Now that the regular season is a wrap and our focus is squarely on the postseason, we reveal our 2020 Football Player of the Year Nominees.

Next up, we’ll take this massive list of outstanding young men and narrow it down to a finalist pool to be voted on by our internal voting panel to determine the BLITZ Player of the Year. Rabun’s Gunner Stockton has taken the honors in back-to-back years.

NOMINEES

Drew Allison – Lumpkin Co SR DE/RB #17

Kadin Bailey – Jefferson JR LB/DE #45 // 58 TKL, 15 TFL, 6.5 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 FumRec

Jayce Bennett – Banks Co SR LB ##

Logan Berry – Dawson Co JR DE #46 // 46 TKL, 9 TFL, 7 Sacks, 1 FumRec

Sammy Brown – Commerce FR RB #22 // 1,368 rush yds, 14 TD; 181 rec yds, 4 TD; 192 KO ret yds

Jahari Burns – Stephens Co SR DL #42 // 52 TKL, 5 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 QBH, 3 FFum; 7 Pancake Blocks

Darius Cannon – White Co SO ATH #11 // 734 rec yds, 10 TD; 78 rush yds, 1 TD; 204 K/P ret yds; 24 TKL, 3 TFL, 5 INT

Gamarion Carter – Stephens Co SR WR #6 // 638 rec yds, 6 TD; 18 rush yds; 93 KR yds

Adriel Clark – Rabun Co SR WR #1 // 1,558 rec yds, 28 TD; 9 TKL

Jackson Clouatre – Habersham Central SR RB #5 // 1,206 rush yds, 9 TD; 113 rec yds, 1 TD

Colton Dufresne – Jefferson SR G #53 // 12 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 Sack

Jaden Gibson – Dawson Co SO WR #6 // 931 rec yds, 9 TD; 85 rush yds, 1 TD; 89 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 2PC, 18 TKL, 2 INT, 1 FFum

Isaiah Grindle – Dawson SR RB #15 // 753 rush yds, 5 TD; 124 rec yds, 1 TD; 106 KR yds

Reace Hampton – Towns Co SR DL // 50+ TKL, 5 TFL, 3 Sacks, 1 INT, 3 FFum, 2 FumRec

J Ben Haynes – White Co SR QB #8 // 1,657 pass yds, 16 TD; 592 rush yds, 15 TD

Roman Haynes – Banks Co JR RB/S #48

Aaron Helton – Union Co SR DE #66

Zach Holtzclaw – Dawson Co JR QB #10 // 2,801 pass yds, 28 TD; 76 rush yds, 5 TD

Trey Huff – Commerce SO QB/CB #10 // 570 pass yds, 8 TD; 612 rush yds, 13 TD; 3 INT

Brody Jarrard – Rabun Co SR LB #13 // 93 TKL, 10.5 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 FumRec

Cory Keller – Rabun Co SO LB #8 // 114 TKL, 6.5 TFL, 3 INT, 1 FFum, 8 PD; 307 K/P ret yds, 1 TD

Tyler Lane – Dawson Co SR TE #88 // 574 rec yds, 8 TD

Clayton Lester – Union Co SR #52

JJ Littles – Union Co SR LB #26

Dreylan Martin – Commerce JR RB/CB #2 // 858 rush yds, 12 TD

Rem Maxwell – Jefferson SR CB #21 // 75 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 2 FFum, 1 FumRec

Will McCraw – Rabun Co JR DL/OL #61 // 44 TKL, 9 TFL, 3 Sacks, 1 FumRec

Zion McMullen – White Co JR LB #1 // 213 rush yds, 2 TD; 20 rec yds; 89 TKL, 7 TFL, 1 Sack

Kade Moledor – Dawson Co SO #33 // 125 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 1 FFum

Jesse Moose – White Co SR DE #24 // 74 TKL, 7 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 3 FFum

Silas Mulligan – White Co JR RB/CB #6 // 1,052 rush yds, 15 TD; 124 rec yds, 1 TD; 44 PR yds; 38 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FFum

Kyle Oakes – Towns Co JR RB #2 // 1,007 rush yds, 13 TD

Bear Old – Rabun Co JR OL #78

Jordan Perry – Jefferson JR RB #43 // 434 rush yds, 5 TD; 208 rec yds, 4 TD; 265 KR yds; 37 TKL, 5.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 4 INT (1 TD), 1 FFum, 5 PD

Joshua Pickett – Habersham Central SR QB #1 // 1,009 pass yds, 9 TD; 1,674 rush yds, 25 TD

