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Recruiting 2024: Thomas County Central at Hughes
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When the GHSA announced its reclassification plans last November it was immediately apparent that the “new” Class 5A was going to be incredibly difficult. Case in point, in our final GPB Sports 5A regular-season rankings a couple of weeks ago, nine of the top ten teams had either won or played for a state championship in the last seven seasons.
Tonight, two of those teams will meet in the state quarterfinals when 2023 state champion and third-ranked Thomas County Central plays at 2022 state champion and No. 4 Hughes.
The Yellow Jackets have battled their way through arguably the toughest region in all of Georgia, to reach the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season. That would be Region 2-5A where all four teams that qualified for the state playoffs out of that region are still in it, making up half of the eight teams to reach the quarterfinal round in 5A.
The Panthers are back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022 when they put together one of the most dominant seasons in state history, setting the state scoring record with 795 points in route to the state title.
Our GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia coverage kicks off from Cannon Field in Fairburn at 7:30 p.m. on statewide GPB-TV Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The Teams
The Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets are 11-1 with their only loss coming to No. 2-ranked Lee County. In fact, it’s the program’s only regular season loss in the three years since Justin Rogers became head coach. He carries a 38-2 record at TCC into tonight’s game. After successful head coaching stops at Jones County and then Colquitt County, Rogers has hit it really big in Thomasville.
The 2023 state championship was the sixth for the program but the first since the Yellow Jackets won five in six years under legendary Coach Ed Pilcher from 1992-97. The turnaround under Rogers has been extraordinary. The proud program had gone through a stretch of five straight non-winning seasons and nine seasons with just one playoff win when Central turned to Rogers. They made the right move.
The Hughes story is also extraordinary. This is just the 16th season that the school has been open and tonight will mark the fourth time in five years the Panthers have advanced as far as the quarterfinals, including the 2022 championship season. With last week’s 31-21 second-round win over Roswell, Coach Daniel “Boone” Williams became the program’s all-time wins leader with his 61st victory and is easily the all-time winningest coach at 61-16. Adding to the extraordinary is that Williams went 2-8 in his first season in 2019 meaning the Panthers are 59-8 the last five seasons.
Hughes is also 11-1 with their only loss coming to 6A No. 4 Douglas County in Week 4 of the season on GPB. The Panthers easily captured the Region 3-5A Championship winning every region game by at least five touchdowns. That’s the reason Hughes will be playing at home tonight where the Panthers have won 11 straight games.
The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the state semifinals next Friday night to host the winner of the Coffee at Sequoyah quarterfinal.
The Match-Up
Thomas County Central Offense – Averaging 50.2 PPG and led by second-year starter and junior QB Jaylen Johnson. After leading the Yellow Jackets to the state championship last year as a sophomore, Johnson has come back even better here in 2024. So much so that Rogers says he could end up being the best he’s ever coached. Johnson who’s been offered by Georgia State and Charlotte has completed over 63-percent of his passes for 2,599 yards with 29 TD and just 5 INT. His top target has been sophomore WR Jabari Watkins, who already has four offers including Kentucky, and has 39 receptions for 804 yards and 9 TD. The running game has been led by junior Christian Lawrence who’s ranked as high as an On3 3-Star RB with 11 offers including Arkansas. He’s rushed for 1,340 yards and 17 TD. The offensive line is led by Russian-born Artim Korchagin who is a 6-6, 320-pound, junior center who has five offers including UCF.
TCC Defense – Allowing just 13.5 PPG and led at linebacker by senior and second-year starter Jayden Rubbo who has 78 total tackles, 48 solo, 9 TFL and 2 QB sacks. Rubbo has been offered by Shorter and is also receiving interest from Mercer and Samford. On the defensive line, the Yellow Jackets have one of the top-rated prospects in the country in Cam Brooks who is a consensus 4-star and rated as high as the Rivals No. 2 Edge in 2026. He has 28 offers including Florida and Georgia. The top producer up front as been TCC’s other DE junior Christian Flounoy who has 30 tackles with 9 TFL and 4 QB Sacks. The secondary is led by a couple of outstanding safeties in ESPN 4-Star Dee Riddick who is committed to USC and rated as high as the No. 9 safety in 2025. Riddick is a big play waiting to happen with a 69-yard punt return TD, 106-yard pick-six and 47-yard fumble return TD. His partner on the back line junior Dannell Jester has been offered by Georgia State and has 48 total tackles, 30 solos, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PD and a blocked punt.
