Grayson’s Burgess is state’s highest-rated senior in talented QB class
This is the first in a series of 10 articles that recognize the state’s best players by position. They are chosen primarily on high school production, though college potential is considered.
These quarterbacks are the first official members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.
*Travis Burgess, Grayson: Burgess, the state’s highest-rated senior QB prospect, led Grayson to the Class 6A championship last year in his first season as a starter. He was 154-of-256 passing for 2,255 yards and 23 touchdowns and rushed for 596 yards. He threw a TD pass in 12 of his 13 games, and when he didn’t, he ran for two touchdowns. Burgess (6-5, 210) is also a good basketball player and 200-meter sprinter. A three-star prospect, he’s the third-highest-rated Grayson QB recruit in history behind Jake Garcia and Chase Brice. Burgess committed to North Carolina in May.
*Stephen Cannon, Benedictine: Cannon became Benedictine’s starter last season, but an injury ended his season in the seventh game. At the time, Cannon (6-3, 200) was 87-of-149 passing for 1,352 passing for 11 touchdowns. Benedictine, a Class 4A school, finished 7-5. Cannon is a three-star prospect who committed to Texas Tech in April. He is set to become Benedictine’s third consecutive major Division I quarterback signee, covering seven seasons. The others were Luke Kromenhoek (signed with Florida State, now at Mississippi State) and Holden Geriner (signed with Auburn, now at Texas State).
*Jordan Do, Archer: Do was the Gwinnett County Touchdown Club’s Quarterback of the Year and Region 4-6A’s Offensive Player of the Year last season, ahead of Burgess for both awards. Do was 205-of-305 passing for 2,639 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushed for 850 yards and 13 touchdowns on 121 carries. He has 4,498 yards from scrimmage in his 22 games as a starter. At 5-10, 170 pounds, Do has no offers, but he has the faith of his high school coach, Dante Williams, who was a 5-10 quarterback with no offers entering the 2003 season while at Duluth High. He ended up playing at Samford.
*Jaden Duckett, Sprayberry: Duckett (6-1, 190) led Sprayberry to its best finish since 1982 last season, as the Yellow Jackets were 11-2 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals. The Region 6-5A Offensive Player of the Year, Duckett was 97-of-177 passing for 1,969 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 805 yards and 16 touchdowns on 158 carries. Duckett has about 10 offers, mostly from mid-major Division I programs. He’s Sprayberry’s highest-rated quarterback this century.
*Harrison Faulkner, North Oconee: Faulkner, the GHSF Daily/AJC 2024 Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year, was 186-of-272 passing for 3,220 yards and 38 touchdowns with six interceptions while leading North Oconee to a 15-0 finish and its first state title last season. Faulkner rushed for 724 yards and seven touchdowns on 111 carries. Faulkner (6-0, 175) is a three-star recruit who committed to Georgia Southern in March. He is the son of Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator and a state-championship quarterback himself in1997 with Parkview.
*Kharim Hughley, Gainesville: Hughley was 157-of-262 passing for 2,888 yards and 24 touchdowns last season for a 7-4 Class 5A team. He was a sophomore first-year starter. Hughley is a top-200 national junior prospect. He is the second-highest-rated Gainesville QB prospect this century behind Heisman Trophy runner-up Deshaun Watson and ahead of former Alabama starter Blake Sims. Hughley committed to Clemson in July.
*Teddy Jarrard, North Cobb: Jarrard, a junior, transferred this offseason about a mile down Old Highway 41 from North Cobb Christian, the school he led to the Class 3A-A Private semifinals last season. Jarrard started there as a freshman and sophomore. He was 209-of-291 passing for 2,647 yards and 31 touchdowns last season and was Region 7-2A’s Offensive Player of the Year. Jarrard has thrown for 4,712 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career. Jarrard (6-3, 190) is a consensus top-250 national junior prospect and the second-highest-rated North Cobb prospect this century behind Arizona cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew. Jarrard committed to Notre Dame in July.
*Mike Johnson, Douglas County: Johnson played at Dutchtown last season and was 178-of-310 passing for 2,700 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 484 yards and 10 touchdowns on 129 carries. He was his region’s Offensive Player of the Year. At Douglas County, a Class 6A semifinalist. Johnson is taking over at quarterback for D.J. Bordeaux, who moved back to Colorado for his senior season. The two players have nearly identical rankings on the 247Sports Composite. Johnson (6-0, 165) is the consensus No. 46 senior QB prospect nationally. He committed to Utah in June.
*Darnell Kelly, Hughes: Kelly (6-2, 185) transferred back to Hughes from Peachtree Ridge this offseason. As a junior, he was 193-of-290 passing for 2,521 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 463 yards and five touchdowns for a 6-6 team. Kelly has thrown for 5,240 yards and rushed for 852 yards in two seasons. He was at Hughes as a freshman. Kelly is a three-star recruit who committed to Colorado State in April. He is the second-highest-rated Hughes QB prospect in history behind former AJC Super 11 pick Air Noland, now at South Carolina.
*Davis Strickland, Morgan County: Strickland (6-3, 200) was the GHSF Daily/AJC Class 2A first-team all-state quarterback in 2024, when he was 209-of-290 passing for 3,164 yards and 40 touchdowns for an 11-2 team. Strickland also made all-state in baseball as a pitcher, but he'll play football in college. Strickland has five offers, one from Cornell.