They have many - from the flagship and very hard to get into UGA - just large to more urban (Ga State - by Ga Tech and Kennesaw State).
Then you have your directionals - North Georgia which is your mountain desired school, Georgia Southern, Ga College & State, Columbus State (on the river), Valdosta (border with Florida) and a few more like W Georgia and Clayton State.
It sounds to me like Georgia Southern (mid size) and N Georgia (mountains) would be solid to look at.
Don’t forget, many schools in the South have huge merit aid - so that could help. Many UGA wannabes for example, go to Alabama or South Carolina. For a mountain school with better reps, you may look at UTK, App State, or Va Tech…yes, you’re at a higher price point than a GA school.
Good luck.