BLITZ Football Player of the Year Nominees

We studied all the season stats for Player of the Year nominees. Here are the best of the best in 2026 – 109 total nominees!

What’s Next? BLITZ will narrow down the finalist pool to a small group of finalists (5-7 players roughly). A select group of nominees will be up for the Fan Vote as the ‘LAST FINALIST’ to join our finalist group. Then, an internal vote takes place from our media panel to determine Player of the Year!

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PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES (by school)

BANKS COUNTY LEOPARDS

Kyson Nesbitt – JR RB #7 – 1,157 rush yds, 14 TD
Levi Parker – SO QB #10 – 88 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT; 51 rush yds, 1 TD*
Haiden Williamson – SR #9 – 490 rush yds, 9 TD; 2 INT

COMMERCE TIGERS

Bronc Cash – JR DE #45 – 70 TKL, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 Sacks, 2 QBH
Jude Forrester – SR DL #72 – 44 TKL, 7 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 2 FR, 9 QBH
Marco Huff – SO RB #11 – 1,503 rush yds, 24 TD; 85 rec yds; 33 TKL, 2.5 TFL, 7 Sacks, 1 FR, 2 QBH, 1 DEF TD
Tate Kirk – JR QB #17 – 1,362 pass yds, 18 TD, 1 INT
Jayden Locklear – JR LB #8 – 30 TKL, 7 TFL, 4.5 Sacks, 3 QBH, 1 FF
Essien Lockleer – SR WR #5 – 379 rec yds, 6 TD, 27 rec; 16 TKL, 1 INT, 3 PD
Jace Lyle – SR RB #2 – 243 rush yds, 5 TD
Ty Sorrells – SR WR #0 – 588 rec yds, 6 TD, 39 rec; 8 TKL, 1 TFL, 4 PD
Caden McWilliams – SR LB #4 – 78 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 FR
Makiy Sanders – SR CB #7 – 26 TKL, 3.5 TFL, 1 QBH, 3 INT, 1 FR
Rivers West – JR S #10 – 68 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 QBH, 1 BLK, 1 PD; 88 rec yds, 1 TD

DAWSON COUNTY TIGERS

Jayden Cohen – JR S #4 – 50 TKL, 4 INT, 1 PD (missing final game defense)
Brock Eckert – SR LB #23 – 31 TKL, 5 TFL, 3 Sacks, 2 QBH, 1 FR (missing final game defense)
Josiah Holtzclaw – SR LB #33 – 54 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 QBH (missing final game defense)
Cody McBrayer – SR RB #2 – 461 rush yds, 5 TD; 24 rec yds
Brody Sorensen – JR QB #16 – 1,534 pass yds, 9 TD, 9 INT; 382 rush yds, 7 TD
Blake Turner – SO ATH #25 – 316 rush yds, 3 TD; 83 rec yds, 1 TD
Cash Watkins – SR WR #1 – 225 rec yds, 1 TD, 19 rec
Gunnar Weaver – SR WR #5 – 676 rec yds, 5 TD, 33 rec; 38 rush yds, 1 TD; 1 KOR TD; 19 TKL, 1 TFL (missing final game defense)

FRANKLIN COUNTY LIONS

Kennan Burtch – SR OL #60 – Top Lineman
Carson Cheek – SR RB #24 – 385 rush yds, 7 TD; 114 rec yds, 1 TD
Elliott Harbin – JR LB #33 – 75 TKL*
Gavin Wells – SR ATH #5 – 333 rec yds, 4 TD, 23 rec*
Jett Whitworth – JR WR #17 – 832 rec yds, 6 TD, 43 rec, 4 INT, 2 Def TD
Knox Whitworth – SO QB #7 – 1,773 pass yds, 16 TD, 8 INT; 318 rush yds, 5 TD

