Lowndes 2026 Football Preview: Schedule, Players and Prediction | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 74 Lowndes
Lowndes returns a Texas A&M quarterback, a 1,300-yard running back and a deep young receiving group while rebuilding its defensive front for Class 7A.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/17/20266 min read
Lowndes has won 20 games in Adam Carter's last two seasons, and both years ended in the second round of the GHSA playoffs. The 2025 Vikings finished 10-2, beat Collins Hill 37-16 in the first round and lost 29-17 at North Gwinnett one week later.
The next step will depend on an offense that returns its quarterback, 1,300-yard running back, leading receiver and most recruited lineman. Lowndes scored 434 points last season. Its larger rebuild is on defense, where the most productive pass rushers and leading tackler graduated.
Team Snapshot
2025 record: 10-2
2025 region record: 4-1
2025 finish: GHSA Class 6A second round
2026 classification: GHSA Class 7A, Region 1
Head coach: Adam Carter
2025 scoring: 434 points scored, 159 allowed
2026 Outlook
Jayce Johnson will be the one leading the offense. The Texas A&M commit passed for 1,182 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 658 yards and 14 more scores in 2025. His 1,840 total yards and 25 touchdowns give Lowndes an experienced quarterback who can punish a defense whether the first read is open or not.
Mason Woods makes the backfield harder to defend. He rushed for 1,313 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior, including 198 yards against Camden County. Johnson and Woods combined for 1,971 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. Opponents cannot treat the quarterback run as a changeup when both players can carry an offense.
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The passing game is young, but it is not short on options. Ar'Tavian “Bubba” Brown returns after leading the current receivers in 2025 production. He caught 38 passes for 518 yards and five touchdowns and added four rushing scores. The Class of 2028 receiver has reported offers that include Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh and Troy.
Kaevone Thomas gives Lowndes another Class of 2028 target with size. His reported offers include Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Connecticut, Georgia State and South Florida. J.J. Rowe and tight end Waylon Weidinger are also current Class of 2028 players with reported FBS offers.
Abram Eisenhower is the stabilizer up front. The Class of 2027 offensive lineman committed to Georgia in April and returns to protect Johnson. Class of 2028 lineman Kamden Brown has reported an East Carolina offer, giving Lowndes another current recruit to develop around an established tackle.
The defense has more uncertainty. Israel Harrison, Damarion Treadwell, Malik Martin and Marcus Vaughn return at linebacker and in the secondary, but Lowndes must replace seniors Malik Reddick, Garrick Harris and Anthony Martin. The current roster has young size on the line. It does not yet have proven replacements for the pressure and tackle production that left.
Special teams has a recruited returner too. Class of 2027 punter and kicker Jakob Madden has reported Division I offers, including Air Force. Field position can help a rebuilt defense while the front develops.
Players to Know
Jayce Johnson | QB | Class of 2027 Johnson is committed to Texas A&M after accounting for 1,840 total yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025. His running ability forces defenses to account for him on every snap and gives Lowndes a reliable answer when a pass play breaks down.
Mason Woods | RB | Class of 2027 Woods rushed for 1,313 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. He is more than a complement to Johnson. His volume and consistency allow Lowndes to control a game without asking the quarterback to manufacture every explosive play.
Abram Eisenhower | OL | Class of 2027 Eisenhower is committed to Georgia and returns as the most important piece on the offensive line. The Vikings have proven production at quarterback and running back, but that advantage matters only if the line keeps the offense on schedule.
Ar'Tavian “Bubba” Brown | WR | Class of 2028 Brown caught 38 passes for 518 yards and five touchdowns and scored four more times as a runner in 2025. His expanding offer sheet reflects the same versatility Lowndes needs from him in the offense.
Kaevone Thomas | WR | Class of 2028 Thomas is a current 6-foot-2 target with multiple FBS offers. He gives Johnson a different frame on the perimeter and can keep a defense from loading its coverage toward Brown.
J.J. Rowe, Waylon Weidinger and Kamden Brown | Class of 2028 Rowe and Weidinger add recruited receiving and tight-end depth, while Brown is a current offensive lineman with a reported East Carolina offer. Their development is part of what makes this offense more than a two-player backfield.
Israel Harrison, Damarion Treadwell and Marcus Vaughn | Defense | Class of 2027 These returning defenders have to become the organizing core of a unit replacing its leading tackler and top senior pass rushers. Their experience at linebacker and in the secondary is the bridge while a new front takes shape.
Jakob Madden | P/K | Class of 2027 Madden is a current punter and kicker with reported Division I offers. A defense breaking in new linemen will benefit from every long field he can create.
Schedule Breakdown
Lowndes plays its first seven games at Martin Stadium. Jenkins, Harris County, Lithonia, Blanche Ely, Long County and Winter Haven come to #59 Valdosta before Region 1 play opens against Camden County on Oct. 9. The Sept. 25 open date breaks up that seven-game home run.
The schedule turns in the final three weeks. Lowndes travels to Richmond Hill, hosts Valdosta in the Winnersville Classic and finishes at #66 Colquitt County. Those are three straight Region 1 games after the Oct. 16 open date.
Lowndes beat Colquitt 51-45 in 2025 but lost 23-14 to Valdosta. The 2026 rematches land in the final two weeks, when region seeding and the value of seven early home games will be decided.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: vs. Jenkins
Aug. 28: vs. Harris County
Sept. 4: vs. Lithonia
Sept. 11: vs. Blanche Ely (FL)
Sept. 18: vs. Long County
Sept. 25: Open date
Oct. 2: vs. Winter Haven (FL)
Oct. 9: vs. Camden County
Oct. 16: Open date
Oct. 23: at Richmond Hill
Oct. 30: vs. #59 Valdosta
Nov. 6: at #66 Colquitt County
Biggest Question
Who creates pressure for the new defense?
Lowndes returns enough experience behind the line to avoid starting over, but Reddick and Harris were its most productive senior pass rushers. The offense can score. A Class 7A quarterfinal run requires the rebuilt front to get off the field against Valdosta, Colquitt and the state's best playoff offenses.
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I have Lowndes finishing 8-2 and advancing to the Class 7A quarterfinals.
The offense has one of Georgia's strongest returning quarterback-running back combinations, a Power Four commitment at tackle and a young receiving group with real depth. Seven early home games should help the new defense develop. The quarterfinal ceiling depends on whether that defense can create pressure by the time Valdosta and Colquitt arrive on consecutive weeks.
Bottom Line
Johnson, Woods, Eisenhower and Brown give the Vikings established production at four critical spots, and Thomas, Rowe, Weidinger and Brown add recruited youth around them.
The unanswered work is on defense. If the new line supplies enough disruption for the returning linebackers and defensive backs, Lowndes can turn another 10-win roster into something better than another second-round finish.
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