Area former high school football players stand out, and the numbers prove it.
Three Savannah, Georgia, local alumni, Third Scroggins and Ralph Scroggins brothers (Benedictine Military School, University of Miami), and Mark Langston (Savannah Christian Preparatory School, Indiana University), will be in the College Football Playoff Championship game tonight January 19, 2026.
According to an article, All 4,744 Former Georgia High School Football Players on a College football Roster published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on January 6, 2026, written by longtime high school sports reporter Todd Holcomb and researcher Steve Slay, a total of 186 former Bryan County, Chatham County, Effingham County, and Liberty County area players were listed on college football rosters across all levels—Power 4 FBS (formely Power 5), Group of 5 - FBC, Division II, Division III, and junior college.
This accomplishment reflects significant progress in building strong programs and establishing a positive culture.
These players came from 21 different local schools and are now competing across the country.
Breakdown by School (Players on College Rosters)
Beach (5)
LB Kobie Goldwire (Bluffton), LB Mekhi Jinks (St. Mary), DL Ray Perry (Case Western Reserve), DL Ameer Phillips (Savannah State), DB Chandler Reid (Avila)
Benedictine (16)
DL Alijah Alexander (Eastern Michigan), RB Bryce Baker (Georgia Southern), DB Za’Quan Bryan (Minnesota), WR La’Don Bryant (Northern Illinois), P/K Connor Ferguson (Georgia), QB Holden Geriner (Texas State), LB Keiran Glover (Massachusetts Maritime), LB Jonathan Hardy (Merchant Marine), DB Ben Hollerbach (Georgia Tech), DL Mac Kromenhoek (Massachusetts Maritime), QB Luke Kromenhoek (Mississippi State), DL Herbert Scroggins III (Miami, Fla.), TE Bo Tallevast (Valdosta State), DL Jeremiah Thomas (West Georgia), DL Paul Thompson (Charleston), LS Cole Walker (East Carolina)
Bethesda Academy (3)
DL JeCaryous Bess (Thiel), WR Assir Best (Central Georgia Tech JC), WR Christian Vaughn (Central Georgia Tech JC)
Bradwell Institute (9)
TE Braelon Brock (Cisco JC), QB Christopher Garrett Jr. (Livingstone), DL Micah Kent (Davidson), TE Eli Leiataua (Kennesaw State), OL Deleon Madria (Arkansas Baptist), OL Joseph Morris (Georgia Military JC), WR Bryant Thomas (Peru State), DE Terran Tigner Jr. (Judson), OL Antonio Walthour (Livingstone)
Bryan County (2)
RB Austin Clemons (Middle Tennessee), DE Zyitayvius Freeman (Eureka)
Calvary Day (21)
WR Thomas Blackshear (Georgia), WR Doopah Coleman (Appalachian State), DE Jordan Davis (Shorter), OL Moses Echols (Benedict), LB Troy Ford Jr. (Central Florida), S Juwan Johnson (Mercer), DT Fuches Lewis II (Georgia State), RB Chase Lucas (Knox), DB Garrhet Manning (Nichols), DT Walter Mathis Jr. (Louisiana State), OL Ryan Merklinger (Chattanooga), QB Jake Merklinger (Tennessee), LB Quentin Morris (Shaw), OL Jayden Newton (St. Mary), DL Dayyan O’Neal (Lehigh), LB Cutter Powell (Charleston Southern), LS Ross Rambo (Charleston Southern), OL Jalin Scott (St. Mary), DT Terry Simmons Jr. (Duke), TE Michael Smith (South Carolina), DB Trevor Strowbridge (Savannah State)
Effingham County (10)
LB Antonio Butts Jr. (Mercer), RB Jayden Evans (Ferrum), OL Joshua Ford (Georgia Southern), DB Damion Gordon (St. Mary), OL Trey Gordy (Point), DL Christian Johnson-Hall (Springfield), DL Jordan Kimble (Cisco JC), DL Joseph Polite (West Georgia), DB Tyler Wells (Gettysburg), DL Tucker Wilson (Mercer)
Groves (3)
WR Makel Brown (William Woods), LB Micah Calhoun (Wayne State, Mich.), OL Donato Gutierrez (Chowan)
Islands (9)
ATH Jadon Adams (Savannah State), LB Tavare Brewton (Savannah State), DL Nathaniel Chisholm (Savannah State), DB James Shellman IV (Savannah State), LB JaQuan Jones (Anna Maria), WR Langston Lewis (Central Michigan), RB Elijah Patton (Anna Maria), DB Greg Pinkney Jr. (Shaw), NT Damonte Smith (Middle Tennessee)
Jenkins (18)
WR Aaron Bacon (Dodge City CC), QB Patrick Blake (Shaw), WR Tre’ Brown III (Old Dominion), LB Reico Collins (Savannah State), CB Buck Cooper (Mercer), DE Lorenzo Cowan (Kentucky), DL Tavion Gadson (Kentucky), WR Ke/Tayrion Haynes (Dodge City CC), WR Ted Hurst (Georgia State), DB Jeremiah James (Hinds CC), DL Timothy Randolph (Savannah State), WR Trenton Rhodes (Central Georgia Tech JC), DL D’Angelo Sheppard (Mississippi Valley State), DL Isaac Smith (Charleston Southern), WR Troy Smith Jr. (Elizabeth City State), WR Coray Stafford (Dodge City CC), DL Akelo Stone (Georgia Tech), OL Jahawan Wilkerson (Dodge City CC)
Johnson-Savannah (3)
TE Dylan Boone (South Carolina State), RB Elijah Hardy (Savannah State), RB Isaiah Scott (Andrew JC)
Liberty County (4)