HABERSHAM CENTRAL RAIDERS

Kinlee Bee – SO RB #20 – 455 rush yds, 10 TD; 50 rec yds
Griffin Cunningham – SR LB #6 – 63 TKL, 6.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 FR, 2 FF
CJ Davis – SR LB #3 – 51 TKL, 8 TFL, 4 Sacks, 2 INT, 6 PD, 1 QBH, 1 FF
Corbett Dover – SR DL #25 – 51 TKL, 9 TFL, 4 Sacks, 2 PD, 5 QBH, 1 FR, 1 FF, 3 BLK
Jay Feltus – SR WR #11 – 628 rec yds, 4 TD, 48 rec; 4 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PD
Noah Harkins – SR LB #24 – 69 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 QBH, 2 FR, 1 QBH
Drake Roland – SR WR #19 – 585 rec yds, 2 TD, 38 rec; 31 rush yds; 3 TKL
Paris Wilbanks – SR QB #7 – 1,534 pass yds, 9 TD, 8 INT; 568 rush yds, 10 TD
Parks York – SR S #4 – 58 TKL, 1.5 TFL, 4 PD

JEFFERSON DRAGONS

Dylan Berardinelli – SR LB #34 – 62 TKL, 7 TFL
Jacob Berardinelli – SR S #21 – 74 TKL, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 3 PD; 136 rush yds, 1 TD; 63 rec yds, 1 TD
Max Brown – SR LB/RB #1 – 627 rush yds, 9 TD; 45 rec yds, 1 KOR TD; 99 TKL, 14 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF
Zacai Elder – SR DB #13 – 30 TKL, 3 INT, 2 FR, 3 FF
CJ Hays – SO LB/RB #22 – 580 rush yds, 8 TD; 55 TKL, 11 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 PD, 2 FR
Boone Horn – SR QB #11 – 1,648 pass yds, 17 TD, 1 INT; 232 rush yds, 6 TD
Austen Kitchings – SO WR #5 – 691 rec yds, 9 TD, 37 rec
Shyne Parham – SR DB #16 – 30 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PD
Bo Parker – JR LB #28 – 35 TKL, 2 TFL, 3 INT, 2 PD
Carter Perrin – JR WR/DB #4 – 386 rec yds, 4 TD, 30 rec, 1 PR TD; 6 TKL, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FR
Eli Primm – SR LB #7 – 82 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF; 114 rush yds, 2 TD
Gavin Simmons – SR OL #79
Courtland Tillery – SR T #74
Clifford Williford – JR OL #50

LUMPKIN COUNTY INDIANS

Joseph Alvarez – JR RB #9 – 918 rush yds, 12 TD; 146 rec yds, 3 TD
Rylan Armstrong – SR OL/DL #58
Cohen Carden – JR LB #33 – 48 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 1 FR, 4 PD
Grayson Coker – SO DL #51 – 38 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 2 Sacks, 3 QBH
Xander Dorsey – SR LB /RB #2 – 49 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 2 QBH, 2 INT, 1 FR; 296 rush yds, 1 D
Wylder Flakes – JR K #90 – 2/3 FG, 41/43 XP, 47 PTS
Kolson Howell – JR QB #4 – 1,466 pass yds, 10 TD, 5 INT; 755 rush yds, 14 TD
Martin Hulsey – JR WR #10 – 479 rec yds, 1 TD, 34 rec
Calloway Kingsbury – SO DB #27 – 64 TKL, 2 TFL
Gannon Melanson – JR LB #5 – 85 TKL, 6 TFL, 4 QBH, 2 PD
Mac Powell – SR TE #1 – 661 rec yds, 6 TD, 48 rec
Caleb Soles – SR DL #52 – 42 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks, 3 QBH
Weston Veater – SR LB/RB #0 – 48 TKL, 2 PD; 458 rush yds, 7 TD

RABUN COUNTY WILDCATS

Bryan Avila – SR K #18 – 4/5 FG, 46 LNG, 31/32 XP, 43 PTS; 4 TB
Brock Brady – JR LB #9 – 98 TKL, 10 TFL, 3 FF, 1 PD
Reed Burrell – SR DB #1 – 69 TKL, 2 TFL, 6 PD, 1 FR; 208 rec yds, 1 TD, 12 rec
Colter Cannon – JR DB #8 – 65 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PD; 184 rec yds, 23 rec
JK Fruster – SR RB #6 – 1,051 rush yds, 20 TD; 174 rec yds; 67 TKL, 9 TFL, 1 QBH, 3 INT, 5 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF
Baylor Potts – JR #10 – 112 TKL, 9 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 QBH, 2 PD, 1 FR
Simon Robinson – SO DL #60 – 56 TKL, 9 TFL, 2 Sacks, 9 QBH
Khanii Thompson – SR S #27 – 10 TKL, 2 INT, 2 PD, 2 FR, 2 FF
Mack Williams – SR DL #45 – 60 TKL, 10 TFL, 2 Sacks, 9 QBH, 2 FF
Ryan Yearwood – SR DL #54 – 54 TKL, 9 TFL, 12 QBH, 1 INT, 1 PD

