Hughes places four on Class 6A first team
*Best player: Jack Tchienchou of St. Pius has a chance to be a rare three-time first-team all-state player. As a junior, playing cornerback and halfback, he was his region’s player of the year. He made an impact rushing, receiving and returning. Perhaps because of his size – 5 feet, 10 inches and 185 pounds - he is garnering mostly mid-major offers.
*Best position: Front seven. Each defensive lineman and linebacker listed here is a Power 5 recruit or a 2021 region defensive player of the year. Those not chosen include Georgia Tech commit Ashton Heflin of Newnan, Tennessee commit Tyree Weathersby of New Manchester and four-star junior prospect Myles Graham of Woodward Academy. Also missing are 2021 DPOYs Maverick Torrico of Blessed Trinity and Isaac Hubert of Creekview.
*Most highly recruited: Bo Hughley, Hughes. He’s the consensus No. 90 senior recruit nationally and, like Tchienchou, can become a three-time first-team all-state player.
*That’s interesting: Hughes has five of the state’s top 75 senior prospects and four of the top 45, according to the 247Sports Composite. Only defensive lineman Joshua Horton didn’t make this team. Hughley is committed to Georgia, and safety Terrance Love is pledged to Auburn. Wide receiver Robert Lockhart III is committed to Jackson State. Jelani Thurman, committed to Ohio State, is 247Sports’ No. 3 tight end nationally.
*Snubbed: In addition to those front-seven players listed above, Gainesville running back Naim Cheeks was passed over despite remarkable production (1,452 rushing yards, 706 receiving) in Class 7A last season.
*Underrated: Roswell linebacker Jayven Hall isn’t underrated, per se, but he’s under the radar. He’s a four-year starter who came to Roswell as a junior and was the Region 5-7A defensive player of the year. For his career, he has 276 career tackles and 1,142 rushing yards. He’s committed to Houston.
*What else is new: South Paulding has never won a region title or advanced past the second round of the playoffs in its 16 seasons of football, but the Spartans have three preseason all-state offensive players – QB Kasen Weisman (2,324 yards passing for 25 touchdowns in 11 games last season), RB Jamarion Wilcox (1,769 yards rushing) and OL Madden Sanker (four-star recruit). Nine of the 27 players on the list are from Region 5, which includes Hughes and Douglas County.
Offense
QB - Prentiss “Air” Noland, Hughes, Jr.
QB - Kasen Weisman, South Paulding, Sr.
RB - Ousmane Kromah, Lee County, So.
RB - Jamarion Wilcox, South Paulding, Sr.
WR - Jevell “J.D.” Fugerson, Lee County, Sr.
WR - Adam Hopkins, Thomas County Central, Sr.
TE - Jelani Thomas, Hughes, Sr.
OL - Elias Cloy, Alpharetta, Sr.
OL - Tyler Douthit, Woodstock, Sr.
OL - Johnathan “Bo” Hughley, Hughes, Sr.
OL - Jamal Meriweather, Brunswick, Sr.
OL - Madden Sanker, South Paulding, Sr.
PK - Carson Allen, Etowah, Sr.
Defense
DL - Stephaylin Green, Rome, Sr.
DL - A.J. Hoffler, Woodward Academy, Sr.
DL - Zachariah Keith, Douglas County, Sr.
DL - Ka'Shawn Thomas, Brunswick, Sr.
LB - Vinnie Canosa, Allatoona, Sr.
LB - Jayven Hall, Roswell, Sr.
LB - Jeremiah Telander, Gainesville, Sr.
LB - Shakai Woods, Douglas County, Sr.
DB - Terrance Love, Hughes, Sr.
DB - Ethan Nation, Roswell, Sr.
DB - Brice Pollock, Shiloh, Sr.
DB - Jack Tchienchou, St. Pius, Sr.
P - Ripp Perez, Marist, Sr.