Top High School Football Players in Georgia
Georgia’s Top High School Football Players
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia high school football season will start in August. We are going to take a look at some of the most talented recruits in the state. NIL has made a huge difference in recruiting because most of the elite players are not committed to Georgia.
Edge DJ Jacobs, Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, GA): Jacobs is listed at 6’5 and 235 pounds. He’s a five-star recruit and the top-rated player in the nation. He’s currently committed to Ohio State.
He finished last season with 102 tackles (24 TFL), 16 sacks and 2 FF in 11 games. Jacobs participated in both the Under Armour All-America Game (1 TFL) and the Polynesian Bowl (1 sack, 1 TFL) as an underclassman.
The Titans were 7-5 in 2025 and they lost in the second round of the AAAA playoffs. We will see if they can become state championship contenders this season.
Edge KJ Green, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA): Green is 6’4, 230 lbs. and a five-star recruit. He’s the second ranked player in Georgia and sixth nationally. He’s an LSU commit.
He had a monster junior year, with 129 tackles (40 TFL), 18 sacks, 4 FF and 1 FR. Also caught 1 pass for 10 yards and 1 TD on offense.
Green was the Region 5-AAA Defensive Player of the Year. Ha also participated in the Polynesian Bowl (1 tackle) as an underclassman.
The Jaguars were 11-2 in 2025 and only lost one regular season game by one point.
S Kamarui Dorsey, Hampton (Hampton, GA): Dorsey is committed to Texas A&M. The 6’3, 200 lbs. safety is a four-star recruit.
In 2025 he had 61 tackles, 2 TFL and 4 interceptions. As a sophomore in 2024 he had 58 tackles, 4 TFL and 3 interceptions.
He helped lead the Hornets to an 8-3 record last season.
WR Jaden Upshaw, Lee County (Leesburg, GA): We have our first offensive player on the list. Upshaw is the fourth ranked recruit in the state and a four-star player. He’s also committed to play for Texas A&M.
He finished his junior season with 47 catches for 902 yards (19.2 YPC) and 8 TD in 10 games after missing a few contests due to injury. Upshaw also played in the Navy All-American Bowl (3 catches for 19 yards on 5 targets) as an underclassman. He’s 6’1, 200 pounds so he has good size for a receiver.
The Trojans were 8-4 last year. In 2024 they made it to the AAAAA state championship game.
OT Kennedee Jackson, Lithonia: Jackson is the fifth ranked recruit in Georgia and he’s committed to UGA. He’s 6’6, 297 pounds so he has perfect size for an offensive tackle.
He also plays on the defensive line full-time and he plays basketball. He’s a very good athlete and he’s good when pulling and climbing.
The Bulldogs were 10-3 in 2025 and they got to the third-round of the AAAA playoffs.
ATH AJ Tillman Jr., Lithonia: He’s a four-star player like his teammate that we talked about previously. Tillman has committed to Louisville. He plays running back and defensive back. I believe he wants to play on offense at the next level.
As a junior, Tillman ran for 461 yards on 61 carries, averaging 7.6 yards a pop. He also managed to reach the end zone five times.
At DB, Tillman had 22 tackles, 6 passes defended, and a fumble recovery. He combined for over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 TD’s the last two seasons.
He has taken an official visit to Virginia Tech after committing to Louisville, so we will see if he changes his mind.
Cream Of The Crop
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia has always produced great football players and this year is no different. Let’s take a look at some of the top players in the class of 2026.
LB Xavier Griffin, Gainesville: He’s a five-star recruit and the top ranked player in the state. He’s 6’3, 200 pounds and he has committed to Alabama. He’s an outside linebacker with speed to rush the passer and he can also play the run.
Last season he played in 8 games and had 43 total tackles, 29 solo, 13 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. The Red Elephants were 7-4 in 2024 and they are looking to make a state title run in 5A this season.
CB Jorden Edmonds, Sprayberry (Marietta): Edmonds is the second ranked player in the state and a five-star player. He has also committed to the Crimson Tide. He’s 6’2, 175 so he’s a tall corner back.
In 2025 he had 35 catches, 670 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense he had 35 total tackles, 24 solo, 1 TFL and 3 pass deflections. The Yellow Jackets aren’t a traditional powerhouse but they were 11-2 last season. They should make a deep playoff run in 2025.
LB Tyler Atkinson, Grayson: Atkinson is a five-star recruit and a Georgia commit. He’s a 6’2, 210 lbs. tackling machine. He helped lead the Rams to a 14-1 record and 6A state championship last year.
In 2024 he had 166 total tackles, 77 solo, 32 TFL, 13 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
As you see, he was all over the field. I’m not sure how he can top that as a senior but he will try his best to lead Grayson to repeat as state champs.
Edge Tristian Givens, Carver (Columbus): Givens is a five-star player and he’s committed to Texas A&M.
He’s 6’4, 215 lbs. and he wreaks havoc in the backfield. Last season he had 29 TFL and 12 sacks. He helped lead the Tigers to the AA state championship in 2024.
He also plays basketball and his team reached the AA Final Four. He averaged 8.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg.
DL Bryce Perry-Wright, Buford: We have another five-star player and Texas A&M commit. As a junior he had 57 total tackles, 30 solo, 13 TFL and 9 sacks. Perry-Wright is 6’2, 250 pounds and he can play defensive tackle or defensive end.
The Wolves are always state title contenders so I expect them to compete for the 6A championship in 2025. Last year they finished 12-2.
S Jordan Smith, Houston County: Smith is a four-star recruit and he’s committed to UGA.
Last season he had 85 total tackles, 69 solo, 3 TFL, 2 interceptions, 7 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. He’s 6’2, 185 lbs. and he’s a hard hitter.
The Bears were 8-5 in 2024 and they are looking to make a deep playoff run in 5A.
Edge Jordan Carter, Douglas County: Carter is committed to Texas A&M. The Aggies are raiding some talent out of Georgia.
He’s 6’4, 235 pounds so he has the prototypical size for a defensive end. As a junior he had 62 total tackles, 35 solo, 17 TFL and 13 sacks.
The Tigers were 11-3 last season and came within one game of reaching the state championship. They lost to Grayson 35-28 in 6A the state semifinal.
Carter has another four-star teammate, WR Aaron Gregory that is also committed to A&M.
