s 6’2 and 195 pounds. He has offers from Georgia State, Auburn, Georgia Southern, Louisville and Cincinnati.
Myles Woods is listed as an athlete. He plays running back and wide receiver. The 5’8, 153 lbs. Woods is committed to Coastal Carolina.
Junior cornerback Jaylen Bell is one of the best players in the class of 2025. He’s currently committed to LSU.
The Rams are in region 4 AAAAAAA. It’s a pretty tough region that features another team that will be ranked in the top 5.
They kick the season off August 19th against Walton at Mercedes Benz Stadium. This is part of the Corky Kell Classic. The Raiders were 10 – 3 last season and they upset undefeated, No. 1 Buford in the Playoffs. Walton is normally ranked in the top 10 in Georgia and that will also be the case in 2023.
Week two is a home game against Eagle’s Landing. The Eagles are a 5A team so Grayson has an advantage over them.
September begins with another home game against Fort Dorchester (Charleston, SC). The teams played last year and Grayson won, 28 – 0. The Patriots were 11 – 4 in 2022 so they are a good team.
The first road game of the season is Week four, at Spartanburg (South Carolina). The teams played in 2022 and Grayson won, 51 – 24.
After a bye week the Rams play Lowndes at home. The Vikings won the 2022 matchup, 24 – 14. Grayson will look to avenge that loss.
Region play begins at home against Newton. The other Rams were 6 – 5 last season but they are no match for Grayson.
After another bye week, the Rams play South Gwinnett. The Comets might be the worst team in the region so this will be an easy win.
Grayson makes the short road trip to Snellville on October 20th to play Brookwood. The Broncos are normally a playoff caliber team so this could be a tough game.
The season finale is at Parkview. I expect these teams to compete for the No. 2 ranking in 7A, behind Buford.
I think the worst-case scenario for Grayson is eight regular season wins. I think they will probably win nine games and make a deep playoff run.
