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Recruiting Roundup: Grayson at Newton
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Are you ready for some football? Monday Night Football! That’s right, GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia is moving to Monday night. At least for this week. Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, the game between the seventh-ranked Grayson Rams (4-1) at Newton Rams (2-3) has been moved to Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The game will not be aired on GPB-TV but will be streamed and carried across many different GPB platforms. We’ll lay those out for you at the end of the blog.
The winner of this game will emerge as possibly the favorite to win Region 4-6A. Both won their region openers last week in convincing fashion with Grayson posting a 63-0 home win over Grovetown and Newton going on the road to rout Archer 50-25.
This will be the ninth all-time meeting with the two teams having played each other every season since 2016. Newton beat Grayson for the first time last season 31-27 in Gwinnett County. While both coaches naturally downplayed the significance of last year’s upset I’m sure it will be fresh on the minds of both teams when they line up at Homer Sharp Stadium in Covington.
The Teams
Grayson is one of the most talent-rich programs in the country with 36 players currently with college scholarship offers. It’s been that way for over a decade now going back to the days of Coach Mickey Conn (now on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson) and former overall No. 1 prospect in the country Robert Nkemdiche.
That pair helped lead Grayson to the first of their three state championships in 2011 followed by another in 2016 (Coach Jeff Herron) and the most recent in 2020 (Coach Adam Carter). As you can see all three were won with different head coaches and 30-year-old current Head Coach Santavious Bryant appears to have the program stocked for another.
After an 11-3 first season and state semifinal finish, Bryant’s 2024 Rams are 4-1 overall. All but one of their games has been against a Top 10 opponent and the Rams are 3-1 in those games. The season started with a 20-19 loss vs No. 6 Collins Hill when the Rams let a 19-3 fourth quarter lead get away.
Grayson then went on the road and beat Alabama 7A No. 4 Thompson 16-15 in OT. The Rams also beat South Carolina 5A No. 10 Dorman 53-0 and North Carolina 4A No. 2 Mallard Creek 28-14.
Newton is in its 76th year of football but doesn’t have the history that Grayson does although that program is just in its 25th season. Newton has won only two region titles ever with the most recent coming in 2015. This is not to say that the blue-clad Rams are not a good program. In fact they are a program on the rise under second-year Head Coach Josh Skelton.
Last year’s win at Grayson is testament to that fact as Newton started the 2023 season 7-0, the best start in program history. The Rams would finish 8-3 in Skelton’s first season as head coach but 12th overall in the program.
This year’s team is off to a 2-3 start playing a tougher schedule with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams, county rival 4A No. 7 Eastside, 6A No. 3 Douglas County and Illinois No. 1 East St. Louis on the road.
Coach Skelton says it was the first time a lot of his players and coaches had flown on an airplane. That team bonding experience and tough non-region schedule has Skelton believing his team is battle-tested and has taken the next step with the emphasis on finishing strong this season.
The Match-Up
Grayson Offense – Led by 6-6, 202 pound Junior QB Travis Burgess who has five offers including FAU, Kent State and Arizona State. He is rated as high as a Rivals 3-Star and No. 15 dual-threat QB although the Rams have not used him very much yet in their running game. Burgess has completed 56% of his passes for 177 YPG with 8 TD and just 1 INT. The running game centers around 5-9, 204, Senior Elijah Miller and 5-11, 183, Sophomore Joel Bradford, who has 10 offers including Auburn, Georgia State and Georgia, and is 50-222 yards rushing and 3 TD. Miller has been offered by Millsaps and Suwanee and is 42-215 yards rushing with 4 TD. Aidan Taylor, Alex Sanchez, and Johnathan Stafford lead the WR corps. The 5-10, 163, Senior Taylor has been offered by UAB and Eastern Kentucky and is 22-335 yards receiving with 6 TD. The 6-3, 201, Senior Sanchez is an ESPN 3-Star committed to Western Kentucky with 14-248 yards receiving and 3 TD. The 5-11, 175, Junior Stafford has 10-plus offers including Georgia State, Vanderbilt and Florida Atlantic and who is 14-175 yards receiving and 1 TD. The Rams offensive line is led by massive 6-8, 356 pound, Senior LT Nick Brooks. He is committed to Texas and rated as high as a 247 Sports 4-Star and No. 14 OT in the country in 2025.
