He’s just 15-years old, but at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Savannah Christian’s Damion Guyton looks, and plays, like a grown man on the football field.
Guyton’s size and skills have college recruiters clamoring for the sophomore’s services. He picked up an offer from Georgia before ever playing a high school down, and now has 18 offers on the table.
Last week, On3.com named Guyton, a four-star edge, as the Class of 2027’s top prospect in the nation, across all positions.
On Friday night, Guyton was all over the field as Savannah Christian’s defense dominated over a New Hampstead team that scored 56 points in its opener as the Raiders rolled to a 35-7 victory.
Guyton is following in the footsteps of his close friend and teammate, Elijah Griffin, a 5-star defensive lineman who picked up his first offer from Georgia as an eighth grader. Griffin, ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect in the country by On3.com, recently narrowed his college choices to the Bulldogs, USC and Miami. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound senior said he loves playing alongside Guyton.
“We have two different body types and Damion is an edge guy who is way faster than I am,” Griffin said. “He is a great player and just loves to play football. It’s what he does. I’ve been in his shoes, so I just try to help him get better, day by day. We talk about football and we talk about recruiting and other things. I’m teaching him not to get distracted by other things, like social media, and just stay focused on the game.”
Focus on the field isn’t a problem for Guyton, who had 82 tackles, including 19.5 for loss, with 10 sacks as a freshman in the Raiders run to the Class 3A state title game last year as he earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors.
“If you had to describe LaDamion in one word ― you would have to say he is just a freak,” Savannah Christian Coach Baker Woodward said. “He’s one of the best high school players I have ever seen and coached. When you see him with his shirt off, he already has the body of a college or NFL player, and he’s just 15 years old.
“He’s amazing on the pass rush, and if you run at him, he’s going to stop you. And if you run away from him, he has the speed to chase you down. He is so quick and has violent hands. And the best part is that he’s such a great kid. He takes being a student athlete seriously with his academics, and he’s a great teammate to play with.”
Guyton has a big impact with his teammates, on both sides of the ball. Sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Dillon, who has offers including Cincinnati and USF, said taking reps against Guyton has helped him immensely.
“He’s so fast and physical and one of the best in the country,” Dillon said. “We have some great battles, and I think I hold my own. But he gets you ready to play against the best.”
Guyton’s offer list is top notch and includes LSU, Alabama, Florida State, Miami and Tennessee. He is set to see Georgia in its opener against Clemson in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 31. But with all the hype about his recruitment and ranking, Guyton remains on an even keel.
“It’s great to be ranked No. 1 in my class (by On3.com), and it gives me a sense of pride, but I just have to sweep that under the rug for right now,” Guyton said. “A lot more people are going to know my name, but I’m not going to let that go to my head. It’s a long season and we have a goal to win a state championship, and that’s where my focus is. I can think about those other things when the season is over.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
