MOULTRIE — Colquitt County rising juniors Ny Carr and Landen Thomas have committed to play their college football for reigning National Champion Georgia.

And teammates Charlie Pace and Kamal Bonner, both rising seniors, also are committed to playing in the state with Bonner planning to go to Georgia Tech and Pace to Georgia State.

Carr is a swift wide receiver who led the Packers in catches as a sophomore last year.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end, can run, catch and block with proficiency.

Bonner played safety for the Packers last season, but is expected to start at inside linebacker this year.

Pace, who led the Packers in rushing with 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, also is a fine receiver.

“You don’t get a lot of Division I kids, so when you do it’s an honor and a blessing to coach them,” said Packers head coach Sean Calhoun.

“All of these kids, besides being very hard workers, have been  blessed with talent. We just have to maximize their abilities and put them in a position to succeed.”

Bonner had 40 tackles, including 30 solos, out of the secondary last season, but has grown into a position closer to the line of scrimmage.

“He has grown taller and he’s gotten thicker and that is a testament to him working in the weight room,” Calhoun said. “He has a knack for the ball and he has fully embraced his new role.”

Calhoun said Georgia Tech is getting a versatile player.

“He is a kid who will be able to play multiple positions,” Calhoun said.

Pace is coming off an outstanding junior campaign, but Calhoun said he believes he can be even better this year.

“He has some of the best feet I’ve ever seen in my life,” Calhoun said. “He’s so nimble and athletic.”

Calhoun thinks Pace has been somewhat overlooked because of his relative lack of height.

“Georgia State is getting a heck of a football player,” Calhoun said.

Carr and Thomas perhaps solidified their chances to play for Georgia with outstanding performances in last month’s 7-on-7 competition in Athens attended by several Bulldog coaches.

“In that 7-on-7 camp, both of them really showed out,” Calhoun said. “If you’re Georgia, when you leave that day, you’d have to think, ‘We need those kids.’”

Carr, a four-star recruit, has elite speed and elite catching ability, Calhoun said.

“You watch 30 seconds of his highlight tape and you know this kid’s got legit ability,” Calhoun said.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Carr caught 40 passes for 856 yards and 13 touchdowns last season

One of Carr’s biggest assets are his large hands.

“He doesn’t catch the ball next to his body,” Calhoun said. “He just plucks the ball out of the air, like pulling grapes off the vine.”

Although he still has two years of high school football yet to play, Thomas, a five-star recruit, could carry on Georgia’s recent trend of attracting outstanding tight ends.

“You don’t often see kids at that age with that skill set and talent,” Calhoun said.

In addition to excellent route-running and pass-catching ability, Thomas is a fine blocker.

“He embraces contact,” Calhoun said.

Like Carr, Thomas received varsity playing time as a freshmen.

In two seasons, he has caught 39 passes for 613 yards and eight touchdowns.

“We hope he’ll continue to develop,” Calhoun said of Thomas. “The sky’s the limit for him.”

Calhoun likes the fact that all four players will be able to continue their careers close to home.

“It’s going to be good for their families,” Calhoun said “Their families can see them play.

“And it will mean a lot to the players too. They’ll be able to look up in the stands and see their family and friends there.”

The Packers have a fifth Division I-committed player on their roster.

Safety Jack Luttrell, who came to Colquitt County this spring when his father Stan joined Calhoun’s coaching staff, has committed to Tennessee.

Luttrell played the last two seasons at Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, where his father was the head coach.

Colquitt is scheduled to hold a padded camp with Cairo, Coffee and Dougherty at the high school on Friday and Saturday.

Colquitt County will start its GHSA-mandated week of “acclimation” on Monday, July 25. The first day of practice for the 2022 season is Monday, Aug. 1.

Colquitt will travel to play at Peach County on Friday, Aug. 5, in its annual preseason scrimmage.

PACKERS NOTES: Colquitt County is ranked No. 85 in the MaxPreps Preseason Top 100 High School Football Rankings.

The Packers rank 10th among the 11 Georgia schools in the poll.

Buford, at No. 11, is the highest ranked team.

Grayson is No. 22 and is followed by Mill Creek, 26; Langston Hughes, 39; Collins Hill, 54; Milton, 56; Warner Robins, 63; North Cobb, 68; Cedar Grove, 72; Colquitt County, 85; and Kennesaw Mountain, 93.

The Packers finished 8-3 last year and were eliminated in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs by Walton.

 Also, Ryan Fitzgerald has been doing more than just kicking since he headed to Florida State in 2019.

According to a post on Facebook, Fitzgerald will graduate from Florida State in May, with a double major in accounting and  risk management in May then will work on his Master’s degree.

Heading into his red-shirt junior season at Florida State, he is 40-43 in extra point attempts and 14-20 in field goal attempts.

Fitzgerald left Colquitt with a school-record 51 career field goals, including seven of 50 yards or longer.

Ryan’s rising sophomore brother Brett is the current Packers place-kicker.