Preseason all-state teams: Class A Public

High school football

Credit: For the AJC

Credit: For the AJC

High school football

Class A Public

*Best player: Omari Arnold, Brooks County. He has rushed for more than 4,000 yards in his career and has offers from several mid-major schools, plus Georgia Tech.

*Best position: Running back. Arnold and Germivy Tucker were over 1,400 yards rushing in 2020. Other 1,000-yard rushers include Turner County’s Elijah Stephens, Trion’s Rob Brown and Bowdon’s Gage Stephens.

*Most highly recruited: Nick Cull, Seminole County. He’s the only Class A Public senior among the consensus top 100 recruits in Georgia, per 247Sports Composite. A cornerback, he has offers from Alabama, Auburn and others.

*That’s interesting: Brandon Denmark is the punter here, but that sells him short. He had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage last fall, was the Class A Public runner-up in the 100 meters last spring and scored four touchdowns playing slot and wingback in a scrimmage Friday night.

*Snubbed: Washington-Wilkes’ Dalen Cobb, Irwin County’s Cody Soliday and Turner County’s Amarion Blanks are top-notch quarterbacks on contending teams. Cobb won the 100 meters in the Class A Public meet, edging Denmark.

*Underrated: A quarterback who throws for 1,599 yards and rushes for 1,061 in 12 games while winning a region title should be held in high regard. That was Bowdon quarterback Robert McNeal’s sophomore season. He started as a freshman, too.

*What else is new: Macon County has four players on the team. That’s among the Bulldogs’ 19 returning starters from a 9-2 team.

OFFENSE

QB - Abe Stowe, Wilcox County, Jr.

RB - Omari Arnold, Brooks County, Sr.

RB - Germivy Tucker, Johnson County, Jr.

WR - Zay Brantley, Montgomery County, Sr.

WR - Marcus Sanders, Macon County, Sr.

TE - Eli Roberts, Irwin County, Sr.

OL - Noah Brown, Irwin County, Sr.

OL - Mason Gaddis, Commerce, Sr.

OL - Garrett Gordon, Mount Zion (Carroll), Sr.

OL - Devin McRae, Telfair County, Jr.

OL - Donald Owens, Lincoln County, Sr.

ATH - Robert McNeal, Bowdon, Jr.

PK - Beau Beldon, Seminole County, Sr.

DEFENSE

DL - Pier Barron, Macon County, Sr.

DL - C.J. Donaldson, Metter, Jr.

DL - Kris Jackson, Emanuel County Institute, Sr.

DL - Will Jones, McIntosh County Academy, Sr.

LB - Kenwan Felton, Macon County, Sr.

LB - Nemo McCoy, Irwin County, Sr.

LB - Quan Proctor, McIntosh County Academy, Sr.

LB - Jakedrian Wright, Chattahoochee County, Sr.

DB - Landon Austin, Macon County, Sr.

DB - Nick Cull, Seminole County, Sr.

DB - Gage Stephens, Bowdon, Sr.

DB - MonQuarik Taylor, Turner County, Sr.

P - Brandon Denmark, Montgomery County, Sr.

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