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2028 Edge Rusher Ashton Lawless Shines In High School Scrimmage

Georgia Tech prospect Ashton Lawless shows promise in scrimmage.
Arvon Bacon|
Ashton Lawless
Ashton Lawless | Arvon Bacon

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2028 prospect Ashton Lawless continues to raise the bar in his week 0 scrimmage against Villa Rica High School. The 6'2 218 218-pound sophomore continuously found himself in the backfield Thursday night, accounting for multiple sacks and tackles for loss. What sets the Sophomore apart is his quick feet, relentless pursuit, and exceptional bend.

Assistant Coach at Newnan High School, Sam Honeyman, raved about Ashton's discipline of perfecting his craft.

"Ashton is of the most consistent hard working dudes I have ever coached!" said Sam Honeyman

Ashton is also an exceptional track athlete; he is listed as an elite triple jump athlete by On3. The Yellow Jackets are no stranger to elite triple jump athletes; most recently, 2025 recruit Dalen Penson was a 3x state champion in Georgia's 3A classification for triple jump.

Last season, as a freshman, he was undersized at 210 pounds but still very effective due to his speed off the edge, even against bigger tackles. In his first year playing varsity, he had 30 tackles, 20 assists, 10 solos, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks, helping his team reach the playoffs after missing the postseason for three consecutive years, earning him All-State Freshman honors and 2nd team All-Region defense in 5A.

Packing on some extra pounds during the off-season, Lawless is primed for another breakout year, which will be needed as Newnan High School has its sights set on a deep playoff run. In addition, Lawless, Newnan has one of the best front sevens in the state, housing Rodney Colton (Colorado) and Josiah Smith (Cornell). Last season, the trio combined for 12 sacks and 40 tackles for loss.

Lawless, recognized as one of the top freshmen in the state by multiple college programs, received fiveD1offers last season: Tennessee, Appalachian State, Liberty, Georgia Tech, and FAU.In a recent interview with Lawless, he shared his thoughts about receiving an offer from Georgia Tech in the month of May.

"I was hyped, it was very unexpected. Georgia Tech is a good school. I hope to stay in good touch with them," he said.

Lawless was also present for a game day visit last season when the Yellowjackets hosted VMI, and he relayed that the fans and coaches were very welcoming and his experience was awesome.

The 2028 recruiting class is still in its early stages, but landing Ashton Lawless would be a major win for any program, especially one like Georgia Tech, which aims to build its pass-rushing core through high school recruiting rather than relying heavily on the transfer portal.

Lawless offers a rare blend of traits: experience rushing from the four-technique, elite edge-setting ability, and top-tier speed off the line. His powerful hands allow him to shed blockers with ease, a skill that made him highly effective even as a freshman against larger offensive tackles. Combine that with his instinctive edge discipline and disruptive presence, and Lawless becomes the kind of can't-miss prospect the Yellow Jackets can't afford to let slip away. Continue to track this recruitment in the future.

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Arvon Bacon
ARVON BACON

Arvon Bacon covers football and basketball for Georgia Tech, SouthCarolina, and Georgia On SI and is a multimedia journalist, host, and content creation strategist. He has a passion for covering recruiting and letting athletes tell their stories.