Grayson Defense – Led by one of the top players in the entire country, 6-3, 219, Junior Tyler Atkinson. He has 51 offers including Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama. He is rated the No. 1 or No. 2 LB in the country for 2026 by every major recruiting service and rated as high as a Rivals 5-Star, No. 1 LB, No. 1 prospect in Georgia and No. 9 overall prospect in the nation for 2026. We saw him last year on GPB as a sophomore and I joked this week with Coach Bryant that Tyler reminds me of the character Charles Jefferson, played by the great Forest Whitaker in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” In the memorable scene where he thought the opposing school had trashed his car, Jefferson single-handedly beat the other team by tackling all the players at the same time. Good Stuff! Tyler also has a $201K NIL evaluation per On3 Sports with sponsorship deals from Adidas and Xenith. Atkinson has 51 TT, 9 TFL, 5 QB Sacks and 27 QBH. 6-3, 237, Senior DE Andre Fuller who is a four-year starter, leads the defensive line. He is committed to Georgia Tech and Coach Bryant feels the Yellow Jackets are getting a steal. Fuller is rated as high as a Rivals 4-Star and No. 17 Edge in the country in 2025. He has 29 TT, 12 TFL, 6 QB Sacks, 17 QBH. Another four-year starter Jaylen Bell leads the Grayson secondary. Transitioning from CB to safety this season, the 6-0, 172, Senior is a consensus 3-Star CB who is committed to Indiana after originally committing to LSU. Bell has 2 INT, 3 TFL and 16 TT.
Newton Offense – Led by two-year starter, 6-1, 185, Junior QB Deron Benson. He has offers from Miami of Ohio and Morehouse. Benson has completed 57% of his passes for 140 YPG with 9 TD and 2 INT. But the Rams offense revolves around one of the best RB in the state, 5-10, 185, Senior Zion Johnson. Committed to Cincinnati, Johnson is a consensus 3-Star rated as high as ESPN No. 31 RB in the country in 2025. He has rushed for 803 yards in 5 games, running for more than 100 yards in each of those first 5 games with 5 TD. Johnson has 3,855 career yards rushing in 34 GP with 33 TD. His understudy is 6-0, 190, Freshman Kevin “Tooty” Hartsfield who already has four offers including Auburn, Pitt, and Georgia State with 303 rushing yards on just 13 carries and 2 TD in his first three varsity games. Newton’s top two pass-catching targets are 5-10, 175, Senior Malik Brightwell and Cedar Grove transfer 6-1, 190, Senior Andrew Leslie who is a consensus 3-Star committed to Memphis. Leslie has 19-278 yards receiving with 4 TD while Brightwell, who’s been offered by Jacksonville State, has 22-380 yards receiving and 3 TD. The Newton offensive line is led by 6-1, 270, Senior Censere Wright who’s been offered by Fort Valley State and Point University.
Newton Defense – The strength of the Rams defensive is along the line of scrimmage led by DT Ryshawn Perry and DE Wayne Patterson. The 6-3, 260, Senior Perry is committed to UCF and is a consensus 3-Star, rated as high as Rivals No. 32 DL in the country in 2025. Perry has 24 TT, 13 TFL and 8 QB Sacks. The 6-2, 270, Senior Patterson is committed to Jackson State and has 27 TT, 13 TFL, 7 QB Sacks and 1 INT. Zack Harden anchors the Rams secondary from his Nickelback position and already has a phenomenal 4 pick-sixes this season. The 6-2, 185, Senior Harden is a consensus 3-Star CB committed to Minnesota. He also has 34 TT, 4 TFL and 1 QB Sack. 6-0, 180, Junior Rover George Bell is Newton’s leading tackler with 39 stops, 4 TFL and 2 QB sacks.
