For the Love of the Game by Ashley ‘A.B.’ Brown: Friday Night Lights – Top 20 Augusta area players to watch in 2024

The high school football season is fast approaching and I, for one, am extremely excited to watch the latest crop of talented athletes in the Greater Augusta area. The region is loaded with players who already have multiple scholarship offers to choose from. There will also undoubtedly be a few lesser-known names that have been waiting their turn behind older, more experienced players, but are now ready to highlight their talents at the varsity level. There is simply something special about high school football. You can feel the energy and electricity in the air when you see the teams on the field for pre-game warm-ups. I’m getting pumped just thinking about it. We have more than 55 Schools in the region, so it is difficult to pinpoint the very best - but I gave it a try. Here is a list of the Top 20 Players (along with a group of Honorable Mentions) that I am most looking forward to watching this season. Jevon Edwards (Senior RB - South Aiken) Edwards is a beast and primed for a huge Senior campaign. Last season he rushed for 1,442 yards and 16 TDs in just nine Games…and that was coming off knee injury. In three varsity seasons, Edwards has piled up over 4,200 yards and 50 Touchdowns in just 29 games. He has offers from Army, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Liberty and Charleston Southern. Anthony “Tre Tre” Jeffrey (Senior RB - Thomson) Picture Saquan Barkley’s thighs on a 5-foot-8 frame. Jeffrey has posted back-to-back 1000-yard seasons despite averaging less than ten carries a game. With the departure of several offensive weapons, Jeffrey could be called on to carry the ball at a much higher clip, which could lead to a monster final season at Thomson. He has committed to Kent State, but also had offers from Arkansas and Central Michigan. Mason Short (Senior OL - Evans) Short stepped on the Evans campus as a freshman already standing 6-foot-5 and weighing around 270 pounds. That, coupled with good footwork and quickness for his size caused major colleges to take notice. By his sophomore season he had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and basically any other big program in the country. He is easily the most heavily recruited player in Columbia County history and maybe the entire CSRA. He committed to UGA and will anchor the O-Line for the Knights this season. Jaquel Holman (Senior RB – Blackville-Hilda) Holman is a freakish athlete with a rare blend of size and speed. Despite never running track, he joined the track squad last year and the 6-foot-1, 193 pound speedster took home state titles in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m. Last season on the gridiron, he carried the ball 153 times for 1,610 yards and 26 TDs. He also had 76 tackles on defense. He is a 3-star recruit and ranked as the 10th Best Player in South Carolina. He will also be staying close to home after committing to the South Carolina Gamecocks this summer. He also had offers from Pittsburgh, The Citadel, ODU, and Liberty. Jim Franklin (Senior QB – Aquinas) Franklin recently committed to Davidson. The 6-foot-4, 220 pound QB is coming off a huge 2023. He led the area in most passing categories, throwing for over 2,700 yards and 31 TDs. He also rushed for nearly 600 yards and nine more scores - all while boasting a 4.1 GPA. C.J. Crite (Senior WR/LB – Lincoln Co.) Crite may be the best two-way player in the area. Last season he racked up 139 tackles and 17 tackles for loss on defense. On offense he caught 24 passes for 549 yards and eight touchdowns. He had offers from Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, South Florida, Charlotte, Kent State and Western Kentucky. However, he chose to commit to Cincinnati. Jaden Wuerth (Sophomore DE – Aquinas) Wuerth is going to be the Next Big Thing when it comes to recruiting in this area. He is an absolute animal in the weight room and on the field. Last year, as a freshman, he led all of Class A in sacks with 14, amassed 139 tackles and an astonishing 36 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-2, 245 pound pass rusher has an offer from Georgia Southern and he has not even played a down as a sophomore. Jeanarion Kamga (Senior RB – Westside) He did not get as much attention as some other backs a year ago, but Kamga consistently put up big numbers. He finished the season with over 1,500 yards and 14 TDs. He was recently named the top running back at Reinhardt University’s football camp and is a safe bet to be playing on Saturdays next season. Malcolm Gaston (Junior OL – North Augusta) Gaston is a mountain of a human being. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 330 pounds. He already has offers from Georgia, Charlotte, and Jackson State. He will be the key for a North Augusta offense that could be the top unit in the area. Corey Tillman (Senior QB – North Augusta) Tillman got better and better as the season went on a year ago. He finished 104-for-160 with 1,257 yards and 14 TDs Passing. He also ran for 778 yards and six scores. He is a dual threat athlete, but he completed 65 percent of his passes in 2023, so he can spin it. Nasan Houston (Senior LB/DE – Cross Creek) Houston is a relentless athlete that is really starting to garner the attention he deserves on the recruiting trail. