Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic Team Previews - Douglas County

The Douglas County football program continues to remain in the forefront of the Georgia high school football landscape in 2025 as the Tigers have one of the most loaded rosters across the state. They are led by head coach Johnny White as he steps into his 10th season leading one of the most impressive programs in the last two seasons. Following an 11-3 record from a season ago which saw the Tigers eliminated in the semifinals to Grayson, White and the Tigers know their roster is more than capable of taking them beyond last year's mark in the new season. The program has compiled a 24-4 record over the last two seasons and is riding a five-year playoff streak dating back to 2020. The last two seasons, the Tigers have seen the semifinals but have been sent home both trips. White and the Tigers are back in the fold as one of the premier teams in Class 6A heading into this season and have plenty of talent on the roster to take home the schools first state championship since 1964.

Mascot: Tigers

County: Douglas

Head Coach: Johnny White (2016-25)

Coach’s School Record: 71-34

Coach’s Overall Record: 90-46

2024 Record: 11-3

2024 Region Rank: 2nd

2024 Playoff Finish: Semifinals (L 35-28, Grayson)

Overall School Record: 458-433-16 (1925-1935,1944-2025)

State Championships: 1964 (2A)

Key Returning Offensive Starters: Aaron Gregory (WR), Devin Carter (WR), Zamarcus Lindley (RB), Joshua Sam-Epelle (OT)

Key Returning Defensive Starters: Jordan Carter (EDGE), Richard Dyce (LB), Jamar Owens (S)

Returning Kickers: Emmanuel Boras-Perez (K)

Key Newcomers: KJ Green (S) , Adryan Cole (S), Nick Burden (CB), Michael Johnson (QB)

Offensive Formation: Spread

Defensive Formation: 4-3

School Enrollment: 1,907

The Douglas County offense will be led by a new signal caller behind center as Michael Johnson has made his way over to the Tigers after beginning his career at Dutchtown. Johnson threw for 2,700 yards and 24 touchdowns in his junior season with the Bulldogs before transferring over to Douglas County. With the Tigers this season, Johnson will have one of the most explosive receiver groups at his disposal as Texas A&M-commit Aaron Gregory and Florida State-commit Devin Carter highlight one of the most talented dynamic receiving groups in the state. Gregory and Carter were a terrific pairing last season as they combined for 94 receptions, 1,583 yards and 14 touchdowns, amassing a huge total of the Tigers’ offensive output.

Along with the flash of the star-studded wideout room, a highly underrated part of this Douglas County team comes from its ground game as Zamarcus Lindley looks to capitalize off of a terrific junior season. Lindley is coming off of a 1,224-yard season when he found the endzone 14 times, averaging around 87 yards on the ground per game. Expect Lindley to see the same volume heading into this season. While the Douglas County offense is up there with some of the best in the state, the Tigers defense features some old and new faces that will bolster the unit as a whole.

The defense begins with Texas A&M-commit edge rusher Jordan Carter as he enters his senior season. Carter was a force for the Tigers last season until an injury sidelined him for a handful of games. Though he was dealing with an injury, Carter totaled 17 tackles for loss in his junior season. Along with Carter, linebacker Richard Dyce and safety Jamar Owens provide reliable options in the Douglas County defensive unit. The Tigers brought in some reinforcements for their defense as they added a trio of defensive backs in 4-star safety Kennedy Green, 4-star safety Adryan Cole, and Liberty-commit defensive back Nick Bruden.

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