MOULTRIE- Two former Colquitt County football players have made connections with the NFL following last week’s draft.
Florida State All-American kicker Ryan Fitzgerald has signed with the Carolina Panthers.
And West Virginia defensive end/linebacker Ty French has been invited to the San Francisco 49ers rookie mini-camp.
A finalist for the Lou Groza Award that goes to the nation’s top kicker, Fitzgerald was 14-for-14 on extra point attempts and 13-for-13 in field goal attempts for the Seminoles last season.
He was 5-for-5 on field goal attempts over 50 yards and his 59-yarder against Georgia Tech was the second-longest in Florida State history and third-longest in ACC history.
French spent his first four collegiate seasons at Gardner-Webb, where he was a four-time, first-team All-Big South selection, before transferring to West Virginia in January 2024.
He left Gardner-Webb as the school’s all-time leader in career sacks with 34 1/2 and tackles for loss with 61.
French also was an honor roll student during his college career.
• Former Packer Ny Carr, who was a freshman at Miami last season, briefly entered the NCAA transfer portal following spring practice, but has decided to remain with the Hurricanes.
• Joining Carr at Miami this season will be his former Colquitt County teammate Kamal Bonner, who played at North Carolina State the last two years.
Bonner entered the portal and will transfer to Miami.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder, who had 56 tackles, including seven for losses and a sack for the Wolfpack last season, will have three years of eligibility.
• Former Colquitt County wide receiver Zay Williams has committed to play next season at Anderson University.
The Trojans, who were 3-8 last year under head coach Bobby Lamb, play in the Division II South Atlantic Conference.
• Former Packer Tomarcio Reese, who had been the Colquitt County ninth-grade linebackers coach the last two seasons, has left to return to Valdosta as the Wildcats varsity inside linebackers coach.
Reese, a starting linebacker on the Packers 2014 undefeated state championship team and a starter for two seasons at Georgia Southern, had been the ninth-grade defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Valdosta in 2022.
• Jeb Johnson went the distance on the mound on Saturday in Mercer’s 9-1 victory over UNC-Greensboro in Macon.
Johnson, now 4-3, allowed just one run and six hits over nine innings, walking one and striking out seven.
The Bears are now 28-17 and 8-6 in the Southern Conference.
• JT Whatley is hitting .297 with eight doubles, three home runs and a team-leading 24 runs batted in for the 19-30 Thomas University baseball team.
Pitcher Gavin Steptoe is 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA for the Night Hawks. Steptoe has made 13 appearances, including eight starts.
• Emily Allegood is hitting .403 with 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 27 runs batted in for the 47-5 Florida SouthWestern women’s softball team.
The Bucs will take an eight-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game against St. Petersburg College in Clearwater.
• Colquitt County volleyball player Jessie Eunice has committed to play at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.
• Two Colquitt County baseball players have announced where they will continue their careers.
All-Region first baseman Jake Walker is heading to Gordon State. Walker, a first-team selection, led the Packers in hitting this season.
And Cole Holder, a second-team All-Region pitcher who was a key member of the Packers bullpen, will go to Thomas University.
• Richmond Hill won the state slow-pitch softball title this month, defeating West Laurens 8-6 in the championship game.
Colquitt County, in the first year of its return to playing slow-pitch, faced both Richmond Hill and West Laurens during the season.