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound standout was sensational in 2023 piling up 16.5 QB sacks, 15 more QB pressures and four forced fumbles. He has offers from Tuskegee, Howard University, Wofford and Charleston Southern. However, that list should continue to grow. Michael Doe (Junior RB – North Augusta) Doe may be the most underrated back in the Augusta area. As a sophomore, he burst on the scene with 1,102 yards and 14 scores. He was also a solid target as a receiver with four touchdown catches. Evan Scott (Senior OL – Lakeside) Scott transferred from Augusta Christian to Lakeside in the off-season. The 6-foot-5, 300 pound tackle is rated a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports. This summer his recruiting really started to heat up as he racked up over a dozen offers including Navy, South Florida, Dartmouth, Richmond, Western Kentucky, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State, Bucknell, Austin Peay, Appalachian State and Duke. He decided to play in the ACC, committing to Duke. Baylor Davis (Senior LB – Harlem) Davis seems to always be around the ball. He uses his incredible sideline-to-sideline speed to pile up tackles at a dizzying pace. Last season he led the Bulldogs with 128 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The 6-foot-1, 185 pound standout earnedFirst Team All CSRA and All-Region and will definitely be a leader for Harlem in 2024. Connor Brown (Senior WR – North Augusta) Brown has excellent size for a WR at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. He also has the speed to blow by defensive backs when necessary. Last season he caught 38 passes for 476 yards and 4 TDs. Those numbers should climb this season. He is getting a lot of attention from recruiters as well. As good as he is on the field, he is even better in the classroom with a 4.37 GPA. Jack Rhodes (Junior WR/QB – Aquinas) Do not let the small stature fool you, Rhodes can flat out play. As a freshman he stepped in for an injured Jim Franklin at QB and completed a sizzling 70 percent of his passes (118/163) for 1,273 yards with nine TDS and only three interceptions. Last year, with Franklin healthy, he unselfishly moved over to WR and was outstanding, with 57 catches for 1,066 yards and an area-best 16 touchdown receptions. Chanston Crosby (Senior QB – Bamberg-Ehrhardt) Crosby has excellent size at 6-foot-2 and 190 lbs. He is a 3-star recruit and ranked the 25th best player in South Carolina. He led Bamberg to a 12-2 mark in 2023. He picked up offers from Akron, Charleston Southern, Cornell, and Charlotte, but committed to North Carolina Central. BuddyRow Garrer (Senior WR/DB – Evans) Garrer spent his first three seasons at Aquinas and a year ago he really came into his own. He caught 56 passes for over 900 yards and six TDs. The speedy youngster is also a standout defensive back and will start on both sides of the ball for Evans this season. He is a 3-star recruit and had offers from Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky, Howard University, Marshall, and UT-Martin. But Garrer will be heading to The MAC to play at Kent State. Deondre Baskett (Senior DE – North Augusta) Baskett was the Region 4-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He had 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 8 QB sacks. He seemed to come up with a big play every time the Yellow Jackets needed it. He has an offer from UNC Pembroke and should have many more in a few months. Preston McNair (Senior RB – Midland Valley) McNair was a key piece for Midland Valley’s historic 2023 Team. The Mustangs set a school record with 13 wins and along the way, McNair rushed for 1,170 yards and 16 TDs on 172 carries. Not bad considering he was the backup to CSRA Player of the Year Traevon Dunbar, who rushed for over 3,000 yards. Honorable Mention (In No Particular Order) Cole Trupp (Junior RB/LB – Greenbrier) Tyler Wallace (Senior K – Evans) Ryan Lubeck (Senior TE – South Aiken) Cam Austin (Senior QB – Barnwell) Tamari Curry (Junior RB – Wash-Wilkes) Dallas Carter (Senior WR/DB – Augusta Christian) Ty Jones (Senior WR/DB – Lakeside) Solomon Mathis (Junior OL – Hephzibah) Taylor Hart (Senior OL – Harlem) Kenneth Corsey (Junior LB – ARC) Jay Sewell (Senior WR – Strom Thurmond) Jeremy Howard (Junior RB/LB – Evans) Josh Merriweather (Senior DE – Strom Thurmond) Barry Story (Junior OL – Cross Creek) A’Merre Williams (Senior RB – Burke Co.) Sean Vandiver (Junior QB – Burke Co.) Ayaan Sharfudeen (Senior OL – Lakeside) Toreco Harper (Senior RB/LB – Evans) Cam Wilkerson (Sophomore RB – Aquinas) Caleb Boyd (Senior LB – ARC) Ben Wright (Junior WR – ARC) Jack Thexton (Senior TE/HB – Lakeside) Jack Herrington (Senior DE – Evans) Christian Kates (Junior RB/WR – Aquinas) Lo’than “Jamari” McBride (Sophomore WR – ARC) Mekhi Quiller (Sophomore DB – Fox Creek) Ashley Brown, Columnist