Georgia football legend Horace King made history as one of the “First Five” African American scholarship athletes in school history in 1971, but his legacy will not end there.
His great-nephew, Khamari Brooks, is now a four-star defensive end out of North Oconee High School committed to play for Georgia next season.
“I hope I’ll be able to go there and just keep that legacy going,” Brooks said.
Brooks was born into a family deeply rooted in Athens. Specifically, his mother’s lineage holds a rich history for Georgia’s football program. In fact, Brooks is related to multiple notable Bulldogs, including the aforementioned King, as well as Charles “C.J.” Junior — Brooks’ step-grandfather who played on the 1980 national championship team.
With football in his blood, Brooks was first introduced to the sport at age 3. From there, he fell in love with the game. Raised as a Georgia fan, he frequently attended games at Sanford Stadium, hoping to one day play on the same field he watched from the stands.
Brooks first viewed college football as a real possibility when he was given the opportunity to start as a freshman at North Oconee, which has recently become a football powerhouse in Class 4A. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds as a first-year student, Brooks made it hard for head coach Tyler Aurandt to keep him off the field.
“He’s one of the best leaders that I’ve been around because he can challenge kids and they respect him,” Aurandt said.
Brooks’ strong leadership and dominant play culminated last season when the Titans went a perfect 15-0, winning their first football state championship in school history. He stepped up for his team in its 14-7 win against Marist in the state championship, posting eight tackles, 2½ tackles for loss, 1½ sacks and even a receiving touchdown.
“Seeing their faces, seeing them happy after that game was very exciting for me and a very cool thing to see because I’ve known a lot of these guys for a very long time,” Brooks said of his teammates.
Aside from football, Brooks was also a standout on the basketball court his first three years of high school, winning back-to-back state championships in 2024 and 2025. Brooks won those titles alongside four-star guard Justin Wise, who has offers from Georgia and several other Division I schools.
Brooks received his official offer from the Bulldogs in October 2024 in the midst of North Oconee’s undefeated championship run. With Georgia and Alabama as the front-runners for his commitment this past June, Brooks ultimately chose the university down the road he had been visiting his entire life.
“I grew up a Dawgs fan,” Brooks said. “You could definitely say it’s a dream come true.”
“To see him go through the process and handle it as maturely as he did, it speaks a lot about his character,” Aurandt said of Brooks’ recruitment.
Brooks credits his official visit, the school’s reputable education and his talks with Georgia linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe as the main reasons behind his final decision.
Brooks will reunite with a familiar face when he joins the Bulldogs next fall: previous teammate and longtime friend Landon Roldan. Now a freshman wide receiver at Georgia, Roldan was a major piece of North Oconee’s title-winning roster and has been teammates with Brooks since middle school. Brooks said the two still talk regularly and even play video games together.
“We’ve known each other for a very long time, and it’s just insane that we’re gonna be able to do that together,” Brooks said.
Brooks’ motivation comes from his desire to support his family, particularly his mother.
“My main goal is to retire them and make sure they don’t have to work,” Brooks said. “That’s my biggest goal and what I really pride myself on working hard for.”
Brooks said his final goal before graduating from North Oconee was to win one last state championship. However, following a home game against Madison County earlier this month, he announced that he fractured his hip and will miss the rest of his senior season.
“Loved the journey these past 4 years,” Brooks said on X. “Though my season is cut short I cant do anything but Thank God for giving me the opportunity to play this sport I love and to play this sport in college.”
Brooks finished his shortened season with 56 tackles, six sacks, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble through seven games. He also featured as a tight end on offense, recording 12 receptions for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
North Oconee is still undefeated this season, and it will attempt to win that final state title Brooks covets before he is gone for good. In the meantime, Brooks will watch from the sideline and prepare to get healthy for his freshman year between the hedges — the same place his relatives made history generations before him.
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