Who is Brandon Smith? Georgia football player found dead ahead of state championship game

Brandon Smith was supposed to join his teammates at Manchester High School during Georgia's 1-A Division 2 state championship game tonight. Unfortunately, he didn't make it because he was found dead a day before the school's first championship game since 1997.

The celebration turned into mourning as teammates, friends, and family members relived the memories brought by the 17-year-old player. As the Blue Devils play for the state championship against Bowdon, Smith's cause of death remains undetermined.

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Brandon Smith was a defensive stalwart for the Manchester Blue Devils

Smith is listed as a defensive and middle linebacker on his Hudl profile. He would have been eligible to play college football in 2026.

A joint statement by Meriweather County school superintendent and Manchester High School principal Suze Neal reads:

“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our student-athletes, Brandon Smith. Manchester High School’s celebration of playing for the Georgia 1-A State Football Championship has unfortunately turned into something none of us could have fathomed.”

He was reported missing since Saturday. Meanwhile, WBRL's Chuck Williams reported that an investigation is being held at a crime scene half a mile from Manchester's campus.

To honor Smith, Manchester Blue Devils team captains carried his jersey to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium's 50-yard line before the opening coin toss.

Brandon Smith's grandmother, Maxine Smith, shared with 11Alive.com's Tracey Amick-Peer that the sophomore high school student hasn't come home since Thursday. Meanwhile, his football coach, Stephen Holmes, posted posters and announcements about Smith's absence.

Holmes delivered the heartbreaking news to the older Smith after her grandchild's body had been found near Manchester's 3rd Street.

While the Meriweather County coroner hasn't declared a cause of death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy on Smith's body on Tuesday.

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Brandon Smith fulfilled his life goal before his untimely death

Smith wrote on his Hudl profile that he's "striving to be the best." Those who were close to him attest that he achieved that. In the same article by Amick-Peer, his grandmother shared that he helped people whenever he could.

Meanwhile, the same letter from Superintendent Griffin and Principal Neal stated that Brandon Smith is a "loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field."

Unfortunately, Smith's teammates at Manchester High couldn't complete the quest for the state championship. Darius Favors scored a rushing touchdown to trim Bowdon's advantage to one, 28-27, with 7:23 left in regulation.

However, Bowdon preserved the lead and the victory by running out the clock. Quarterback Kyler McGrinn dashed to Manchester's one-yard line and took a couple of knees to win back-to-back state titles.