Grayson (Loganville) Rams' quarterback Travis Burgess and his teammates walked off the field in last year's season opener leading the Collins Hill (Suwanee) Eagles, 19-3. It appeared to be business as usual for the hosts.Two quarters and 24 minutes of game clock later, the Rams slinked back to their postgame locker room on the short end of a 20-19 score, capped by a gutsy but successful 2-point conversion by the Eagles in the fourth quarter.It's the kind of ending that could have sent the Rams into a tailspin before the season even really got going. But here's the rest of the story:
They haven't lost since.
Fourteen games later, the Rams enter the 2025 season on a 14-game win streak. A lot of that success has to do with the leadership provided on the field by quarterback Travis Burgess, the senior star who helped steady the Grayson ship after that loss. And it only took one week for the Rams to recapture their mojo.
Trailing in overtime on the road at top Alabama program Thompson (Alabaster), the Rams decided to steal a page from Collins Hill's playbook. After pulling to within 14-13 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Burgess to Aiden Taylor, Rams' coach Santavious Bryant decided to dispense with conventional thinking and go for two points to end the game – win or lose.
In a game broadcast on ESPN with a national audience tuned in, Elijah Miller took a direct snap in the Wildcat formation and powered over the line to end the game with Grayson on top, 15-14.
Burgess's level head on a night when he wasn't at his best – he was 20-of-31 for 139 yards and an interception before throwing that late touchdown pass – has come to be one of his defining characteristics as a quarterback. He ultimately finished the season with 2,255 yards passing with 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
The scouting report on Burgess highlights his fearlessness when facing tight coverage situations and his ability to make plays with his feet. And he's reaping the benefits after just one year as Grayson's starter, committing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in May.
With Burgess leading the way, the Rams found their rhythm after the bumpy start, and they even avenged their loss to Collins Hill in the state quarterfinals with a convincing 38-14 win. Two weeks later, they hoisted the GHSA Class 6A state championship trophy, beating Carrollton, 38-24, for the school's fourth state title in Georgia's top classification.
Business as usual, of course, in Loganville, Georgia.
DJ Alexander, New Manchester (Douglasville) Jaguars – Sr.
(Ht) 6-3 (Wt) 195, FIU Panthers
Alexander had a productive junior season, passing for 1,839 yards and 20 touchdowns with only three interceptions to lead New Manchester to the GHSA Class 5A playoffs. It was 'one and done' for the Jaguars there who were overmatched in a 40-7 loss to the Lakeside (Evans) Panthers. But Alexander's efficient season earned him scholarship offers from Southern Miss and FIU, and on March 29, he cast his lot with the Panthers.
Derrick Baker, Milton Eagles – Jr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 220, Uncommitted
Baker is just a junior, but he's already got a pile of interesting offers from some of the biggest power programs in the FBS. Schools from all the Power Four conferences have extended offers, including Miami (ACC), TCU (Big 12), Ohio State (Big Ten), and Tennessee (SEC) among others. At 6-foot 2-inches, 220 pounds, he's a big-bodied player who's showed the potential to make plays in his few opportunities so far.
Baker played for Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) the past two seasons, logging just 58 attempts and 542 yards passing. Eight of those passes went for touchdowns, however, and he's also collected 228 yards on the ground with four touchdowns on just 26 career carries – numbers that have FBS recruiters and head coaches excited to see his output over a full season as a starter.
He'll get that opportunity in Milton which is coming off a perfect 15-0 season that ended with a GHSA Class 5A state title in hand.
Travis Burgess, Grayson (Loganville) Rams – Sr.
(Ht) 6-5 (Wt) 205, North Carolina Tar Heels
As noted above, Burgess and company will try to defend their 2024 Class 6A state championship starting with a season-opening rematch with Collins Hill on the road. Burgess's highlight tape below shows his ability to beat tight coverages with both his arm and his feet:
Stephen Cannon, Benedictine (Savannah) Cadets – Sr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 195, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Cannon and his Benedictine Cadets got off to a rough start last year, losing back-to-back games to Georgia powers Rabun Gap-Nacoochee and Buford. But the Cadets went toe-to-toe against the latter, the eventual GHSA Class 6A runner-up, showing their potential in a 29-28 loss to the Wolves.
Cannon held his own in that game against Buford's Dayton Raiola – another quarterback on this list – throwing for 183 yards and a touchdown. He picked up another 70 yards and two scores on the ground while Raiola managed 220 yards through the air with two touchdowns in the duel. Raiola also threw two picks, though, giving Cannon a slight edge in the head-to-head. For the season, he managed 1,352 yards through the air and 11 touchdowns, and the Cadets will go as far as their senior star can take them in 2025.
Harrison Faulkner, North Oconee (Bogart) Titans – Sr.
(Ht) 6-0 (Wt) 175, Georgia Southern Eagles
Faulkner threw for 3,220 yards as a junior with 37 touchdowns through the air. He piled up another 724 yards on the ground while leading his Titans to the GHSA Class 4A state title. He's committed to Georgia Southern where his dual-threat abilities should be a good match in the Eagles' spread offense.
Brooks Goodman, Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell) Titans – Sr.
(Ht) 6-2.5 (Wt) 205, Cincinnati Bearcats
Goodman was the engineer behind the Titans' success on offense in 2024, passing for 1,668 yards and 14 touchdowns. He only managed 115 yards on the ground, but he did add another six touchdowns to account for a total of 20 scoring plays on the season.
He took the Titans to the third round of Georgia's Class 4A playoffs, setting up a true clash of the Titans against Faulkner's North Oconee squad in the semifinals. Both quarterbacks struggled in the game with Goodman passing for 127 yards while completing only 11 of his 23 attempts. Faulkner was slightly better percentage-wise (52.9%) but managed only 88 yards on nine completions. It was enough, however, to lead North Oconee to a 20-7 victory.
Goodman's Blessed Trinity finished the season 11-2, and they'll make another run at the playoffs this fall with the Cincinnati commit still in the fold.
All Glory to God
— Brooks Goodman (@BrooksGoodman12) May 1, 2025
IM HOME! Go Bearcats!❤️🖤@CoachSattUC @CoachPeteThomas
@PAbrams75 @BuckFitz @NatlPlaymkrsAca @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @samspiegs @adamgorney @CoachEdDudley63 @GJenk10 @CoachBeas @QuincyAvery pic.twitter.com/bg0oYMrUA6
Mason Holtzclaw, Carrollton Trojans – Sr.
(Ht) 6-4 (Wt) 205, Uncommitted
Holtzclaw was the starter for the Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, for two seasons, putting up modest numbers for the Greenies in that span – 2,467 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
But the raw potential and the opportunity for a big senior season has college recruiters clamoring for his services. Holtzclaw transferred to Carrollton, Georgia's Class 6A runner-up last season, and also reclassified to the Class of 2026, skipping his junior season in the process. His scholarship offers include a number of schools from the ACC and SEC, including Florida State, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech among others.
Kharim Hughley, Gainesville Red Elephants – Jr.
(Ht) 5-11 (Wt) 190, Clemson Tigers
Hughley was just a sophomore last year but emerged as a steady hand for the Red Elephants on offense. He passed for 2,543 yards and 22 touchdowns and was especially good at protecting the ball with only two interceptions.
It was enough to get the Red Herd to the playoffs, but a first round exit in a 38-28 loss to the Sequoyah (Canton) Chiefs has the Gainesville faithful hungry for more.
Teddy Jarrard, North Cobb (Kennesaw) Warriors – Jr.
(Ht) 6-3 (Wt) 190, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Not many players in Georgia's Class of 2027 are having as good a summer as Jarrard. The junior prospect committed to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on July 24, and he also transferred from Kennesaw private school North Cobb Christian to North Cobb High School. North Cobb plays in the GHSA's Class 6A, and the program is coming off an 11-1 season. Jarrard threw for 2,647 yards for hsi previous school with 31 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
It should be a win-win as Jarrard will hone his skills against a higher level of competition in preparation for his future career in South Bend, Indiana. North Cobb, meanwhile, gets a proven talent that's good enough to take them on a deep playoff run.
Every moment has led me here.
— Teddy Jarrard (@JarrardTeddy) July 24, 2025
I am excited to announce my commitment to @NDFootball! pic.twitter.com/IzGebGbR7i
Jayce Johnson, Lowndes (Valdosta) Vikings – Jr.
(Ht) 6-3 (Wt) 210, Texas A&M Aggies
Lowndes finish 10-2 last year with Johnson guiding the way as a dual threat in the Vikings' offense. He passed for 1,799 yards and 16 touchdowns with three interceptions. But he also made tracks in the ground game with 318 yards and three touchdowns.
He's only a junior, but he's another early commit in the state of Georgia's Class of 2027, giving his pledge to the Texas A&M Aggies on August 3.
Jaylen Johnson, Thomas County Central (Thomasville) Yellow Jackets – Sr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 220, Uncommitted
Still uncommitted in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Johnson holds a mix of offers from both FBS and FCS programs, including one from the Georgia State Panthers. He passed for 2,440 yards as a junior with 25 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He led his Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets to an 11-2 season that ended with a third-round 28-12 loss to the Langston Hughes (Fairburn) Panthers in the GHSA Class 5A playoffs.
Johnson also rolled up a modest 206 yards on the ground but managed to turn that into six more trips to the end zone.
Michael Johnson, Dutchtown (Hampton) Bulldogs – Sr.
(Ht) 5-11.5 (Wt) 165, Utah Utes
The Utah Utes made their pitch to Johnson back on May 19, and the Dutchtown senior quarterback followed up with an official visit on June 6. Four days later, he made it official with a commitment to play college football in Salt Lake City.
