High school football preview: No. 5 Grayson 2020 schedule, players to watch

Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) went 11-2, reaching the state 7A quarterfinals in Adam Carter's first season as head coach. With a couple extra weeks to prepare after Georgia pushed its high school football schedule back due to the coronavirus, Carter's squad could be primed to win the school's first state title since 2016.

The Rams begin the year at No. 5 in our Top 25 and check in as the top-rated team from the Peach State. Grayson has nine games on its schedule with the tough 7A playoffs looming in late November.

In addition to its 11-2 finish in 2019, the Rams have also gone 10-3 and 10-2 since its 14-1 championship season in 2016.

Florida-bound Carlos Del Rio-Wilson takes over at quarterback. The 4-star McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) transfer accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense and 39 touchdowns over the last two years. 

The Rams are loaded with playmakers that include backs Jamal Haynes, a 2021 Georgia Tech commit, and Phil Mafah, a Clemson pledge. The receiving corps is led by 2021 Florida commit Daejon Reynolds and Eastern Kentucky pledge Jaden Smith.

Getting defensive

One of the Rams' biggest strengths is on the defensive line, which features Louisville pledge Victoine Brown and 2021 Georgia Tech commit Noah Collins.

Grayson's linebackers are led by Grady Bryant, an underrated player who set the single-season school record with 136 tackles in 2019. Recent Central Michigan commit Fernando Sanchez and 2021 Georgia Tech commit Sebastian Sagar should also play a big role for the Rams. 

An already loaded secondary featuring Mumu Bin-Wahad, 2023 standout Michael Daugherty, Marsya Fox, and AJ Lopez added Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) transfer Terian Williams II.

There's no question that Grayson has the talent to win its first state championship since 2016. But navigating the 7A bracket is among the hardest things to do in high school football. At some point, the Rams will have to down a handful of squads, including No. 9 Lowndes (Valdosta), No. 33 Parkview (Lilburn), No. 37 Colquitt County (Moultrie), North Gwinnett (Suwanee), McEachern (Powder Springs), Mill Creek (Hoschton) or Marietta, last year's 7A state champs. 

Here's a complete look at Grayson's 2020 slate:

Sept. 4 — at Jones County (Gray)

Sept. 11 — at McEachern (Powder Springs)

Sept. 18 — vs. Collins Hill (Suwanee)

Sept. 25 — at Archer (Lawrenceville)

Oct. 9 — vs. Mill Creek (Hoschton)

Oct. 16 — at South Gwinnett (Snellville)

Oct. 30 — vs. No. 35 Parkview (Lilburn)

Nov. 6 — at Brookwood (Snellville)

Nov. 13 — vs. Newton (Covington)