Former Oglethorpe County and Athens Academy running back PayTon Xavier “Zay” Prince has signed to play college football at the University of the Cumberlands, a NAIA school in Williamsburg, Kentucky.
Prince, who grew up in Sandy Cross and attended Oglethorpe County schools through his junior year at OCHS, transferred to Athens Academy for his senior year and ran for 1,880 rushing yards and scored 20 touchdowns in 2025.
His season attracted several college offers, including one from a Division I school (Bryant University). A visit to Cumberlands sealed his commitment in April.
“It’s (University of the Cumberlands) a great campus,” Prince said. “There are great people, great coaches, and they welcomed me in with open arms, and I actually love it. It’s just a blessing that I can actually go to the next level and play for a team and just compete at the higher level.”
Prince left Georgia for fall practice Saturday, following a send-off event with family and friends on July 28 at The Local Spot, where he worked as a cook.
“You know, any time that a kid from Oglethorpe County can work hard and go experience life somewhere else as a product of their work and get an education because of it, it's very exciting,” said Scott Liedberg, Prince’s former youth football coach.
Prince first put on a football helmet as a first grader, playing on an Oglethorpe County recreation department team coached by Liedberg and Michael White, the county’s recreation department director.
“He (White) was one of the people that led me to play football and got me interested in (football),” Prince said. “He’s a great man — I love him. He taught me great lessons.”
In addition to football, Prince played rec league soccer, basketball and baseball, often coached by White and Liedberg.
“He’s just a natural athlete, very coachable, and just worked,” Liedberg said. “PayTon was just very respectful, especially to us coaches, and always willing to have a smile waiting for us.”
Entering high school, Prince’s trajectory hit a wall. He suffered a torn ACL and a fractured kneecap during his freshman and sophomore years, requiring three surgeries and a five-day hospital stay.
“He cried the whole time,” his mother, Mia Woods, said. “The doctor was like he wasn't gonna walk right again and have a permanent limp. So to see what he is at now from back then; he proved him wrong.”
He returned to action in his junior year at OCHS, and shared backfield duties with O’Maury Huggs and Jordan Johnson as he recovered.
Following his junior year, Prince’s family relocated to Watkinsville and he transferred to Athens Academy with his younger brother and teammate, Cayden Woods.
“My first time getting on campus at Athens Academy, I felt like everybody welcomed me like a family,” Prince said. “They didn’t look at me any different coming from a rival team. Everybody has your back at Athens Academy; everybody wants to see you succeed.”
After meeting with Athens Academy coach Josh Alexander, Prince joined the football team in the summer. Knowing Prince’s injury history, Alexander and the coaching staff gradually built up Prince’s strength through specialized practice sessions during preseason.
“We had a coach with him every day, and it was everything from rubber bands to movements to learning how to move like a running back,” Alexander said. “He just really worked hard.”
A strong showing in the Spartans’ preseason scrimmage against Prince Avenue and Prince’s size and athleticism quickly established him as the Spartans’ primary rushing threat.
“We saw what he could do, and we were like, ‘Ooh, we got something here,’” Alexander said. “He is a talent. He’s probably 6 feet, maybe even 6-foot-1, and 210 pounds. That’s just really good football size for a running back.”
Prince played in all 12 games, averaging 156.7 yards per contest and 7.9 yards per carry. Minor injuries limited his playing time in several games, including the Spartans’ 43-21 victory over Oglethorpe County, where he recorded 42 yards on six carries.
However, considering his medical history, Prince said taking the field each Friday was the most rewarding.
“To come back to doing what I did my senior year; I think the adversity was (my favorite memory),” Prince said.