Kam Robinson – Jefferson SR ATH #3 // 243 rush yds, 4 TD; 468 PR yds, 4 TD; 29 TKL, 2 INT, 1 FumRec, 8 PD

William Rudeseal – Stephens Co SR OL #50 // 37 Pancake Blocks

Dakohta Sonnichsen – Dawson Co SR WR/CB #1 // 700 rec yds, 7 TD; 99 rush yds, 1 TD; 69 KR yds; 7 TKL, 1 FFum, 1 FumRec

Malaki Starks – Jefferson JR QB #24 // 569 pass yds, 11 TD; 1,537 rush yds, 24 TD; 41 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 3 PD

Gunner Stockton – Rabun Co JR QB #14 // 3,128 pass yds, 45 TD; 1,581 rush yds, 26 TD

Patrick Tedder – Habersham Central SR WR/CB #15 // 163 rec yds, 1 TD; 3 INT, 116 TKL, 3 TFL, 5 PD, 2 PBU

Chris Thompson – Rabun Co JR OL/DL #77 // 59 TKL, 10.5 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 FFum

Will Turpin – Rabun Co JR LB #24 // 124 TKL, 14.5 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 FFum, 1 FumRec

Carson Walker – Union Co JR #18

Kyle Watson – Stephens Co SR LB #7 // 34 TKL, 2 QBH, 2 INT, 3 FumRec (1 TD), 1 PD; 5 Pancake Blocks

Kinkade Weaver – Dawson Co SR #5 // 74 TKL, 12 TFL, 1 FFum

Lang Windham – Rabun Co SO RB #7 // 1,378 rush yds, 12 TD; 497 rec yds, 5 TD

Austin Wood – Habersham Central SR WR/S #21 // 315 rec yds, 3 TD; 293 KR yds; 9 INT, 46 TKL, 2 FFum, 13 PD, 4 PBU

