2025 Preview: Andrews Yellow Jackets

A little over 12 months ago, [player_tooltip player_id='1395098' first='AJ' last='Lee'] was informed the Andrews offense was going to make some changes.   He was coming off a 1,300-yard, 16-touchdown sophomore season. And while he had reason to be optimistic about what he was being told, some skepticism followed, too. Change isn't always easy, after all.    Yet, flash forward to this summer, and Lee (pictured) been given every reason to trust the coaching staff's plan for not only him, but what he can deliver for this offense.   Boosting his junior rushing totals to 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns in Year 1 of the Yellow Jackets' pistol scheme has had that effect. Going into his final prep campaign, the biggest change is the knowledge that he's expected to blow up even more.   “I've got to have a good mindset, be mentally prepared for all that stuff,” Lee said. “I feel like in big games, the team is really depending on me. That's when I have to have a sit down with myself.”   At the same time?   “I try not to think about it.”   Such is the summer of 2025 for Lee, who is now expected to carry the load in ways new and old alike.    “He's going to get more opportunities to catch the ball this year,” coach Scott Durham said. “He's had a really good summer catching the ball out of the backfield and just outrunning people. The fact that we're going to throw it more is going to create more running opportunities for him.”   Andrews has a pair of quarterbacks competing for the job this fall (more on them below). And about the only thing that's certain is that both of them aren't the traditional running quarterbacks the Yellow Jackets have had in the last five years. That means more passing, one way or the other.   If all goes to plan, opening up the offense through the air will further prevent opponents from stacking the box as much as they've been known to do. Lee and fellow tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1811021' first='Dutch' last='Stafford'] are going to get their touches.    It's all part of the plan, one Lee sees working in the Yellow Jackets' favor more often than not.   “We expect to be [playing] deep in the postseason,” he said. “That's how I expect it to look. That's how everybody expects it to look.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1025808' first='Chris' last='Stewart'] DL, 2026 - The Elon commitment is a dude, no other way to say it. He had 31.5 tackles for loss in 11 games last fall. Tack on his 13.5 sacks or 93 total tackles - all three of which were team highs, by the way - and you've got a ready-made college prospect who just so happens to be a baller with another year of high school eligibility.   [player_tooltip player_id='1395098' first='AJ' last='Lee'] RB, 2026 - While everything else we've already said about Lee is important, we're also big fans of what he can do in the return game. He averaged just shy of 27 yards per kickoff return as a junior on the strength of a pair of 80-yarders. Even the teams who have schemed to slow him down rushing the ball have a hard time doing it in both facets of the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639796' first='Da'viyon' last='McNair'] DL/OL, 2026 - At 6-foot-1 and 330 pounds, McNair is a vital part of the Yellow Jackets' plans on both sides of the ball. He's going to start at right tackle on offense, paving the way for Lee's runs off the edge. Defensively, his job is to clog up the interior. He did that very well last fall, putting up 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack.    [player_tooltip player_id='1734436' first='Kayden' last='Dorsey'] DB/WR, 2026 - Dorsey is arguably one of the most diverse weapons at Andrews' disposal this fall. He's the team's second-leading returning tackler. He breaks up passes. He's a threat to pick off just as many. He catches passes. He takes handoffs off the corner. He returns kicks and punts. Point blank, opponents better know where he is.   FILM REVIEW   Levi Marlowe LB, 2026 - Marlowe made a nice impact during his junior season at linebacker, where he finished the year with 46 total tackles. He's got solid sideline-to-sideline instincts and should have a chance to roam even more with the line ahead of him on great footing. We should start to see him get behind the line even more and improve upon the 1.5 tackles for loss he had last fall. If that happens, it's a game-changer for a defense that only needs a slight boost to be even better.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Brandon Cumbee QB - A three-year starter on offense and defense, Cumbee threw for 582 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 649 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall.    Khalil Dorsey DE - The Yellow Jackets' third-leading tackler in 2024 also had 15.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks to go along with his 53 total stops.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   Avery Durham and Brycen Cannon QB/WR, 2027/2026 - The quarterback competition to formally replace Cumbee is going to take at least another month, if not longer. Either way, Andrews is going to find a way to keep both players on the field. Don't be shocked if one of them ends up throwing a high number of passes to the other.    Javon Besselieu DL/TE, 2029 - Described by Durham as someone who matches Stewart's look and development at a similar age, Besselieu is going to give the Yellow Jackets another would-be edge contributor as a freshman. He's already 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds and physically developed enough to start.    Jordan is the team's likely starting center this fall (if he doesn't move back to right guard). He's taken on much more of the leadership role along the line. He also gives Andrews some flexibility in finding a fifth starter, as he can handle any of the interior spots on the fly. If that wasn't enough, he's going to be playing a decent amount of defensive line, too.

A little over 12 months ago, AJ Lee AJ Lee 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Andrews | 2026 State SC was informed the Andrews offense was going to make some changes.