The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame unveils Class of 2024 inductees

The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame's 30-member class of 2024 has been announced and will be inducted in a ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 26. Hall of Fame board members began submitting nominations for the Hall's third class in the spring and then held committee votes before narrowing the final vote to 100 names in mid-March. Once the ballot was finalized, each board member had to vote for 30 players from those eras (pre-1948, 1948-59, 1960s, GIA, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s). The top two finishers in each era and at least seven linemen were guaranteed spots, but neither requirement was taken into account and the top 30 vote-getters ultimately made up the class. The board's ballots were all submitted by Monday, May 20, but a three-way tie for last place forced a runoff and the 30-player class became official Tuesday night.

There were 10 new nominees elected to the Class of 2024, 14 people who appeared on all three ballots, and six guys who debuted last year and were successful on their second try. In addition, 22 of the 30 new inductees are the first players from their respective schools to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

UGA led all colleges with nine former Bulldogs represented and Georgia Tech accounted for eight. For Georgia, Hutson Mason (Lassiter), Alec Ogletree (Newnan), Leonard Pope (Americus), David Greene (South Gwinnett) and Thomas Davis (Randolph-Clay) are five Mark Richt-era products inducted. Pope Joins In 1974, Americus graduate Kent Hill became the only pair admitted to the same high school, graduating 27 years apart.

Georgia Tech's group includes Kell's Jonathan Dwyer and West Laurens' Demaryius Thomas, both of whom were teammates under Paul Johnson on the Yellow Jackets' 2009 ACC Championship team. The other Yellow Jackets include Robert Lavette of Cartersville, Joe Burns of Thomas County Central, Jerry May of Thomson, Frank Broyles of Decatur and Everett Strupper of Riverside Military.

“This is an impossible vote,” said IJ Rosenberg, president of Score Atlanta and executive director of the hall. “The classes came together easily the first two years, but now the players are grouped closer together. I was also pleased that Georgia Tech recruited almost as many inductees as Georgia. I think that will be good for what we called 'good old-fashioned hate' at the induction ceremony. I also want to mention one inductee who was voted in, Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason. He started at Georgia for one year and didn't play in the NFL, but his high school career was one of the best high school quarterbacks of all time in Georgia. He deserves a place in the hall not only for his tremendous passing numbers, but for the fact that he was the first great spread quarterback in Georgia.”

There are 13 players who have won state championships, and Mason, Burns and LaGrange's Tray Blackmon are the three inductees who were All-Classification Players of the Year during their varsity careers.

CLASS OF 2024

Before 1948

Everett Strupper, Riverside Military 1913

Frank Broyles, Decatur 1941

1948-59

Len Hauss, Wayne County 1959

Lauren Hargrove, Fitzgerald 1948

1960s

Alfred Jenkins, Hoganville, 1968

Edgar Chandler, Cedartown, 1963

1970s

Jeff Bower, Roswell, 1970

Andy Spiva, Chamblee, 1972

Ben Zambiasi, Mount de Sales, 1973

Kent Hill, America, 1974

Homer Jordan, Cedar Shoals, 1978

1980s

Jessie Tuggle, Griffin, 1982

Jerry Mays, Thomson, 1984

Robert Lavette, Cartersville, 1980

Bill Mayo, Dalton, 1980

David Rocker, Fulton, 1986

1990s

Joe Burns, Thomas County Central, 1997

Terry Harvey, Dacula, 1990

2000s

Alec Ogletree, Newnan, 2009

Demaryius Thomas, West Laurens, 2005

Hutson Mason, Lassiter 2009

Thomas Davis, Randolph Clay, 2000

Tray Blackmon, LaGrange, 2004

Jonathan Dwyer, Kell, 2006

Leonard Pope, Americus, 2001

GIA

Tommy Hart, Ballard Hudson, 1963

George Atkinson, Johnson Savannah, 1963

Silas Jamison, Washington, 1959

Jack Pitts, Trinity, 1965

CLASS OF 2023

Julius Adams (Ballard Hudson, 1965)

Jeff Backus (Norcross, 1995)