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Alex Aaron (Habersham Central JR DE #78) 40 TKL, 10 TFL, 3 Sacks, 1 FFum, 2 FumRec
• Andrew Adams (Lumpkin Co DE/T #55)
• Cade Adams (Dawson Co SO DE #73) 46 TKL, 8 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 FFum, 1 FumRec
• Dylan Archer (White Co SR LB #33) 53 TKL, 2 TFL
• Parker Behrends (Habersham OL)
• Caleb Bonesteel (Dawson Co SR K #99)
• Tyelon Brock (Commerce SR RB #31) 407 rush yds, 5 TD; 60 rec yds, 1 TD
• Kelton Cade (Stephens Co JR #10) 35 TKL, 3 QBH, 1 INT
• Butch Cassidy (Habersham Central OL #56)
• Bo Childers (Commerce SR OT #72) 48 TKL, 3 PBU, 1 FumRec
• Keyton Chitwood (Union Co JR WR #9)
• Caleb Cook (Towns Co SR DL)
• Paxton Corkery (Jefferson SR #10) 57 TKL, 13.5 TFL, 7 Sacks, 1 FFum, 2 FumRec, 1 Blk; 151 rush yds, 3 TD
• Nolan Crane (Rabun Co JR OL #56) 17 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 Sack
• Bryson Cronic (White Co JR CB #3) 32 TKL, 4 INT, 1 FFum
• Collin Crowder (Towns Co SO WR ##) 353 rec yds, 1 TD
• Cesar Cruz (Rabun Co JR DL/OL #66) 45 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 FumRec
• Jonah Daniel (Union Co SR RB #24)
• Clayton Dixon (Rabun Co JR DL/OL #50) 30 TKL, 3.5 TFL, 1 Sack
• Reece Dockery (White Co SR #32) 199 rec yds, 3 TD; 22 P/K ret yds; 64 TKL
• Conley Dyer (Dawson Co JR RB #21) 400 rush yds, 5 TD
• Vadole Fleming (Stephens Co JR #8) 53 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 QBH, 2 FFum, 2 FumRec, 1 PD
• Mason Gaddis (Commerce JR LG #56)
• Seth Gillis (Towns Co SO)
• Turner Grimmett (Rabun Co JR #2) 85 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 FumRec, 1 Sack, 3 PD
• Jaheim Hardy (Jefferson SR OL/DL #82) 51 TKL, 7 TFL, 2.5 Sacks, 1 FFum, 1 FumRec, 3 PD
• Garrett Heaton (Habersham #25) 80 TKL, 11.5 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 BLK
• Logan Helcher (Union Co JR QB #8) 1,109 pass yds, 5 TD; 370 rush yds, 5 TD
• Kaston Hemphill (Union Co SR #3)
• Cade Herrin (Banks Co JR S/RB #10)
• Ricky Hicks (Lumpkin Co JR OL #56)
• Javion Hightower (Stephens Co SR S #15) 47 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 2 BLK, 1 FumRec (TD), 2 PD
• Corey Ibrahim (Stephens Co SR RB #29) 601 rush yds, 8 TD; 76 KR yds, 33 rec yds
• Kolton Jones (Jefferson SR RB/WR #1) 529 rush yds, 4 TD; 52 rec yds, 1 TD; 165 KR yds
• Sutton Jones (Rabun Co SR CB/WR #20) 4 INT, 1 FFum, 1 FumRec, 5 PD, 12 TKL, 1 TFL; 381 rec yds, 1 TD
• Conner King (Towns Co SR DL)
• Tanner Kirk (Lumpkin Co CB #11)
• Cam’ron Lacy (Stephens Co SO #3) 376 rec yds, 3 TD; 23 rush yds; 269 K/P ret yds (1 TD); 26 TKL, 2 PD
• Brandon Lantz (Dawson Co SR #24) 105 TKL, 3 TFL
• Kane Lowery (White Co SO #15) 135 rec yds, 1 TD; 26 K/P ret yds; 4 TKL
• Quanah Martin (Stephens Co JR DE #83) 31 TKL, 1 Sack, 1 QBH
• Aaron Maxwell (Stephens Co SO DL #59) 13 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 Sacks
• Hayden McClure (Towns Co SR WR #12)
• Mason McCombs (Union Co SR WR/K #5)
• Jonathan Moon (Banks Co SR RB/LB #24)
• Hunter Moore (Rabun Co JR CB #22) 4 INT, 46 TKL, 2 TFL, 9 PD; 122 KR yds
• Hunter Nunn (Commerce SR LB #3) 88 TKL
• Spencer Neese (Jefferson JR #22) 12 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks; 201 rec yds, 4 TD
• Caleb Norrell (Lumpkin Co SO WR #12)
• Garrett Oakes (Towns Co)
• Tate Ramey (Rabun Co JR TE #34) 352 rec yds, 8 TD; 11 TKL
• Bowen Roberts (Banks Co JR QB/LB #2)
• Dylan Ryoul (Jefferson JR C #54)
• Cooper Scott – (Lumpkin Co SO QB #18)
• Michael Sherman (Commerce RB/CB #9) 253 rush yds, 6 TD; 6 TKL
• Riley Stancil (White Co SR #10) 382 pass yds, 3 TD; 210 rush yds, 5 TD; 23 rec yds; 9 PR yds; 38 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks
• Carter Stephenson (Jefferson SR QB #9) 279 rush yds, 9 TD; 1 pass TD; 16 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 INT
• Seth Stonecypher (White Co SR #28) 178 rush yds, 1 TD; 20 rec yds; 44 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 FFum, 1 Sack
• Ben Stowe (Stephens Co SO QB #12) 1,192 pass yds, 10 TD; 195 rush yds, 6 TD
• Carter Stroud (Banks Co SR WR/CB #16)
• Devin Sullens (White Co SR G #53)
• Grayson Taylor (Habersham Central SR WR/CB #23) 306 rec yds, 3 TD; 62 TKL, 10 TFL, 1 FFum, 4 PD, 4 PBU, 1 QBH
• Mason Thomas (Towns Co SR QB #1) 1,065 pass yds, 8 TD
• Walker Thomason (Stephens Co JR OL #64) 35 Pancake Blocks
• Alex Thornton (White Co JR #7) 52 TKL, 2 TFL
• Bryson Trimier (Stephens Co JR CB #9) 42 TKL, 2 INT (2 TD), 1 FumRec, 2 PD
• Cooper Turner (White Co SR WR #5) 498 rec yds, 3 TD
• Riley Turner (White Co JR S #4) 36 TKL, 2 INT
• Noah Underwood (Union Co SR #16)
• Pierce Vickery (Habersham Central OL #52) 14 TKL, 2.5 TFL
• Caleb Wade (Habersham Central JR OL/DL #7) 65 TKL, 8.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FumRec
• Tanner Wade (Habersham Central SR OL/DL #50) 52 TKL, 9.5 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 QBH
• Jaquez Williams (White Co SR OL/DL #52) 24 TKL, 4 TFL
• Hoff Windham (Rabun Co SR #30) 116 TKL, 11.5 TFL, 1 INT, 2 FFum, 1 FumRec, 1 PD
• Hogan Woodward (Rabun Co JR LB #5) 72 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FFum, 5 PD; 138 K/P ret yds; 151 rec yds, 2 TD
• Trace Wright (Union Co JR #2)
• Hunter Young (Union Co SR S #20)