The 2022 Football season is officially in the history books. Before we move forward, let’s take a look back and congratulate the following athletes. These guys are your 2022 Player of the Year Nominees. We will internally dissect this list to formulate a finalist pool of anywhere from 6-8 who will then be internally voted on by our BLITZ Panel to determine Player of the Year. (This process is NOT for public voting).

NOTE: We reached out to all head coaches for a call to nominate players from their team.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Cade Adams – Dawson Co SR DL #73

STATS: 49 TKL, 20 TFL, 13 Sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR

Max Aldridge – Jefferson SR QB #18

STATS: 1,361 pass yds, 16 TD, 7 INT, 50% Completion; 208 rush yds, 3 TD

Nic Baloga – Rabun Co SR LB #1

STATS: 196 TKL, 15 TFL, 3 Sacks, 10 QBH, 2 INT, 2 FF, 1 FR

Gage Barnes – Union Co SR LB #35

STATS: 109 TKL, 18 TFL, 8 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 5 PBU

Carter Barrett – Habersham JR FS #23

STATS: 82 TKL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 3 PBU

Sammy Brown – Jefferson JR RB/LB #1

STATS: 1,459 rush yds, 21 TD, 8.1 YPC; 246 rec yds, 3 TD, 12 rec; 103 TKL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 2 PBU

Aidan Butts – Stephens Co JR DL #88

STATS: 75 TKL, 26 TFL, 16 Sacks, 4 FF

Cam Cooper – Banks Co SO LB #24

STATS: 47 TKL, 9 TFL, 1 FF Missed Half of Season to Injury

Isaiah Copeland – Jefferson SR LB #20

STATS: 31 TKL, 1 TFL, 3 Sacks

Cesar Cruz – Rabun Co SR DL/OL #66

STATS: 60 TKL, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks, 10 QBH, 2 BLK

Jaiden Daniels – Commerce SO RB #6

STATS: 1,484 rush yds, 19 TD, 7.4 YPC; 35 rec yds; 70 pass yds, 1 TD

Elijah Dewitt – Jefferson SR WR #2

STATS: 594 rec yds, 5 TD, 22 rec; 27 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU

Joey Duncan – Commerce JR OT #64

STATS: High Grade on OL

Oscar Escobedo – Jefferson SR DL #80

STATS: 61 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 PBU

TJ Everett – Stephens Co SR RB/LB #1

STATS: 418 rush yds, 6 TD; 14 rec yds; 73 TKL, 8 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 1 FR

Jack Fagan – Commerce SR DE #20

STATS: 38 TKL, 6 Sacks

Cal Faulkner – Lumpkin Co SO WR/DB #1

STATS: 677 rec yds, 9 TD, 48 rec; 69 rush yds, 2 TD; 10 pass yds; 287 Punt/Kick Ret yds; 27 TKL, 4 INT (1 TD)

Ryan Fowler – White Co JR RB #17

STATS: 667 rush yds, 9 TD, 7.3 YPC; 251 rec yds, 2 TD, 12 rec, 21.0 YPC

Jaden Gibson – Rabun Co SR WR #6

STATS: 1,950 rec yds (2nd most in state history), 29 TD (state record), 109 rec; 1 rush TD; 67 KR yds; all-time state record for rec yds and rec TD; 1 INT; 82 KR yds, 83 PR yds

Jarret Giles – Rabun Co JR S/WR #9

STATS: 52 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PBU; 165 rec yds, 1 TD, 7 rec

Seth Gillis – Towns Co SR RB/LB #9

STATS: 944 rush yds, 9 TD; 245 rec yds; 108 TKL, 7 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 INT (1 TD), 2 FF, 2 PBU, 3 QBH

Davis Glass – Dawson Co SO QB #6

STATS: 1,050 pass yds, 11 TD, 2 INT, 48% Completion; 218 rush yds, 3 TD

Jensen Goble – Union Co JR WR #12

STATS: 1,016 rec yds, 9 TD, 87 rec; 9 rush yds; 40 pass yds, 1 TD

Willie Goodwyn – Rabun Co JR DB/WR #23

STATS: 449 rec yds, 7 TD, 20 rec; 44 TKL, 5 QBH, 3 INT, 3 PBU

Javin Gordon – Stephens Co SO RB #7

STATS: 1,017 rush yds, 13 TD; 105 rec yds, 1 TD

Kevin Haymond – Dawson SR LB #54

STATS: 37 TKL, 10 TFL, 6 Sacks

Braden Henslee – Habersham JR LB #7

STATS: 106 TKL, 11 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 2 FR, 1 FF, 3 BLK, 2 QBH

Cole Hill – Commerce LB #14

STATS: 96 TKL, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR

Jacob Holbrook – White Co SR LB #22

STATS: 107 TKL, 1 Sack, 6 TFL, 1 FF

Bowman Horn – Jefferson SR S #11

STATS: 61 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 1 FF, 4 PBU

Hampton Hutto – Commerce SR OG #79

STATS: OL Leader, High Grade OL

Cory Keller – Rabun Co SR DB #8

STATS: 74 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT; 167 rec yds, 15 rec; 131 KR yds, 59 PR yds

Will Kurtz – Dawson Co SR LB #35

STATS: 34 TKL, 12 TFL, 9 Sacks

Cam Lacy – Stephens Co SR WR #3

STATS: 857 rec yds, 11 TD, 44 rec; 79 rush yds; 688 K/P ret yds, 4 TD; 18 TKL, 2 INT

