Midseason update on AJC Super 11 selections
It’s been a great season so far for most of the AJC’s preseason Super 11 selections.
Two play on No. 1-ranked teams, and five others play for unbeaten teams.
As is always the case, some have struggled. Two play for teams that are surprisingly sub-.500 while another is injured, hoping to return by the playoffs.
The recruiting status of each has not changed, with 10 remaining committed and one undecided.
Here’s an update on the 2022 Super 11, which GHSF Daily has helped select since 2009.
*C.J. Allen, Lamar County: Allen, who is committed to Georgia as a linebacker, has been a two-way juggernaut for the Trojans, who are 5-0 and ranked No. 8 in Class A Division I. Allen has rushed for 676 yards and 10 touchdowns and has a team-leading 22 solo tackles. Lamar County won two games by the score of 22-21. Allen made a game-ending tackle in overtime in one and scored the winning touchdowns in both.
*Keyjuan Brown, South Atlanta: Brown has rushed for 751 yards – an average of 250.3 per game – in the Hornets’ 3-0 start. That puts his career total at 5,521. He broke Jamal Lewis’s Atlanta Public Schools career rushing record in the opener. South Atlanta is 3-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class 2A, the highest ranking in the school’s 29-year history. Brown is committed to Purdue.
*Vic Burley, Warner Robins: The two-time defending Class 5A champion Demons are 1-3, with all losses against top-10 teams. It’s Warner Robins’ offense that has lost its way, averaging only 8.5 points. Burley, an interior defensive lineman, has 11 solo tackles as teams avoid him. He remains committed to Clemson.
*Caleb Downs, Mill Creek: The state’s consensus No. 1 senior prospect has led the Hawks to a 4-0 start and the No. 4 ranking in Class 7A. A cornerback and wide receiver, Downs has three interceptions, giving him a school-record 17 for his career. He has made 14 solo tackles, has 291 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns – four rushing and one on an interception return. Downs remains committed to Alabama.
*Justice Haynes, Buford: Playing for the No. 1-ranked team in Class 7A, Haynes has rushed for 512 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 carries, nearly 10 yards a pop. He’s caught six passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. He scored the winning touchdown in the final minute of Buford’s only close game, a 21-14 victory over North Cobb on Sept. 2. Haynes remains committed to Alabama.
*Bo Hughley, Hughes: Hughley is the right tackle (his quarterback is left-handed) for a 4-0 team that’s ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and is top-50 in six national polls. Hughley’s Panthers average 55.3 points and 450.0 total yards per game. They are chasing the first state title in their school’s 14-year history. Hughley remains committed to Georgia.
*Kayin Lee, Cedar Grove: Lee is the shutdown cornerback for a 3-1 team that’s ranked No. 1 in Class 3A with two victories over Class 7A schools, its only loss coming against Caleb Downs’ Mill Creek team. Lee’s job is preventing pass receptions, so his statistics – 10 solo tackles and five assists – are high on the team but don’t tell the story. Lee remains committed to Ohio State.
*Connor Lew, Kennesaw Mountain: Lew is a captain, center and four-year starter on a 4-0 team averaging 38.3 points and 436.3 yards per game and ranked No. 10 in Class 7A. It’s been a remarkable turnaround for a program that was 0-10 during Lew’s freshman season. This is the first time that the Mustangs have been ranked in the highest class. Lew is committed to Miami.
*Dylan Lonergan, Brookwood: The Broncos are 1-3 against a tough schedule that included a trip to Las Vegas against national title contender Bishop Gorman last week. Lonergan has passed for more than 600 yards, well below his average of 257.7 per game last season, but expect a turnaround. From this point last season, Brookwood won eight straight games to reach the Class 7A quarterfinals.
*Kayden McDonald, North Gwinnett: McDaniel, an interior defensive lineman, is having his typical dominating defensive output with 18 tackles for losses in five games, but he’s expanded his game as a senior. The 310-pounder has rushed 29 times for six touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. North Gwinnett is 3-2. McDonald, who remains uncommitted, officially visited Ohio State and Michigan this month.
*Malachi Singleton, North Cobb: Singleton had surgery on a broken foot Sept. 9, and his return is uncertain, though North Cobb coaches have expressed hope that their quarterback can return this season. Singleton rushed for 110 yards in North Cobb’s opener, a comeback victory over Westlake, and he had North Cobb in position to beat No. 1 Buford in a 21-14 loss decided in the final minute. Singleton remains committed to Arkansas.
Looking back: Super 11 class of 2017
It’s been five years since one of the more memorable AJC Super 11 teams, the 2017 class that included five-star quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville and Justin Fields of Harrison. Both would become Heisman Trophy finalists, Fields with Ohio State and Lawrence with Clemson, and both were first-round picks who now start in the NFL. Lawrence plays for the Jaguars, and Fields plays for the Bears. Two other 2017 Super 11 players are NFL rookies. They are Texans running back Dameon Pierce of Bainbridge and Florida and Chargers offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer of Pace Academy and Georgia. Pierce is a starter. Another 2017 Super 11 player, Kyler McMichael of Greater Atlanta Christian and North Carolina, is on the Bills’ practice squad. Five 2017 Super 11 members are still playing college football. They are Stockbridge’s Brenton Cox with Florida, Peach County’s Kearis Jackson with Georgia, Lee County’s Otis Reese with Ole Miss, South Gwinnett’s Justin Mascoll with Clemson and Brookwood’s Matthew Hill with South Florida. Only one is out of football for now. Former Rome star Adam Anderson was dismissed from Georgia’s team last fall and faces rape charges in Clarke County.