Todd Holcomb, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Journalist Profile

Articles

Where top prospects are committed

1 week ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

North Oconee linebacker Khamari Brooks announced this week that he would reveal his college commitment on Monday. It will be between Georgia and Alabama. Brooks, the AJC’s Class 4A defensive player of the year, led North Oconee to its first state championship last season. He is the consensus No. 13 senior prospect in Georgia. Only 23 of the state’s top 50 senior prospects have made their college choices eight weeks ahead of the first high school football games of the season.
WANF to televise 16 high school football games this fall

1 week ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

More high school football fans will be able to watch TV games this fall. Atlanta News First (WANF channel 46) announced Wednesday that it will televise 16 high school games during the 2025 season, starting with four Aug. 16 from the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Saturday Aug. 16 will be the first day since 1994 that WANF will operate as an independent station. It will come during the first week of the Georgia high school football season.
GHSA tightens transfer rules, makes 3-school athletes ineligible

2 weeks ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

High school athletes who change schools twice after the ninth grade will be ineligible for a year under new GHSA bylaws expected to get final approval next month. Other bylaw changes aimed at policing transfers would require schools to send the GHSA copies of driver’s licenses, utility bills and lease agreements from the families of transferring athletes to prove they have moved into their new school zones and relinquished previous residences.
GHSA drops proposed competitive-balance reclassification model

3 weeks ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

The Georgia High School Association’s proposed competitive-balance reclassification model is dead for now, and the Class 3A-A private playoff division that curtailed private-school sports domination is alive until at least 2028, pending final approval this fall.
The 112 schools that brought home GHSA’s 183 championships.

3 weeks ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

This also was the first academic year since 2016-17 in which a public school was among those winning the most. Six of this year’s eight — all but Westminster and Lovett — were public schools. The only previous public schools this century to finish atop the state title count were Buford in 2016-17 and Collins Hill in 2007-08. GHSA reclassification led to the power shift, as 36 of the member private schools were confined to private-only state playoffs in most sports.
Adidas signs two Georgia high school basketball stars to NIL deals

3 weeks ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

Marist’s Kate Harpring and Grayson’s Caleb Holt are among eight high school basketball players that Adidas recently signed to NIL deals. The other six, all elite college prospects, are Bruce Branch III of Arizona, Adam Oumiddoch of Virginia, Keleena Smith of California, Anthony Thomas of Ohio, Oliviyah Edwards of Washington and Taylen Kinney of Kentucky. Kinney also has local ties as he plays for Overtime Elite, an Atlanta basketball league and private school.
Private schools unhappy with GHSA reclassification changes

4 weeks ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

After decades of private-school sports domination, the Georgia High School Association reclassified its 456 schools last year with a goal of leveling playing fields. The result was historic and controversial. Private schools got their smallest share of state titles in 46 years during the academic year that ended with baseball finals last week. Private-school teams won 30 of the GHSA’s team 183 championships, about half the 58 they claimed in 2023-24.
Former UGA football star Jarvis Jones to coach Carver-Columbus

1 month ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

Former Georgia football star Jarvis Jones was announced Sunday as football coach at defending Class 2A champion Carver-Columbus, his alma mater. Jones played on Carver’s 2007 Class 3A championship team and became an All-American linebacker at Georgia and a first-round NFL draft pick who played four NFL seasons, mostly with the Steelers.
Lanier County baseball defends title, wins Class A Division II

1 month ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

Defending champion Lanier County beat Wilcox County 4-1 to win the Class A Division II baseball championship Wednesday night behind Ashton Cook’s three-hitter in the deciding game at Georgia Southern’s J.I. Clements Stadium in Statesboro. Cook drove in the winning run in the third inning on ground ball to third that scored Stone Carey, who was hit by a pitch to open the inning. The next inning, Carey drove in two runs for a 4-1 lead on a single through the left side.
Rockmart wins first state title in baseball

1 month ago | ajc.com | Todd Holcomb

Rockmart won its first baseball state title with two 6-0 victories over Franklin County in the Class 2A championship series Wednesday night at Rome’s AdventHealth Stadium. Hunter Akins and Trey Luke pitched the shutouts. Akins’ gem was a four-hitter with four strikeouts and no walks in Game 1. Akins is a senior committed to Georgia State. Rockmart opened the game with four straight singles. Neyland Hulsey was 3-for-4. Luke, Rob Yagyu and Akins had two hits apiece.