Bruce Bennett (Valdosta, 1961)

Mike Bobo (Thomasville, 1992)

Reggie Brown (Carrollton, 1998)

Ronnie Brown (Cartersville, 1999)

Quincy Carter (Southwest DeKalb, 1995)

Rennie Curran (Brookwood, 2006)

John Davis (Gilmer, 1982)

Ray Donaldson (East Rome, 1975)

Anthony Flanagan (Southwest Atlanta, 1973)

Randall Godfrey (Lowndes, 1991)

Ray Goff (Moultrie, 1972)

Charles Grant (Miller County, 1997)

Deon Grant (Josey, 1995)

Ernie Green (Spencer, 1957)

Mackel Harris (Americus, 1975)

Bill Hartman (Georgia Military Prep, 1933)

Billy Henderson (Lanier-Macon, 1945)

Keith Henderson (Cartersville, 1984)

Charles Johnson (Hawkinsville, 2003)

Jarvis Jones (Carver Columbus, 2008)

Eddie Lee Ivery (Thomson, 1974)

Jamal Lewis (Douglass, 1996)

Billy Lothridge (Gainesville, 1959)

Guy McIntyre (Thomasville, 1978)

Adam Meadows (McEachern, 1991)

Al Pinkins (Mitchell Baker, 1990)

Dan Reeves (Americus, 1960)

Pepper Rodgers (Brown, 1949)

Buzy Rosenberg (Northside Atlanta, 1968)

Lucius Sanford (West Fulton, 1973)

Jeff Saturday (Shamrock, 1992)

DJ Shockley (North Clayton, 2000)

Vernon “Catfish” Smith (Lanier-Macon, 1927)

Jon Stinchcomb (Parkview, 1997)

Marcus Stroud (Brooks County, 1994)

Ken Swilling (Stephens County, 1987)

Pat Swilling (Stephens County, 1981)

Scott Woerner (Jonesboro, 1976)

CLASS OF 2022

William Andrews (Thomasville, 1974 senior season)

Buck Belue (Valdosta, 1977)

Eric Berry (Creekside, 2006)

Emerson Boozer (Laney, 1961)

James Brooks (Warner Robins, 1976)

Clint Castleberry (Boys, 1941)

Bill Curry (College Park, 1959)

Charlie Dudish (Avondale, 1967)

Pat Dye (Richmond Academy, 1956)

Terrence Edwards (Washington County, 1997)

Jeff Francoeur (Parkview, 2001)

Stan Gann (Northside, 1957)

Andre Hastings (Morrow, 1989)

Garrison Hearst (Lincoln County 1989)

Andy Johnson (Athens, 1969)

Chip Kell (Avondale 1966)

Larry Kinnebrew (East Rome, 1977)

George Maloof (Marist, 1947)

Bob McWhorter (Gordon Military, 1909)

Larry Morris (Decatur, 1950)

David Pollack (Shiloh, 2000)

Tracy Rocker (Fulton, 1983)

George Rogers (Duluth, 1976)

Stan Rome (Valdosta, 1973)

Clarence Scott (Trinity, 1966)

Ron Simmons (Warner Robins, 1976)

Otis Sistrunk (Spencer, 1964)

Takeo Spikes (Washington County, 1994)

Bill Stanfill (Cairo, 1964)

Matt Stinchcomb (Parkview, 1994)

Darius Walker (Buford, 2004)

Herschel Walker (Johnson County, 1979)

Hines Ward (Forest Park, 1993)

Charlie Ward (Thomasville, 1987)

Monte Williams (Trade, 2000)

Eric Zeier (Marietta, 1990)

NFL HALL OF FAMERS (AUTOMATIC INDUCTION)

Champ Bailey (Charlton County, 1995 senior season)

Mel Blount (Lyons Industrial, 1965)

Richard Dent (Murphy, 1978)

Ray Guy (Thomson, 1968)

Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek, 2003)

Jim Parker (Ballard Hudson, 1953) – Canton, Ohio

Shannon Sharpe (Glennville, 1985)

Fran Tarkenton (Athens, 1957)

Rayfield Wright (Fairmont, 1963)