He's not big, checking in at just 5-foot 11.5-inches and 165 pounds, but he's elusive. He was one of the Peach State's top playmakers in 2024 with 2,700 yards passing and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. The dual-threat artist also ran for 618 yards with another 10 touchdowns, compiling an impressive highlight reel along the way.
Darnell Kelly, Langston Hughes (Fairburn) Panthers – Sr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 185, Colorado State Rams
Kelly committed to Colorado State back in April after a big junior season that saw him throw for 2,521 yards and 28 touchdowns for Peachtree Ridge. Kelly played for the Lions for two seasons, accumulating impressive totals of 5,240 yards passing with 55 scoring tosses.
But after two years at the Suwanee school and a lackluster 6-6 season in 2024, Kelly is headed back to Hughes in Fairburn where he started his prep career. Hughes was 13-2 a year ago, losing to Milton in the GHSA Class 5A state championship game with senior quarterback Christian Langford who graduated this spring. Kelly is the next man up for the Panthers, and the totals he put up while playing for a .500 squad a season ago suggest that a run at a state title might not be out of the question.
Brodie McWhorter, Cass (White) Colonels – Sr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 205, Uncommitted
McWhorter missed most of the 2024 season due to injury, but recent analysis of his skillset on Fanstake.com notes that he's being pursued by colleges for his strong decision-making abilities and his versatility at delivering the ball from different arm angles.
Ben Musser, Prince Avenue Christian (Athens) Wolverines – Jr.
(Ht) 6-2 (Wt) 200, Virginia Tech Hokies
Musser is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in Georgia's prep ranks, and the Prince Avenue Christian signal-caller used his wide range of skills to make a deep run into the GHSA private school playoffs. Musser passed for 1,472 yards and 15 touchdowns, but it was his work in the Wolverines' rushing attack that made the difference with 768 yards and eight more touchdowns.
It was good enough to carry the Wolverines all the way to the state finals where they finally fell to the Hebron Christian (Dacula) Lions, 56-28.
Gavin Owens, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles – Sr.
(Ht) 6-4 (Wt) 207, Memphis Tigers
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is an independent Georgia program that plays in an out-of-state conference – the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. The league plays at a high level against premier out-of-state programs, and Rabun-Gap is noted for taking on some of the best public schools in Georgia, too.
In fact, they open the 2025 season against the Grayson (Loganville) Rams, the defending GHSA Class 6A state champions, before visiting Chattanooga's Baylor School. Baylor is, arguably, Tennessee's top high school program at the moment, and possibly, the future program for one Marshall Manning, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
That's the level of competition Rabun Gap faces week in, week out, and Eagles' senior quarterback Gavin Owens put up some big numbers last fall during the team's 11-2 campaign. Owens threw for 2,185 yards and 35 touchdowns while protecting the ball and only throwing five interceptions. He's committed to play for Memphis after committing to the Tigers back on January 9.
Dayton Raiola, Buford Wolves – Sr.
(Ht) 6-1 (Wt) 205, Nebraska Cornhuskers
1,953 yards 19 TDs 3 INTs
Raiola is the younger brother of Nebraska Cornhuskers' quarterback, Dylan Raiola. He's been committed to Nebraska himself since September of last year, and in the meantime, put together an impressive junior season, leading his Buford Wolves to the state semifinals. He finished the season with 1,953 yards and just three interceptions.
Top Georgia quarterbacks to meet head-to-head throughout the season
Two nationally-ranked Georgia programs will face off on the opening night of the Peach State's high school football season when the defending GHSA Class 5A state champion Milford Eagles pay a visit to the 2024 Class 6A state semifinalist Buford Wolves.
Nationally, it's the best game on the schedule next week, slated for Thursday night, August 14, and the game will also feature the two programs' star quarterbacks in a rematch of their season opener a year ago. Milton won that game 13-10 with senior quarterback Luke Nickel at the controls.
This time around, the Eagles will send out Derrick Baker, the transfer from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Raiola was the man leading the offensive charges for Buford a year ago, and he'll be looking for a better result this time after passing for just 96 yards a year ago against the stout Milton defense.
Other top quarterback duels this fall include:
- August 22: Milton (Derrick Baker) at The First Academy/Orlando, FL (Landen Holley)
- August 22: Buford (Dayton Raiola) at Benedictine (Stephen Cannon)
- August 22: Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Gavin Owens) at Grayson (Travis Burgess)
- August 29: Prince Avenue Christian (Ben Musser) at Blessed Trinity (Brooks Goodman)
- August 29: Thompson/Alabaster, AL (Trent Seaborn) at Grayson (Burgess)
- September 5: Cass (Brodie McWhorter) at North Cobb (Teddy Jarrard)
- September 12: Blessed Trinity (Goodman) at Milton (Baker)
- September 12: Carrollton (Mason Holtzclaw) at Gainesville (Kharim Hughley)
- September 19: Langston Hughes (Darnell Kelly) at Dutchtown (Michael Johnson)
- September 19: Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Owens) at Providence Day (Zaid Lott)
- October 10: Gainesville (Hughley) at Milton (Baker)