It’s not every Friday night that a high school football player makes history, but last Friday was a special occasion.
Jackson (Ga.) High School running back Danarri Brown rushed for 419 yards on 36 carries and scored nine touchdowns – the most in a single game in 78 years – as the Red Devils’ rolled to a 70-27 win over Union Grove on Sept. 4.
Brown came one touchdown shy of the Georgia high school footballsingle-game scoring record, set by Kenneth Moore in 1948.
“It means the world to me to know how hard I’ve been working and to know that hard work is finally paying off,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports.
Coaches check out my Week 3 highlights!!! 419 rushing yards 9 touchdowns 2nd all time single game scorer in the state of Georgia!!@RecruitGeorgia @RedDevilHFC
@RivalsHS @Ga_Gridiron @Coach_Dungee8 @NEGARecruits @GAPrepVarsity @PrepRedzoneGA @benmoore247 pic.twitter.com/yEc63DlNKD
— Danarri Brown (@DanarriBrown32) September 6, 2026
Time and time again, Jackson put the ball in Brown’s hands. And he just kept delivering.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound back totaled more yards himself (412) than Union Grove did as a team (334), helping Jackson earn its first win of the season.
“I want to win at all costs and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win,” Brown said. “I’m a player that’s going to go hard every time I get the ball. Every time I get the chance to make a play, I’m going to make a play.”
Despite his record-breaking performance, Brown has just one scholarship offer from Georgia State, while other schools have shown interest.
“I’ve always said he’s been kind of underrecruited,” Jackson coach Thomas Clark said. “For me, it’s kind of personal because I see a young man who has poured his heart and soul into our program. He’s doing the right things, working hard daily.”
That began to change Friday.
Brown said several colleges reached out following his performance, giving the rising star a taste of the attention Clark believes he deserves.
Brown has been a key starter for Jackson for the past few years, but he’s taken his game to another level this season. His 12 touchdowns through the first three games match his total from all of last season.
Brown credits that jump to the work he has put in on the track team and in the weight room.
“Speed kills,” Brown said. “It’s all about not being average. Average people go through football season, just work on football, but I’m trying to be more than mediocre, where I can truly get to my full potential.”
Brown calls the weight room the “win room” – the place where he puts in the work that he hopes will translate to results on the field.
And when Brown returns to the field next Thursday, Sept. 17, against Northeast, he’ll have an even bigger goal in mind.
“My goal is to actually break the record,” Brown said. “Be number one.”
Brown will have more eyes on him than ever as he continues to chase that goal. For now, though, he is finally starting to get the recognition that Clark believes he has earned.
“He’s one of the best running backs in the state in my mind,” Clark said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Underrecruited Georgia RB finally getting noticed after this jaw-dropping performance