TCC senior Drew Reneau is a real weapon and handles all the kicking duties for the Yellow Jackets. He is a Kohl’s 4-Star Kicker and 4.5 Star Punter.
Hughes Offense – Averaging 47.3 ppg and led by senior QB Christian Langford who has found a home with the Panthers. Rated as high as an On3 3-Star QB with four offers including Troy, Langford has completed right at 73-percent of his passes for 2,659 yards with 31 TD and just 3 INT. He has also rushed for 374 yards and 5 TD. He starred for East Coweta two seasons ago as a sophomore but then hopped from Buford, to Collins Hill and Westlake before landing with Hughes this season. It’s finally worked out for the senior signal caller.
Langford has spread the wealth amongst five pass catchers with between 15-28 receptions. 3-Star Jabari Jones is committed to Jackson State. Jovanni McGee has 5 offers including Middle Tennessee. Chry’Shawn Sellers has 3 offers including UAB. Junior TE Xavier Tiller is committed to Texas A&M and is a consensus 4-Star rated as high as the ESPN No. 2 TE in 2026. Senior burner Maurice Gleaton just committed this week to run track at Georgia. He is the Nike boys 100-and-200-meter national champion. Gleaton is also rated as high as an ESPN 3-Star WR.
The running game is led by a pair of outstanding junior RB Carsyn Baker and Qwantavious Wiggins. Baker is rated as high as a 4-Star and No. 18 RB in 2026 with 19 offers including South Carolina while Wiggins is committed to USF. Baker has rushed for 934 yards and 9 TD while Wiggins has gained 897 yards on the ground and scored 12 TD. The offensive line is bookended by a pair of NFL-sized offensive tackles. RT 6-5, 297-pound Tavarus Dice is committed to Auburn and is a consensus 4-star rated as high as No. 18 OT in 2025. LT Dontrell Glover has 48 career starts under his belt and is committed to Georgia. At 6-4, 312 pounds he is also a consensus 4-Star and rated as high the No. 7 interior offensive lineman in 2025.
Hughes Defense – Allowing just 12.3 PPG and led by linebacker Aji Griggs who’s been offered by Arizona and has 111 total tackles with 60 solo. Fellow LB junior Kijohn Braxton has been offered by Arkansas State and has 69 total tackles, 7 TFL, 6 QB sacks, 2 INT touchdowns and a blocked punt. Senior Quavion Pitts leads the defensive line with 91 total tackles, 50 solo, 3 TFL, 2 QB sacks and is committed to Mississippi Valley State. Safety Jakari Freeman leads the team with 3 INT plus 39 total tackles.
Recruiting Game Guide
TCC Prospects – Two 4-Stars, one 3-Star and 11 total players with college offers and four more receiving interest.
Seniors
#0 Kendarius Reddick – 5-11, 185, Senior – Committed to USC August 12 after decommitting from Auburn plus 14 other offers – Highest Ranking: ESPN 4-Star and No. 9 Safety 2025
#1 Jayden Rubbo – 5-11, 200, Senior LB – Offered by Shorter – Receiving interest from Mercer and Samford
#4 Anthony Clark – 6-1, 200, Senior RB – Receiving interest from Duquesne
Juniors
#9 Cam Brooks – 6-4, 225, Junior – 28 offers including Florida, Georgia and Ohio State - Consensus 4-Star - Highest Ranking: Rivals No. 2 Edge 2026
#2 Christian Lawrence – 5-9, 185, Junior – 11 offers including Arkansas, Vanderbilt and UCF – Highest Ranking: On3 Recruiting 3-Star RB
#69 Artem Korchagin – 6-5, 320, Junior OL (Starting Center) – Five offers including UCF, Cal and Duke
#77 Deontavis Cooper – 6-3, 295, Junior OL – Offered by UCF, Marshall and Georgia State
#84 Rodney Dunbar – 6-4, 180, Junior WR – Offered by UCF and Georgia State
#7 Tre’Von Pringle – 6-0, 190, Junior ATH (Starting LB and back-up WR) – Offered by UCF and Charlotte
#24 Omari Stephenson – 6-1, 205, Junior LB – Offered by Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Liberty
#11 Jaylen Johnson – 6-3, 210, Junior QB – Offered by Georgia State and Charlotte – Also receiving interest from several programs including UCF
#3 Dannell Jester – 6-0, 185, Junior SAF – Offered by Georgia State – Receiving interest from Virginia and South Alabama
#8 Eddie Guerra – 5-11, 185, Junior CB – Offered by FAMU – Receiving interest from several programs including Georgia Southern and Liberty
#85 Drew Reneau – 5-11, 200, Junior Kicker/Punter – Kohl’s 4-Star Kicker and 4.5-Star Punter
Sophomores
#12 Jabari Watkins – 6-2, 180, Sophomore WR – Four offers including Kentucky, UCF and Charlotte
Langston Hughes Prospects – Four 4-Stars, four 3-Stars and 27 total players with college offers.
