Getting to the top is difficult. Staying there might be even harder.
Midtown High School Class of 2027 edge rusher Mylik Benoit entered the 2026 season with a target on his back after finishing last season as Georgia's sack leader.
Now he's trying to do it again.
And if his latest performance is any indication, the race has already started.
Benoit recorded two sacks in Midtown's recent game, adding another chapter to what has already been an extremely productive varsity career.
At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Benoit has the combination that offensive tackles hate dealing with: size, strength and legitimate speed coming off the edge.
But testing numbers aren't what made Benoit Georgia's sack leader. He has produced when the lights come on.
He's Already Proven He Can Lead the State
For Benoit, talking about a statewide sack race isn't based on potential. He has already won it.
After leading Georgia in sacks last season, the challenge entering his senior year is becoming the state's sack king again. That changes the expectations surrounding every game.
Offensive coordinators know who he is. Offensive tackles know what he's trying to do. Protection can be shifted toward him, backs can be kept in to help and quarterbacks can be instructed to get the football out quicker.
Benoit's job remains the same. Find the quarterback.
Two sacks in his latest outing show that the formula hasn't changed much.
6A Has Its Own Sack King
Midtown's move into Class 6A for the 2026 season also gives Benoit a new stage. While some of Georgia's other nationally recognized pass rushers — including Blessed Trinity's D.J. Jacobs — compete in different classifications, the statewide statistical race doesn't care about classification.
Midtown is in 6A. Blessed Trinity is in 5A. But when it comes to determining who gets quarterbacks on the ground the most, everybody can be measured against the same number.
That creates one of the more interesting defensive races to follow throughout the 2026 season. There are highly recruited edge defenders throughout Georgia. Benoit has something many of them are still pursuing: he has already finished No. 1.
24 Career Sacks and Counting
That production becomes even more impressive when paired with his athletic profile. A 220-pound defender running a reported 4.53 isn't simply chasing quarterbacks because of scheme — Benoit possesses the burst to close space quickly once he gets into the backfield.
His basketball background provides another glimpse into that athleticism. Benoit also plays center and power forward for Midtown's varsity basketball team. During his junior season, he recorded an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double in a region tournament victory over M.L. King.
Whether he's attacking the rim or attacking a quarterback, explosiveness is a major part of his game.
Can He Go Back-to-Back?
That's the question surrounding Benoit's senior season. Leading an entire state in sacks once is an accomplishment. Doing it in consecutive seasons would be something different.
Every offensive line Midtown faces now has film on him. Every opponent has an opportunity to build its protection plan around slowing him down. And Benoit still has to produce.
He's no longer introducing himself to Georgia. He's defending his spot.
The first sack title put Mylik Benoit on top. Now the Midtown senior is trying to prove the crown still belongs to him.
Sack King once. Now he wants it twice.