Grayson Prospects
Seniors
#73 Nick Brooks – 6-8, 356, Senior – Committed to Texas August 23rd over 32 other offers including Iowa and Georgia – 247 Sports 4-Star and No. 14 OT in the country 2025.
#97 Joseph Mbatchou – 6-6, 296, Senior – Committed to Florida July 31st over 17 other offers including Georgia, Georgia State and Georgia Southern – ESPN 4-Star and No. 25 DL (Plays NG for Rams) in the country 2025
#9 Andre Fuller – 6-3, 237, Senior – Committed to Georgia Tech March 30th over 20 other offers including Georgia State and South Carolina – Rivals 4-Star and No. 17 Edge (Plays DE for Rams) in the country 2025
#4 Jaylen Bell – 6-0, 172, Senior – Committed to Indiana June 1st over 28 other offers including Miami, South Carolina, and Georgia - Consensus 3-Star CB (Plays SS for Rams)
#55 Josiah Victor – 6-3, 308, Senior – Committed to Boston College July 4th over 17 other offers including Liberty and Georgia – Consensus 3-Star DL (Plays NG for Rams)
#15 Chandler Covington – 6-4, 217, Senior – Committed to Georgia State July 4th over 4 other offers including Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State – ESPN 3-Star Edge (Plays DE for Rams)
#1 Alexander Sanchez – 6-3, 201, Senior – Committed to Western Kentucky July 4th over 12 other offers including Liberty and Memphis – ESPN 3-Star WR
#12 Uriah Points – 5-11, 173, Senior – Committed to Liberty June 15th over 12 other offers including Marshall and Auburn – ESPN 3-Star Athlete (Plays CB for Rams)
#2 Jaylon Williams – 6-0, 178, Senior DB/ATH (Plays Safety for Rams) – 11 Offers including Boston College, Marshall, and Coastal Carolina
#13 Amari Alston – 5-8, 207, Senior RB – Offered by Boston College, Western Kentucky, and Central Michigan. Currently sidelined by injury.
#13 Aiden Taylor – 5-10, 163, Senior ATH (Plays WR for Rams) – Offered by UAB and Eastern Kentucky
#68 Josh Threat – 6-2, 316, Senior OL (Plays Center for Rams) – Offered by Samford and Reinhardt
#74 Don Egbe – 6-2, 281, Senior OL (Plays LG for Rams) – Offered by Dartmouth and Davidson
#3 Elijah Miller – 5-9, 204, Senior RB – Offered by Suwanee and Millsaps
#18 Trey Watkins – 6-2, 197, Senior WR – Offered by Suwanee
#8 Vaughn Mitchom – 5-9, 162, Senior CB – Offered by Morehouse
#6 Eathen Cantres – 6-2, 193, Senior WR – Offered by Tuskegee
Juniors
#16 Tyler Atkinson – 6-3, 219, Junior – Rivals 5-Star and No. 1 LB in the country 2026 – No. 1 Prospect in Georgia 2026 and overall No.9 prospect in the country regardless of position – Every recruiting service has Atkinson ranked as either No. 1 or No. 2 junior LB in the country – 51 offers including Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama
#7 Ant Davis – 6-2, 197, Junior – Rivals 4-Star and No. 7 LB in the country 2026 – 34 offers including Auburn, Tennessee, and Oregon
#17 Travis Burgess – 6-6, 202, Junior – Rivals 3-Star and No. 14 Dual-Threat QB in the country 2026 – Five offers including Kent State, FAU, and Arizona State
#19 Ty’Jae Clark – 6-0, 165, Junior – On3 Recruiting 3-Star WR – Offered by South Carolina
#17 Makhi Brazier – 6-2, 207, Junior LB – 10+ Offers including UCF, Indiana, and Kansas
#5 Jonathan Stafford – 5-11, 175, Junior WR – 10+ Offers including Georgia State, Vanderbilt and Florida Atlantic
#27 Lawrence Brown – 6-4, 202, Junior DL (Plays DE for Rams) – Five offers including USF, UCF, and Arkansas State
#95 Cam McGee – 6-3, 341, Junior DL – Four offers including Georgia Southern, Georgia State and USF
#22 R.J. Issac – 6-0, 174, Junior DB (Plays FS for Rams) – Offered by UConn