Seniors
Tavaris Dice – 6-4, 295, Senior – Committed to Auburn March 14th over 21 other offers - Consensus 4-Star – Highest Rating: On3 Industry No. 18 OT 2025
Dontrell Glover – 6-3, 310, Senior – Committed to Georgia June 24 over 18 other offers – Highest Ranking: Rivals 4-Star and No. 7 IOL (Interior OL) 2025
Canaan Edwards – 6-5, 240, Senior – Committed to Rutgers June 17 over 3 other offers including Middle Tennessee and UCF – Consensus 3-Star Edge
Maurice Gleaton – 5-10, 180, Senior – Nike National Boys Track Champion in the 100-and-200 meters – Committed to Georgia to run track - 12 Football Offers including Georgia Tech, Georgia and UAB – Highest Ranking: ESPN 3-Star WR
Jabari Jones – 5-8, 148, Senior – Committed to Jackson State over 11 other offers including Purdue and Boston College – Highest Ranking: 247 Sports 3-Star WR
Christian Langford – 6-1, 200, Senior – Four offers including Troy, Liberty and UCF – Highest Ranking: On3 Recruiting 3-Star QB
Keyawn Spencer – 6-0, 180, Senior CB – 11 offers including Syracuse, Georgia Southern and USF
Jamal Gowans – 6-3, 300, Senior Center – Committed to Jackson State over 3 other offers including Georgia State and UAB
Alonzo Jackson – 6-2, 225, Senior LB/DE – Five offers including Georgia Southern, Marshall and UMass
Javon Beckford – 6-2, 235, Senior DL – Offered by Georgia State, UAB and Jackson State
Jovanni McGee – 5-9, 150, Senior WR – 5 offers including Middle Tennessee, UAB and Liberty
Bo Jacobs – 6-0, 185, Senior ATH (DB) – 4 offers including Toledo, UAB and Old Dominion
Bryce Barner – 6-2, 190, Senior DB – Offered by Georgia State and Marshall
Cam Williams – 6-3, 305, Senior OL – Offered by Western Kentucky and Army
Quavion Pitts – 6-1, 230, Senior Edge (DE) – Committed to Mississippi Valley State over 4 other offers including Georgia State and Jackson State
Chry’Shawn Sellers – 5-11, 165, Senior WR - Offered by UAB, Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T
Samuel Adeyomo – 6-3, 210, Senior LB/DE – Committed to Clark Atlanta
Keith Bass – 5-10, 207, Senior LB – Offered by Clark Atlanta, Carson-Newman and Kentucky State
Khalil Allen – 6-1, 170, Senior WR – Offered by Clark Atlanta and Kentucky State
Santonio “Poppi” Jones – 6-0, 188, Senior SAF – Offered by Shaw University and Peru State
Jeffery Taylor – 5-10, 168, Senior CB – Offered by Peru State
Juniors
Xavier Tiller – 6-5, 205, Junior – Committed to Texas A&M November 4 over 25 other offers including Auburn and Louisville - Consensus 4-Star - Highest Ranking: ESPN No. 2 TE 2026
Carsyn Baker – 6-0, 195, Junior – 19 offers including South Carolina, Auburn and Ole Miss - Highest Ranking: On3 Industry Ranking 4-Star and 247 Sports No. 18 RB 2026
Qwantavious Wiggins – 5-11, 195, Junior RB – Committed to USF October 20 over 4 other offers including Georgia State and Miami of Ohio
Aji Griggs – 6-1, 195, Junior LB – Offered by Arizona
Kijohn Braxton – 6-2, 213, Junior LB – Offered by Arkansas State
Cannon Kirksey – 6-4, 182, Junior WR – Offered by Miami of Ohio
So, join Wayne Gandy, Niki Noto Palmer, Jon Nelson, Hannah Goodin and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets play at the Hughes Panthers in the Quarterfinals of the GHSA 5A Playoffs.
Remember, you can watch Football Fridays in Georgia in so many ways. You have traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch.
Now if you miss the game live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org.
Enjoy your Nov. 29, 2024, Football Friday in Georgia and Happy Thanksgiving!
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