As Bulldogs move on from GMC, Manchester reloads to repeat NJCAA semi season of 2024

Published 5:50 pm Tuesday, February 11, 2025

The true moment of transition arrived last week for the Georgia Military College football program, an NJCAA semifinalist in 2024. Over the past two decades, the Bulldogs are well known for sending players to the next level of the college game, and going back to when four-year institutions opened doors for the 2025 spring semester a number of them were bringing their Milledgeville experience along.

Though nobody transferred to a “Power 4” school, the Sun Belt Conference for one will feature a number of former GMC student-athletes on Saturdays in the fall. Some NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and Division II schools sought out these Bulldogs in their efforts to upgrade.

Did playing in a nationally-streamed semifinal game against another loaded club from Hutchinson Community College help add to the GMC popularity among the scouts? It didn’t hurt to play that game at historic Davenport Field in early December.

“The more success you have, the more coaches may tend to come through and look at your guys,” said GMC head football coach Rob Manchester. “Maybe some caught it on ESPN+, and I know we had several coaching staffs here at the game. But I think the notoriety and making it that far helps your guys.”

The GMC football team in 2024 had seven All-Americans, and Manchester feels that’s the most for the Bulldogs in two decades.

Miyon Conaway, a 6-2, 220-pound defensive lineman, signed with Murray State, which played six ranked FCS teams and two from the Southeastern Conference last season. Aiden Benton, a 250-pound defensive lineman, signed with Appalachian State of the Sun Belt.

“We had a slew of running backs,” said Manchester. “Keenan Phillips led the country in touchdowns. He signed with South Alabama (of the Sun Belt, played in the Salute to Veterans Bowl). Another one, Trequan Jones, signed with Old Dominion (of the Sun Belt).”

Johnathan Ashley, 287-pound offensive tackle, signed with yet another Sun Belt school, Coastal Carolina, which will go to South Carolina in November, 2025. Tackle Max Thurston, 296 pounds, signed with Western Kentucky, which played for the Conference USA championship and in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Also going to Old Dominion is cornerback Jorian Haynes.

Then there’s the story of quarterback Chip Cooper.

“Georgia State University picked him up as a safety,” said Manchester. “He’s (enrolled), working out, going through spring as a safety. Got no question that he’ll do really well.”

In fact, out of 24 Bulldogs who are moving on, 19 already enrolled in January to be a part of their new school’s offseason workouts.

Some other Bulldogs moving on are Jarris Coney, linebacker, going to West Georgia; receiver Jahlun Flud, going to Morgan State; kicker Freddy Perez going to Tennessee State, and tight end Bo Tallevast going to Valdosta State.

As these Bulldogs advance their careers, there are holes for the GMC roster in 2025 to fill as the program looks for a repeat playoff appearance.

“We addressed some needs,” said Manchester. “We signed 49 initially. There are some positions we still need to fill. I think 24 defense, 23 offense and two specialists. One of the specialists is pretty unique. His name is Brett Fitzgerald. His brother has been placekicking at Florida State. That’s unique when you are able to get a guy like that with that caliber.

“Most of these young men are all NCAA qualifiers. I think it’s really indicative of where we are. Junior college has changed where most people are bringing in nothing but qualifiers because there are so many kids available who were left out in the cold. I think we really upgraded.”

Add to the true freshman class a group of Bulldogs returning from the 2024 season. That number is over 100 as several, around 60, were in the program but red-shirted.

“These guys are going to provide depth and push the guys that were here for starting time,” said Manchester. “Forty-two are from Georgia. We signed 10 offensive linemen. You can never have enough offensive linemen. We are really strong in the middle at defensive tackle. We signed seven on the defensive line. We have to get more linebackers, maybe another running back or two, some receivers. We cap it off at 155.

“Really feel good about the guys we have coming in. The biggest thing is they want to be here. They believe in what we are doing, and hopefully we’ll get them in here and re-recruited.”

The coach added players are coming in from Buford and Grayson, schools they never got players from before.

At quarterback, backup Jaylan Brown of LaGrange returns, and Manchester is high on a familiar name in Baldwin, former Spalding High Jaguar Curt Clark. He was among the red-shirts.

Freshmen are coming in from Irwin County, Monroe Area and Norcross. So it will be a competition for the starting job, and they all fit the Bulldog system well.

The Bulldogs just completed five weeks of weight training and individual work on the field.

Spring practice begins March 10 with 13 to 14 practices, and then after Spring Break it’s back in the new weight room for two months.

New signees report June 2.

Manchester said GMC will play Utah’s Snow College at home, Lackawanna two times again in Milledgeville and Pennsylvania, and at Iowa Western in 2025. The new schedule is not completed yet.

This year’s GMC JuCo football signees:

Kaleb Aker – Villa Rica, GA

Jaylon Alden – Lithonia, GA

Amauri Anderson – Roswell, GA

Cameron Bass – Dacula, GA

Ezekiel Belcher – Simpsonville, SC

Jayvin Bennett – Buford, GA

Hunter Britt – Buford, GA

Dacaris Brown – Pensacola, FL

Noel Brown – Clearwater, FL

Kheldon Butler – Warner Robins, GA

Moses Byrd – Clarksville, TN

Perry Cross-Snead – Clarksville, TN

Ramsey Dennis – Moultrie, GA

Ashton Diggs – Loganville, GA

Amarion Donaldson – Bainbridge, GA

Javonte Evans – Waycross, GA

Brett Fitzgerald – Coolidge, GA

Jah’Boris Fuller – Moultrie, GA

Jaylen Gamble – Lawrenceville, GA

Terryian Gaston – Hampton, GA

Demonte Greene – Monticello, GA

Elijah Hayes – Flowery Branch, GA

Arkeyveon Hood – Griffin, GA

Key’Mori Kendrick – Thomson, GA

Donadio Loyd – Dallas, GA

Charles Manga – Monroe, GA

Terius Mason – Pensacola, FL

Banks Mathis – Colquitt, GA

Oisin Matthews – Garfield, GA

Mykel Mayo – Jacksonville, FL

Jayden Mitchell – Lagrange, GA

Dillon Mohammed – Atlanta, GA

Damarious Nibbe – Buford, GA

Emarion Nichols – Newnan, GA

Cameron Nixon – Hephzibah, GA

Russell Richmond – Lawrenceville, GA

Forrest Ross – Athens, GA

Kyler Smith – Broxton, GA

Tyquan Smith – Snellville, GA

Daniel Smith – Cumming, GA

Luke Snyder – Fitzgerald, GA

Xavier Spikes – Stockbridge, GA

Donavon Stephens – Alpharetta, GA

Brodie Suggs – Ocilla, GA

A’darrian Taylor-Wilson – Cartersville, GA

Leonte Thomas – Camilla, GA

Jacari Thomas – Suwanee, GA

Joahua Threat – Loganville, GA

Tyrese Woodgett – Douglas, GA