Get To Know: 2021 Denmark Danes

After a slow start to the 2020 season last fall, the Denmark Danes finished the season strong and are one of the top up and coming programs in the entire state. Located in Forsyth County, the Danes play in 7A Region 6 with the rest of the talented teams in the county. The Danes will be in year 2 of coach Mike Palmieri who came from legendary Mallard Creek in North Carolina. They lost only one region game last year and it was to the region champion West Forsyth Wolverines. Denmark also played Collins Hill incredibly tough in the playoffs, allowing only 17 points to the high-powered Eagles offense. As good as Denmark was last season, they have a chance to be even better this fall. Their 2023 class is extremely talented, and while the team is still very young overall, they do have some veterans coming back to give the team some experience. The team’s top prospect right now is ATH [player_tooltip player_id="94017" first="Dee" last="Crayton"]. A superstar running back in middle school, Crayton will lead Denmark’s defense at linebacker and will be one of the top returning defenders in all of North Georgia. The 2023 prospect will also help the Danes on offense as a running back and could be one of the region’s best there as well. The 6-foot-2 210-pounder holds offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, among others. Staying on offense, the Danes will be looking to replace [player_tooltip player_id="33673" first="Aaron" last="McLaughlin"] who is now at N.C State, and the job appears to be Jacob Nelson’s to lose going into the spring. He’s got multiple weapons on the outside in 2023 WRs Lake Thoman and Shay Ojarikre along with multi-year starter Amon Williams at running back. With both Williams and Crayton carrying the load next year, the Danes should have one of the more potent rushing attacks in the are. They have their left tackle in place in 2023 tackle Shamurad Umarov. The lean 6-foot-6 265-pounder has D1 potential is he continues to add good weight and muscle this spring. He has a great frame, but he still needs to work on his technique and how to play the position. He hasn’t been playing football very long, so his best football is ahead of him. This is a big off-season for Umarov who has the chance to have a breakout junior season and start to see some interest come his way. If there’s an up and coming offensive lineman to know in the region, it’s Umarov. Offensively, if the Danes can find some reliable offensive linemen to surround Umarov, their offense could be one of the region’s best. The staff is optimistic about their QB options and the weapons they have around him. If the offensive line can hold up and come together by August, the Danes could have a special season this fall. Defensively, the Danes have a ton coming back, especially in the defensive backfield. Defensive back Treston Jordan is coming off a big junior season where he picked off 4 passes and made 43 tackles. He’s become a leader on defense and he more than held his own against impressive players all season. He’s one of the top defensive backs in the region and holds offers from App State, Navy, Troy, Miami (OH), and Kent State. Overall, the Denmark program is on the rise and has one of the top coaches in the state building the program. They might be young, but they’re a talented team and they’ll push teams hard each week during the 2021 season.