ATLANTA, GA – Three years ago, North Gwinnett (Ga.) football coach Eric Godfree would have described quarterback Elam Rahman as a “turnover machine.”
That player was nowhere to be found on Wednesday night.
Rahman completed 8-of-9 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns, leading North Gwinnett to a 37-22 upset of No. 12 Grayson in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“He’s had big time growth,” Godfree told USA TODAY Sports after the game. “The game has really slowed down for him and he has a total understanding of the offense. He has spent so many countless hours with us and football and it’s really paying off.”
Rahman, a senior entering his second season as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback, said his success can be
attributed to his larger leadership role.
“I think it’s definitely my leadership,” Rahman said. “Coming in as a second year starter I feel like I am able to provide more leadership, especially on the sidelines.”
After two years of practice and patience, Rahman took over as North Gwinnett's starter last season. He finished the season with 1,689 yards and 20 touchdowns with just two interceptions, leading North Gwinnett to the GHSA Class 6A state semifinals.
Godfree, who took over the North Gwinnett program in 2023, believes Rahman’s consistency can be attributed to his familiarity with the offense.
“He’s been with me the whole time since I've been here,” Godfree said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together, so he knows the offense so well inside and out.”
North Gwinnett’s victory was even more dominant than the final score indicated. The Bulldogs built a 22-0 lead by halftime, holding the Rams to just two rushing yards.
On the opening drive of the second half, North Gwinnett linebacker and NC State commit Jake Godfree nabbed a pick six, making an already deep hole even deeper for Grayson to come out of.
“In everything we’ve done in the offseason – weight room and everything – we’ve got to finish,” Godfree said. “We went into the first half right here and we were up, but we had 24 minutes left to go and we daggum finished them. We finished them pretty early in the third quarter.”
With just 13 minutes remaining, the Bulldogs led 37-0 and were on the verge of handing the Rams their first shutout since a 31-0 loss to Collins Hill in 2021. At the time, Collins Hill featured current Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Travis Hunter.
“Any time you play a team like Grayson with all the athletes and size, if they get some kind of momentum, it’s really difficult,” Godfree said. “So, a really hot, fast start is really important.”
Grayson eventually gained some momentum on offense, but it was too late into the game.
It was only the first game of a long season, but North Gwinnett made an early statement that it is just as worthy as any team in the state to walk back through the doors of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in December.
“I feel like every year North Gwinnett is a little bit underrated,” Rahman said. “But I feel like we came out tonight and showed everyone why we should be ranked top in the state.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Once a 'Turnover Machine,' Rahman leads North Gwinnett's statement win over Super 25 power