Dom LeBlanc – Dawson Co JR WR #9

STATS: 618 rec yds, 6 TD, 31 rec

Noah Legault – Rabun Co SR LB/WR #4

STATS: 645 rec yds, 4 TD, 45 rec; 62 TKL, 1 TFL, 5 INT, 2 FF, 1 FR, 1 PBU

Aaron Maxwell – Stephens Co SR DL #59

STATS: 65 TKL, 16 TFL, 7 Sacks, 3 FR

Kade Moledor – Dawson Co SR RB/LB #33

STATS: 532 rush yds, 5 TD, 5.3 YPC; 83 TKL, 8 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR

Jackson Morris – Commerce SR DB #4

STATS: 39 TKL, 6 INT

Mac Mullis – Commerce SO S #3

STATS: 82 TKL, 1 INT

Tripp Nix – White Co SO QB #2

STATS: 1,426 pass yds, 9 TD, 55% Completion; 622 rush yds, 11 TD

Devin Norton – White Co SR DE #44

STATS: 68 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR

Trenton O’Kelly – White Co SR OT/DL/LB #54

STATS: 86% Grade, 21 PNK, 39 Knockdowns, 9 TD Blocks, 3 Sacks Allowed; 72 TKL (40 Solo), 2 Sacks, 10 TFL, 1 FR

Emiliano Ortiz – Rabun Co SR DE #73

STATS: 65 TKL, 7 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 FR

Ethan Owens – Rabun Co SR LB #45

STATS: 124 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 Sack, 8 QBH

Paul Picciotti – Rabun Co JR LB/WR #21

STATS: 54 TKL, 10 TFL, 6 Sacks, 12 QBH, 1 FR, 2 PBU; 161 rec yds, 1 TD, 10 rec

Corey Richie – Stephens Co SR WR/DB #2

STATS: 474 rec yds, 3 TD, 31 rec; 104 TKL, 2 TFL, 5 INT, 2 FF, 9 PBU

Chance Schmeltz – Towns Co SR DE #61

STATS: 102 TKL, 23 TFL, 2.5 Sacks, 2 FF, 16 QBH

Aaron Scott – Banks Co JR RB/WR #1

STATS: 626 rec yds, 4 TD; 305 rush yds, 5 TD

Cooper Scott – Lumpkin Co SR QB #18

STATS: 1,543 pass yds, 13 TD, 9 INT, 69% Completion; 541 rush yds, 11 TD

Andrew Shockley – Banks Co SR RB #14

STATS: 1,261 rush yds, 15 TD; 393 rec yds, 4 TD; 1 KR TD; 1 BLK Kick TD

Elijah Smith – Dawson Co SR RB #7

STATS: 670 rush yds, 5 TD, 6.6 YPC

Jasec Smith – Stephens Co SO WR/DB #6

STATS: 83 TKL, 2 TFL, 3 INT, 3 FF, 2 FR, 1 BLK, 12 PBU; 352 rec yds, 2 TD; 13 rush yds, 1 TD

Keegan Stover – Rabun Co SR QB #11

STATS: 3,605 pass yds, 41 TD, 3 INT, 62% Completion; 126 rush yds, 3 TD

Ben Stowe – Stephens Co SR QB #12

STATS: 1,884 pass yds, 18 TD, 3 INT, 54% Completion; 121 rush yds, 2 TD

Mason Sullens – Lumpkin Co JR RB #32

STATS: 1,101 rush yds, 18 TD; 148 rec yds, 1 TD

Ritt Tankersley – Stephens Co SR LB #14

STATS: 106 TKL, 8 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 FF, 4 PBU

Caiden Tanner – Union Co JR QB #17

STATS: 2,893 pass yds, 24 TD, 8 INT, 68% Completion; 284 rush yds, 8 TD, 2.9 YPC

Cohen Thomason – Commerce SR CB #30

STATS: 49 TKL, 3 INT, 13 PBU

JD Trowell – White Co SR OT/DL #56

STATS: 81% Grade, 18 PNK, 41 Knockdowns, 7 TD Blocks, 5 Sacks Allowed; 31 TKL (21 Solo), 2 Sacks, 6 TFL

Nathan Walker – Stephens Co SR DE #63

STATS: 94 TKL, 23 TFL, 8 Sacks, 1 FR

Robert Walker – Banks Co JR DL/OL #72

STATS: 67 TKL, 11 TFL, 3 Sacks

Wilson Walker – Union Co SR DB #0

STATS: 92 TKL, 10 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 FF, 1 INT, 7 PBU

Zeke Whittington – Habersham SO WR #5

STATS: 987 rec yds, 2 TD, 97 rec; 131 rush yds, 2 TD; 306 KR yds

Tysean Wiggins – Commerce SO RB #44

STATS: 924 rush yds, 10 TD, 6.3 YPC; 34 rec yds

Raven Wilson – Stephens Co SR DL #66

STATS: 91 TKL, 18 TFL, 5 Sacks

Lang Windham – Rabun Co SR RB #7

STATS: 918 rush yds, 10 TD; 162 rec yds; 153 KR yds, 73 PR yds

Will Wood – Lumpkin Co JR LB #22

STATS: 61 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 FR

Griff Young – Union Co SR WR #6

STATS: 838 rec yds, 9 TD, 55 rec; 125 rush yds; 6 TKL, 1 Sack

Skyler Zimmerman – Jefferson JR LB #26

STATS: 59 TKL, 8 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR