Ahead of the 2025 season, Georgia High School Football Daily and the AJC are naming the preseason all-state teams by classification.
The GHSA’s Class 6A, 5A and 4A teams have already been announced. Up next is 3A.
Here are some notes and things to know followed by the selections.
*Best player: Amari Latimer, Sandy Creek. He has more than 2,500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns in his career. He’s also a capable linebacker when needed. Latimer is committed to Wisconsin.
*Best position: Running back. Latimer and Bryian Duncan are first-rate. Left off was another good one, Ty Cummings of West Laurens, who ran for 1,740 yards last season.
*Most highly recruited: Ta’Shawn Poole, a safety/wide receiver at Howard, is the consensus No. 38 prospect in the junior class, per 247Sports Composite. He has offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech and others.
*That’s interesting: Sergio Mason (6-2, 265) had never played organized sports until last season, his junior year. “We just found him in gym class,” Stephenson coach Marcus Jelks said. Actually, Mason did try out as a sophomore, “but didn’t make it past March,” his coach said. In his first real season, Mason had 36½ tackles for losses and caused five fumbles on Stephenson’s 10-4 state semifinal team. He now has offers from FIU, Western Kentucky and Miami of Ohio.
*Snubbed: Trace Hawkins led Calhoun to a state title as a freshman quarterback. With immense upside, he has offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech and others.
*Underrated: Colby Smith has no college offers, but he was a two-way starter with 2,454 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns last season while leading Southeast Bulloch to its first state quarterfinal in 51 years. He has started since he was a freshman. He carries a 4.0 GPA.
*What else is news? Defending champion Calhoun and Sandy Creek, the 2022 champion, have the most players represented, with three apiece
Class 3A preseason all-state offense
QB - Caleb Hill, Sandy Creek, Jr.
RB - Amari Latimer, Sandy Creek, Sr.
RB - Bryian Duncan, Cairo, Jr.
WR - Justin Beasley, Calhoun, Sr.
WR - Zion Hudson, Peach County, Sr.
TE - Mason Hall, Oconee County, Jr.
OL - Gabriel Jones, Luella, Sr.
OL - Kyson Mallard, Westover, Jr.
OL - Solomon Mathis, Hephzibah, Sr.
OL - Mason McGill, North Hall, Sr.
OL - Mason Townsend, Monroe Area, Sr.
ATH - Colby Smith, Southeast Bulloch, Sr.
PK - McCarty Harrelson, Troup County, Jr.
Class 3A preseason all-state defense
DL - Dacian Davis, Monroe Area, Sr.
DL - Sager Quinn, Calhoun, Sr.
DL - Sergio Mason, Stephenson, Sr.
DL - Brayden Foster, Whitewater, Sr.
LB - Ace Blunt, Peach County, Jr.
LB - Max Brown, Jefferson, Jr.
LB - Malachi Character, Upson-Lee, Sr.
LB - Alec Upshaw, Calhoun, Sr.
DB - Markel Aguirre, Luella, Sr.
DB - K.J. Deriso, Whitewater, Sr.
DB - Corey Hadley Jr., Sandy Creek, Jr.
DB - Ta’Shawn Poole, Howard, Jr.
P - Jake Collett, Heritage (Ringgold), Sr.
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