#14 Eric Johnson – 6-1, 178, Junior DB (Plays SS for Rams) – Offered by Eastern Kentucky
Sophomores
#41 T.K. Cunningham – 6-6, 217, Sophomore DL (Plays DE for Rams) – 26 offers including Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Colorado
#23 Joel Bradford – 5-11, 183, Sophomore RB – 10 offers including Auburn, Georgia State and Georgia
#99 Waylon Wooten – 6-2, 308, Sophomore DL (Plays DE for Rams) – Five offers including Auburn, UAB and Wake Forest
#21 Rilee Drew – 5-11, 152, Sophomore CB – Five offers including Kansas State, Auburn, and Penn State
#24 London Goggans – 6-2, 182, Sophomore ATH (Plays Safety for Rams) – Offered by Auburn, UConn, and Arkansas State
#57 K.D. Jones – 6-4, 268, Sophomore Interior OL (Plays LG for Rams) – Offered by Pitt, Georga State and Florida Atlantic
#26 Eli Harris – 6-1, 202, Sophomore LB – Offered by Auburn
#33 Jett Watson – 6-0. 143. Sophomore WR/DB – Offered by Indiana
Freshmen
#76 Ismael Schiefer – 6-4, 228, Freshman DL – Offered by Tennessee, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Newton Prospects
Seniors
#6 Zion Johnson – 5-10, 185, Senior – Committed to Cincinnati February 8th over 11 other offers including Kentucky and Tennessee – Consensus 3-Star and ranked as high as ESPN No. 31 RB in the country 2025
#99 Ryshawn Perry – 6-3, 260, Senior – Committed to UCF April 7th over 13 other offers including Auburn and Georgia Southern – Consensus 3-Star and ranked as high as Rivals No. 32 DL in the country 2025
#1 Zack Harden – 6-2, 185, Senior – Committed to Minnesota March 23rd over 18 other offers including Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt – Consensus 3-Star CB
#4 Andrew Leslie – 6-1, 190, Senior – Committed to Memphis June 13th over 3 other offers including Georgia State and App State – Consensus 3-Star WR
#10 Bernard Lackey – 6-2, 185, Senior – Committed to East Carolina June 22nd over 8 other offers including Georgia State and Tennessee – Consensus 3-Star CB
#90 Christian Ingram – 6-6, 280, Senior – Rivals 4-Star DL - Seven offers including Georgia State, Georgia, and Alabama
#88 Myles Dixon – 6-3, 291, Senior DL – 20 offers including West Virginia, Miami (OH) and Western Kentucky
#13 Reshod Curtis – 6-0, 185, Senior ATH (Plays SS for Rams) – Offered by Georgia State and UAB
#95 Wayne Patterson – 6-2, 270, Senior DL – Committed to Jackson State over offers from FAU and Georgia State
#12 Chris Brown – 5-11, 175, Senior CB – Offered by UAB
#8 Malik Brightwell – 5-10, 175, Senior WR – Offered by Jacksonville State
#54 Censere Wright – 6-1, 270, Senior OL – Offered by Fort Valley State and Point University
#7 Chase Littlejohn – 5-11, 220, Senior HB/TE – Offered by Point University
Juniors
#2 Deron Benson – 6-1, 185, Junior QB – Offered by Miami (OH) and Morehouse
Sophomores
#25 Omarion Wallace – 6-1, 175, Sophomore DB (Starting CB for Rams) – Offered by UNLV, Texas State and UTEP (Transfer from Pebble Hills HS, El Paso, TX)
Freshman
#3 Kevin Hartsfield – 6-0, 190, Freshman RB – Four offers including Auburn, Pitt, and Georgia State
So join us Monday night at 6:30 p.m. for a special edition of our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the No. 7 Grayson Rams (4-1) play at the Newton Rams (2-3)
You can watch Monday’s edition of Football Fridays in Georgia online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.
Now if somehow, you miss it live or just want to watch it again you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org.
Enjoy your September 30, 2024, Monday edition of Football Friday in Georgia!
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