STEPHENS COUNTY INDIANS

Isaiah Arthur – SR LB #5 – 129 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 INT, 8 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF
Duke Collins – JR WR/DB #26 – 874 rec yds, 14 TD; 45 rush yds; 41 TKL, 1 TFL, 5 INT, 4 PD
Peyton Feaster – SR LB #17 – 85 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 13 QBH, 1 PD, 1 FR
Seth Fulbright – SO DL #46 – 72 TKL, 9 TFL, 3 Sacks, 2 QBH, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR
Dallas Hague – SO RB #3 – 332 rush yds, 5 TD; 47 rec yds
Kaiden Harbin – SO WR #1 – 1,084 rec yds, 10 TD, 65 rec; 26 rush yds
Ahmad Ivey – SR LB #8 – 53 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 BLK
Ryan King – JR OL #
Zoonk Patterson – JR DB #22 – 62 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PD, 3 FF
Karunte Riley – SO LB #9 – 87 TKL, 14 TFL, 1 Sack, 4 PD, 1 FF
Branson Stowe – JR QB #10 – 2,755 pass yds, 32 TD, 6 INT; 160 rush yds, 2 TD
Malachi Williamson – SR DL #33 – 53 TKL, 9 TFL, 6 Sacks, 10 QBH, 1 FR
Josiah Worsley – FR K #21 – 3/4 FG, 35 LNG, 37/38 XP, 46 PTS

TOWNS COUNTY INDIANS

Alex Baert – JR RB #3 – 1,831 rush yds, 26 TD; 54 rec yds; 40 TKl, 2 Sacks, 8 TFL, 1 INT
Mason Gillis – SR OL/DL #50 – 47 TKL, 6 TFL
Alfonso Gimapola – JR QB #1 – 519 pass yds, 5 TD, 5 INT; 240 rush yds, 5 TD
Esteban Salazar – SO LB #6 – 53 TKL
Sam Sarafin – JR WR/DB #6 – 430 rec yds, 4 TD, 30 rec; 514 rush yds, 5 TD; 2 Def TD; 87 TKL, 2 INT

UNION COUNTY PANTHERS

Haze Burnett – JR WR #1 – 211 rec yds, 1 TD, 24 rec; 1 INT*
Chetley Cox – SR ATH #8 – 197 rec yds, 3 TD, 11 rec; 38 rush yds, 1 TD*
Alan Godinez – SR OL/DL
Kamden Kendrick – JR QB #17 – 875 pass yds, 13 TD, 3 INT*
Bentley Rich – SR RB #0 – 273 rush yds, 4 TD; 33 rec yds*
Sir Zion Thompson – SR WR/DB #7 – 189 rec yds, 3 TD*

WHITE COUNTY WARRIORS

Savion Anderson – SR RB/DB #6 – 259 rush yds, 5 TD; 31 rec yds, 1 TD; 46 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PD
Gaines Clark – SR WR #1 – 407 rec yds, 3 TD, 41 rec; 6 TKL, 2 TFL, 3 PD
Jack Clark – SO RB #5 – 778 rush yds, 11 TD; 136 rec yds, 1 TD; 2 TKL, 1 PD
Casey Crane – SR LB #15 – 94 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 FF
Zach Godfrey – SR WR/DB #2 – 565 rec yds, 7 TD, 37 rec; 1 KOR TD; 72 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 QBH, 2 INT, 5 PD, 2 FR, 1 FF
Samuele Harkins – SR LB #44 – 48 TKL, 3 TFL, 4 Sacks, 5 QBH, 1 FR
John Jarrard – SO WR/DB #0 – 540 rec yds, 4 TD, 39 rec; 34 TKL, 4 TFL, 6 PD, 1 BLK
J Bo Kastner – SR OL #52
Lucian London – JR LB #41 – 74 TKL, 2 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 FR
Brinn Robinson – JR QB #10 – 1,810 pass yds, 17 TD, 7 INT; 28 rush yds, 2 TD
Josiah Williams – SR DL #56 – 48 TKL, 9 TFL, 1 Sack, 7 QBH, 1 FR, 2 BLK