There was a time when football talent from northeast Georgia dominated the headlines in the Southeastern Conference.
The days of Gainesville’s Blake Sims breaking passing records as the quarterback of Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to the 2014 SEC Championship. His Gainesville teammate, A.J. Johnson, was wrecking havoc as the starting linebacker for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Meanwhile, Flowery Branch’s Connor Shaw was guiding the South Carolina Gamecocks to unprecedented back-to-back 11-win seasons. East Hall’s Sterling Bailey was one of the league’s top edge defenders at Georgia, Buford’s Vadal Alexander was one of the league’s best edge blockers as offensive tackle for LSU.
Across the country there were plenty of other examples. Notre Dame receiver T.J. Jones (Gainesville), Duke punter Will Monday (Flowery Branch), Nebraska running back Imani Cross (North Hall), just to name a few.
Those players’ era is over now, at least in the college ranks. And while there have been other players from Northeast Georgia to have strong college careers, there hasn’t been quite that level of saturation of local talent at the highest level of college football.
That may be changing.
There are few bigger stages in the sport than the SEC Championship Game, and Saturday’s 2023 edition between Georgia and Alabama featured a combined eight players from this part of the state.
For Georgia, Jefferson product Malaki Starks has become arguably the Bulldogs’ best defender. North Hall graduate Dan Jackson has seen limited action in 2023, but has been a contributing factor in Kirby Smart’s defenses for the past three years.
At Alabama, a noticeable chunk of the roster is colored with Buford green and gold. Isaiah Bond has emerged as one of the Crimson Tide’s top receivers, Seth McLaughlin has been a multi-year starter at center. Running back Justice Haynes and defensive back Jake Pope are patiently waiting their turns in Nick Saban’s talent-rich depth chart.
There is more north Georgia talent waiting to filter its way into the sport as well. Jefferson star Sammy Brown is committed to Clemson, Buford’s Dylan Raiola is committed to Georgia, while Wolves’ receiver and defensive back K.J. Bolden is bound for Florida State.
We may well be entering another golden age of northeast Georgia players standing at the top of college football.
And we are certainly here for all of it.
