The Georgia high school football season has nearly come to a close, with the final state title games of the weekend being played on Wednesday. And with things wrapping up — as well as the end of the signing period earlier this month — Rivals is breaking down where the top prospects in the 2026 Peach State class are headed.
In the 2025 class, the state had a whopping 36 players ranked among the nation’s top 300, second only to Florida (37) and Texas (42). And that’s despite having one-half the population of the Sunshine State and one-third of the Lone Star State’s numbers.
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2026 is another banner year for talent, with 12 players among the top 100 in the Rivals Industry Rankings and 43 blue-chippers in total. As the state playoffs finish off, Rivals checks in on how the state’s top players fared this fall and where they’re signed to play college ball:
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 12 NATL.
At one time ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2027 class, Guyton moved up a year earlier this fall and is now on track to graduate and join the Red Raiders as part of their 2027 crop. Across his first two seasons at Savannah Christian (Ga.), he totaled 33 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and 134 tackles.
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Heading into the state title game this weekend, he’d racked up 66 tackles, 14 tackles loss and six sacks after transferring into Benedictine Military School in Savannah.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 19 NATL.
Atkinson is a multi-time high school All-American already and is one of the nation’s most ballyhooed recruits. He participated as a junior in the Navy All-American Bowl in January after a 2024 campaign where he totaled 166 tackles, (32 TFLs), 46 quarterback hits, 13 sacks, an an interception.
This season, he has followed it up with another dominant year for Grayson, which fell just a few games short of a state title. Across 11 games, he totaled 91 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 20 NATL.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Griffin was an early commitment to USC and another dynamic linebacker from inside the state’s borders. However, he backed off that pledge in May and then chose Alabama a month later. In addition to being a star on the gridiron, he’s also an All-Region basketball pick. Despite dealing with injuries in 2024, he racked up 43 tackles and six sacks.
Healthy this fall, he helped Gainesville to a deep playoff run and tallied 96 tackles, 18 quarterback hurries, 12 TFLs and four sacks.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 30 NATL.
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Prothro is a quarterback’s dream, standing in at 6’6 with exceptional leaping ability and soft hands. He was a top performer earlier this month at Under Armour’s camp in Atlanta, and is also a standout baseball and basketball player. He burst onto the football scene last fall with 1,203 yards and 21 touchdowns on 56 receptions for Bowdon.
He backed up his five-star ranking by helping to lead the Red Devils to a state title. In the process, he set the state’s career receiving touchdowns record with an eye-popping 66. This season alone, he had more than 1,000 receiving yards and 26 scores.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 34 NATL.
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Edmonds skyrocketed up the rankings this spring. In February, he sat outside the top 10 in his own state state and now checks in as one of the country’s top 32 prospects. He starred on both sides of the ball as a junior, hauling in 32 receptions for 648 and 4 TD on 20.3 yards per catch on offense. Defensively, he is a lockdown corner who also recorded 30 tackles and 1 TFL. In March, he committed to Alabama over Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC and others.
He was again a presence on both offense and defense for Sprayberry this year. He hauled in 32 passes for 559 yards (17.4 YPC) and nine touchdowns. On defense, he has been locking down his side of the field with 36 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 48 NATL.
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Few players in the state were more impressive as a senior than Geralds, the LSU-bound defensive tackle who initially waited to sign with the Tigers after the coaching change in Baton Rouge. But Lane Kiffin and Co. are getting one of the most athletic interior linemen in the country. Across his three-year career, Geralds actually rushed the ball nearly 100 times on offense, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns.
But defense was where he made his hay, racking up 91 tackles, 37 TFLs and 16.5 sacks in his senior campaign alone. In October, he broke the Georgia high school state sack record and leaves with 54 to his name.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 55 NATL.
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Matthews put together a highly productive junior season with 57 tackles, 17 sacks, 29 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hurries at Sparkman (Ala.). In February, he transferred from Sparkman to Gainesville, and a few weeks later committed to the Crimson Tide despite leaving his home state for the final year of his high school career. This fall, he teamed up with Xavier Griffin to create one of the most dominant defensive duos in the state. For his part, Matthews finished the year with 58 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 66 NATL.
Playing for state and national powerhouse Buford, Perry-Wright has developed a reputation as an elite defensive line prospect. He was extremely disruptive to opposing offenses in 2024, collecting 57 total tackles, 13 TFLs, nine sacks and 17 quarterback hurries. While helping to lead the lead the Wolves to a state title, he followed that up by notching 100 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hurries and seven sacks this year.
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 89 NATL.
Smith checks in as one of the country’s best safety prospects, ranking No. 6 nationally at his position. As a junior, he totaled 85 total tackles, three TFLs, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He garnered more than two dozens offers, but ultimately chose to stay home and play for the home state Georgia Bulldogs in May.
He has been a defensive menace as a senior, racking up 94 total tackles and an interception.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 92 NATL.
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Another major rankings riser over the past few months, Dandridge proved why the Bulldogs were so high on him with a huge senior season. In 12 games, he found the end zone 18 times while catching 62 passes and racking up 1,193 yards. That came on the heels of a huge junior season where he averaged 24.9 yards per reception while pulling in 58 passes for 1,443 yards.
Other notable top signees in Georgia
11. LB Brayden Rouse – Tennessee
12. WR Aaron Gregory – Texas A&M
13. EDGE Tristian Givens – Texas A&M
14. RB Jonaz Walton – Notre Dame
15. EDGE Khamari Brooks – Georgia
16. CB Lasiah Jackson – Stanford
17. DL Earnest Rankins – Florida State
18. WR Brady Marchese – Michigan
19. QB Travis Burgess – North Carolina
20. SAF Tyriq Green – Georgia
21. RB Jae Lamar – Georgia
22. EDGE Jordan Carter – Tennessee
23. RB Carsyn Baker – Texas A&M
24. WR Ryan Mosley – Georgia
25. CB Traeviss Stevenson – Georgia Tech
