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The Troup football team has two of its finest players named to the 3A AJC All-State team in senior offensive lineman Jatorian Blackmon and sophomore kicker McCarty Harrelson. Troup went 5-5 in a rebuilding season in 2024 and these two players were catalysts in nearly getting a youthful Tigers team into the playoffs.

It’s unsurprising to see Blackmon named to the team as the senior has developed into a Division I caliber offensive lineman. Blackmon will be heading to Troy to play football in the fall.

“I feel really good about my decision,” Blackmon said at his signing day in December. “I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”

Blackmon helped pave the way for fellow All-State players like Taeo Todd (Georgia Southern) and Noah Dixon (Clemson) during his career at Troup and their success would have been impossible without guys like Blackmon opening up rushing lanes for them. 

As a senior, Blackmon helped the team throw for 793 yards and rush for 2,227 yards. During his sophomore year, Blackmon started on a team that made it to the 4A state semifinals. 

While Blackmon has played his final game in blue and gold, Harrelson is only halfway done with his time on the gridiron at Troup. Harrelson will look to build on his All-State sophomore season during his junior and senior years with the team.

“McCarty is one of the best kickers in the state of Georgia right now,” Troup head coach Tanner Glisson said after the team beat Trinity Christian during the 2024 season. “The pressure does not get to him. It was not just the two field goals, he also did a great job for us on kickoffs tonight. The best part is we have two more years with him after this season.”

Harrelson went 10-for-13 on field goal attempts with a long of 53 yards and 25-for-26 on PATs. None of the kicks were as special as the two he hit to beat Trinity Christian, nailing a field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime and then won it with a walk-off field goal in OT.

“I’m practically speechless right now, I barely have the words to describe this feeling,” Harrelson said after the game against Trinity Christian. “It is not the type of feeling that you get every day.”

Harrelson is Troup’s punter in addition to his kicking duties, a position he also excels at. The sophomore averaged nearly 39 yards per punt as a sophomore with a long of 64 yards.