Wednesday, five Coffee Trojan football players signed letters of intent to continue their playing careers at the collegiate level.
All-State linebacker Chris Reed is headed to Reinhardt University, an NAIA program in Waleska, Ga. Reed, Coffee’s leading tackler in 2024, tallied 130 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.
Fellow All-State selection Tyrese Woodgett, a running back, will play for the Georgia Military College Bulldogs, a junior college program just up Highway 441 in Milledgeville. This season, Woodgett ran for 2,340 yards on 316 carries and 27 touchdowns. He also caught 13 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned one kickoff for a touchdown. In the playoffs against Sequoyah, Woodgett rushed for a state-record 605 yards and seven touchdowns. His 605 yards in one game also ranks as the eighth-most all-time nationally.
Offensive lineman Kyler Smith is also headed to Georgia Military. Smith recorded 19 pancake blocks on the season.
Quarterback Bray Coe is traveling the farthest; he signed with Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., another NAIA program. Coffee has been a fertile recruiting ground for Cumberland and several former Trojans are already on its roster. Coe completed 57 of 127 passes for 856 yards. He threw 11 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Center Jayden Vester will play at Clark Atlanta University, a Division II program in Atlanta. Vester anchored the offensive line this year and tallied 16 pancake blocks.
The 2024 Trojans finished the season with an 11-3 record and advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs.