Robert Nkemdiche is the most famous name associated with Grayson High football. But to earn a No. 2 national ranking, it takes more than one player, and the Rams have the pieces to contend for a national title.
Photo by Dennis Carter
Defense, defense, defense.
The driving force behind Grayson’s first state title a year ago will also lead the 2012 squad, which returns 10 starters.
Robert Nkemdiche, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, is the first person that people talk about when discussing
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.). Opposing coaches praise him, college coaches want him, and his own coach, Grayson’s Mickey Conn, lauds his work ethic -- a trait that is not necessarily common among such naturally gifted athletes.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end must be accounted for on each play. He’ll draw a double team and open up possibilities for teammates like
Jack Banda and
Marquis Motley.
The linebacker group returns
Wayne Gallman,
Jordan Germany,
Jay Strickland and
Jay Mueller. It’s not necessarily a superstar group, but it has talent and works well as a unit.
Kasey Gaines,
Ryan Carter and the heavily recruited
David Kamara are all back in the secondary.
For a defense that smothered teams a year ago, the potential of this year’s defense is downright frightening.
How will Grayson’s offense be?
It loses Mississippi State signee Nick Schuessler, who was a better passer than Grayson is accustomed to. Seemingly, it’s a big loss.
Ryan Carter will likely be busy in the secondary whenopponents fail to gain leverage in the run game.
Photo by Dennis Carter
However, Schuessler averaged roughly 130 yards a game, not an overwhelming amount of production to ask of senior
Brandon Benson or potentially Schuessler's younger brother
Hunter Schuessler, a junior.
Gallman will see reps at running back, but the team will turn to Nkemdiche in short yardage situations and with the game on the line. Gaines and Carter double as wide receivers.
The team has some unmistakable holes to fill up front, most notably that left behind by Fred Zerblis, the leader of last year’s unit. However, Conn’s program is firing on all cylinders right now, so there is no shortage of replacements.
Local outlook: "The national title run will add some pressure. There have been some Georgia teams that finished highly in national polls, but it's rare for one to start this highly. And then there's the hype of Robert Nkemdiche, the first Georgia player since maybe Herschel Walker who's been viewed the No. 1 prospect in the country. Super high expectations aren't easy to handle. I think Robert will handle the hype just fine, but the team as a whole is going to have to be mature about it. As for Grayson's defense, it has a chance to be legendary. The '11 team allowed only 35 yards rushing per game. That's ridiculous in Georgia, which remains a run-dominated, smashmouth state compared to Alabama and Florida and some other Southern states. It's not the most amazing defense just on paper. Georgia has had a few other defenses with a handful of major D-I recruits. But they play very well together, and then there's Nkemdiche. He's not merely a great prospect. He's unbelievable right now. He'd be a good college player today.”
- Todd Holcomb, editor, Georgia High School Football Daily and MaxPreps correspondent
