Friday Night Lights Preview: Georgia Commits Nearing the State Championship Game

The Georgia Bulldog commits have been tearing up competition nationwide. We look at the Dawgs still battling in the Peach State and the Dawgs elsewhere competing for their state title.

As the regular season for college football ends with rivalry week this weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs get ready to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. As the Bulldogs prepare for this game, they have some future 2024 and 2025 commits who are nearing the state championship game for Georgia, while other commits have already reached their state championship. 

In-State

7A

In Georgia, we are down to the final eight teams of each respective classification bracket. In the 7A bracket, three of the eight teams remaining hold a Georgia commit on their roster. First, Carrolton and Julian "Juju" Lewis travel to Walton to take on Daniel Calhoun and Walton. Then Elyiss Williams and Camden County take a trip to Hoschton, GA., to take on a Mill Creek team that ended Buford's perfect regular season. Finally, one of the biggest games of the year kicks off in Gwinnett County between the two powerhouses with Dylan Raiola, Jaden Perlotte, and Buford when they travel to take on Grayson. Each game should be very competitive as they figure out who will be in the final four of the 7A bracket. 

Nov 11, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Buford High School quarterback Dylan Raiola on the sideline prior to the game between the Georgia Bulldogs against the Mississippi Rebels at Sanford Stadium. (Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports) / Dale Zanine

5A

The 5A bracket has a few Cinderella stories taking place within their bracket. Sacovie White and Cass had to fight their way into the playoffs and barely lock in the four-seed from their bracket. White and Cass took out Kell H.S. in the first round, then Quintavius Johnson and Mays H.S. last week. This week, they have another challenge in the form of Coffee County. If White and Cass win, they will take on the winner of Malachi Toliver's game tonight. Toliver and Cartersville take on a solid Jenkins team from Savannah, who came into the playoffs with a 3-7 record but have been on a tear as of recently. Toliver will have his hands full, going against Kentucky EDGE commit Lorenzo Cowen. If they win and Cass wins, it will essentially be another region championship game, except in the final four of the playoffs this time. 

3A

Cedar Grove and Bo Walker are another one of the teams who entered this playoffs with under a .500 record, except for Walker and Co. nabbed the 1-seed for their portion of the 3A bracket because they won their region. They won their first two games and now take on an 11-1 Mary Persons team that is the home of 3-star Louisville RB commit Duke Watson. 

1A Div 2

Justus Terry and Manchester remain battling within the 1A Division 2 playoff bracket as they take on Clinch County tonight. Indiana wide receiver commit Jeremy Bell Jr. has led Clinch County to an 11-1 record and two consecutive blowout losses in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Terry and company will look to put an end to their hot streak and take on the winner of Telfair County and Macon County. 

1A Div 2

The last Dawg commit standing in the Georgia High School playoff schedule is Damello Jones and Swainsboro. Jones will take on Elbert County who has a 10-2 record. If they win, Swainsboro and Jones will take on the winner of Rabun County and Brooks County. 

Out of State

Down in Texas, another Bulldog commit resides in Texas in the shape of Michael Uni. He and Coopers Grove H.S. They took on Shelbyville in the tournament's 2A Division 1 area round and handled them, winning 69-28. They won their opening round game 61-0 and look to keep that stride moving into the regional round when they take on Garrison High School.

Traveling north to Indiana, Nitareon "Nitro" Tuggle has led his Northwood H.S. team to the State Championships of the 4A playoff bracket. Tuggle and this Northwood offense has been explosive this postseason, with multiple games scoring over 50 points. They will have a tough test tonight against an East Central H.S. squad with a very good team all around. The 4A Indiana State Championship game will be played tomorrow at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts and the Georgia Bulldogs 2021 National Championship clinching game.

In Virginia, Kristopher Jones continues to recover from his ACL surgery as his teammates and Fairfax H.S. took on South County last week in 6A region semifinals action. They won their game to move on to region finals action, where they take on 2-seeded Lake Braddock tomorrow at 1 p.m. If they win, they move in to the Final Four. 

Sharing a border with those two dog commits in Virginia is the state of Tennessee, which is the home of Ondre Evans. Evans and CPA defeated Franklin Road Academy in the semifinals of the 2A Division 2 playoff bracket in Tennessee. Their offense has been stellar, while Evans and his defense have been a superb compliment to their offense, helping them reach the state championship game. They have the opportunity to take on Boyd Buchannan in the championship game in Chattanooga, TN. 

Staying in the southeast, Colton Heinrich and Cardinal Gibbons have faired well in the 2A Florida State Playoffs. After winning their region quarterfinal match, Heinrich and Cardinal Gibbons traveled to take on a good Calvary Christian Academy squad where they won. Now they get to take on a region opponent in the form of American Heritage High School in the "Elite Eight" of their playoffs. 

Traveling to the northeast, we will visit Nyler Daniels and Bergen Catholic first up in New Jersey. They have action in the Non-Public A playoff bracket and got a bye week in the first round, a 35-0 win in the second round, and faced Donovan Catholic last week where they won 42-13. In their State Championship game, Daniels and Bergen Catholic play Delbarton High School for the final game of their season.  

Finally, we wrap this long preview up out west in California with Nate Frazier and Mater Dei H.S. In the Division 1 playoff bracket in Calif., Frazier and co. will take on St. John Bosco, a rematch of their region championship game earlier in the season which saw St. John Bosco win 28-0. Frazier, Texas commit Vranden Baker, Oregon commit Aydin Breland, Alabama commit Zabien Brown, and more will look to get their revenge tonight against their rival. 

Georgia's 2024 recruiting class

• Dylan Raiola, QB
• Ellis Robinson IV, DB
• Dwight Phillips Jr., RB
• NiTareon Tuggle, WR
• Malachi Toliver, OL
• Marcus Harrison, OL
• Demello Jones, S
• Drew Miller, P
• Sacovie White, ATH
• Ryan Puglisi, QB
• Jaden Reddell, TE
• Quintavius Johnson, DL
• Justin Greene, DL
• Chauncey Bowens, RB
• Jordan Thomas, DL
• Nnamdi Ogboko, DL
• Michael Uini, OL
• Daniel Calhoun, OL
• Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, DL
• Nyier Daniels, OL
• Marques Easley, OL
• Justin Williams, LB
• Kristopher Jones, LB
• Luke Raab, LS
• Nate Frazier, RB
• Ondre Evans, DB
• Nasir Johnson, DL

Other Georgia News:

• Georgia vs Tennessee Player Props indicate Big Day for Georgia Offense
• What You Need to Know About the Tennessee Offense
• Neyland Stadium Could Produce the Bulldogs' Toughest Environment Under Smart

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