WR Ron Golden Jr. (Fort Valley State), WR Jaden Hurd (Clarke), OL Jeremiah Phillips (Erskine), DB James Summersett (Hampton)
Memorial Day School (1)
QB Tyler Kindle (Central Georgia Tech JC)
New Hampstead (20)
DL Kyron Anderson (East Texas A&M), LB Kam Blake-Mazes (Springfield), K Jamaal Brown (Reinhardt), DB Zion Griffin (Stetson), DL Shaun Hamilton (Charleston Southern), WR Jaylen Hampton (Charlotte), DL J.T. Kinsey (Springfield), OL Alex Kohl (Point), DE Alijah Lacey (Georgia Military JC), DB Treyvon Louis (Culver-Stockton), LB Aaron Martin (Lyon), WR Kamari Maxwell (Austin Peay), OL Zach Pearson (Georgia Southern), OL Landon Purdom (Andrew JC), WR Deyandre Ruffin (South Carolina State), DL Aaziah Scott (Springfield), DB Chadlin Seymore (Clarke), LB Jordan Sonnabend (Murray State), RB Aljhanod Thomas (Albany State), QB RaShawn Truell (Savannah State)
Richmond Hill (22)
LB Gabe Bauman (Berry), S Tommy Bliss (Mercer), P Gilbert Brown (Charleston Southern), DB Jordan Clark (West Georgia), CB Caleb Easterling (Furman), OL Joe Fusile (Georgia Tech), RB Zion Gillard (Peru State), DB Aiden Grant (Berry), WR Ravon Grant (West Georgia), OL Christian Hubbard (Savannah State), DB Kenyan Hunter (West Florida), LB Lee Johnson (James Madison), TE Derrick Lum (Point), DE Armon Mason (Clemson), S Brandon McDonald (Charleston Southern), RB Ashaud Roberson (Valdosta State), QB Kirk Scott (LaGrange), TE Ryan Steele (Methodist), RB Joshua Troupe (Kennesaw State), LS Jaxson Wagner (West Georgia), K Britton Williams (Kennesaw State), OL Thomas Zimbalatti (Murray State)
Savannah Christian (7)
TE Logan Brooking (Clemson), DB David Bucey (South Carolina), DL Elijah Griffin (Georgia), P Christian Johns (Wheaton), LS Mark Langston (Indiana), WR Jamari McIvory (Northern Illinois), RB Jaden Miles (Stetson), QB Paulus Zittrauer (Franklin & Marshall)
Savannah Country Day (12)
DL Derrick Bing (Morehouse), DB Jeremiah Brown (Central Georgia Tech JC), DB Athon Herrin (Sewanee), RB Hyers Holland (Case Western Reserve), WR Keith James (Florida Memorial), TE Brooks Kleinpeter (Murray State), S Barry Kleinpeter (New Hampshire), QB Barton Mixon (Sewanee), OL Andrew Nicholson (Bucknell), WR Kenny Odom (Texas-El Paso), LB Tyler Scott (Bryant), DE Andrew Wynn (Chattanooga)
South Effingham (11)
OL Austin Blaske (North Carolina), RB Jamari Fields (Wingate), RB Rocko Griffin (Massachusetts), TE Aubrey Heath (Georgia Southern), QB Taylor Jackson (Reinhardt), OL Christopher Lord (Methodist), FB DaMyon McFarlin (Methodist), DE Matthew Moore (LaGrange), P/K Liam Rickman (Georgia State), DB Jaden Sanders (LaGrange), RB Larry Scott (South Carolina)
St. Andrew’s (4)
TE RaKari Harrison (Erskine), OL Tripp Jackson (Wheaton), DL Hayward Pollard (Brevard), DB Richaard Williams (Savannah State)
Windsor Forest (6)
RB Micheal Cabellero (Fort Valley State), DB Jah Gaines (Highland CC), OL Joe Maxwell III (Howard), DL Raymond McCloud (Point), WR Deven Thompson (William & Mary), DE Samuel Whitley (Wingate)
Woodville-Tompkins (1)
TE Wes Walker (Maryville)
The Big Picture
This list shows what many coaches already know:
Local football works. Strength programs, position coaches, offseason buy-in, and player development are paying off.
And it’s not just one school carrying the load—it’s the entire area.
Question for Readers
Now the Prep Sports Report ask the community:
Do you know of any local players currently in the transfer portal who have since signed?
Are there former county-area players we should add to this list?
Did we miss someone who deserves recognition?
If so, let us know by emailing your additions to kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com. The Prep Sports Report will continue to track and spotlight the next wave of college-bound talent from our area.
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— With research and reporting credit again to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports writer Todd Holcomb and researcher Steve Slay.
Photo credit: Indiana University and the University of Miami athletic websites as athletes personal social media pages.
Football coverage powered by Optim Orthopedics.
Optim Orthopedics supports Prep Sports Report coverage by keeping Savannah-area athletes healthy, strong, and game-ready.
Optim Orthopedics team physicians:
Dr. Don Aaron — Bryan County
Dr. David Sedory — Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County
Dr. David Palmer — Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham
Dr. Thomas Alexander — Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy
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To share scores, information, or story ideas, email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com or text 912-507-9158.
