Category: Georgia Bulldogs

Malaki Starks given high marks in preseason defensive back rankings

Malaki Starks is limited for spring practice, but should have a big fall

Coming off of consensus All-American recognition in 2023, expectations could not be higher for Georgia safety Malaki Starks headed into 2024. As Starks prepares for his third and potentially final season in the red and black, multiple outlets have ranked him near or at the top of their defensive back rankings looking ahead to the 2024 season.

In ESPN’s ranking of the top returning defensive backs for the upcoming season, Starks was ranked first, trailed by Colorado’s Travis Hunter. He tied for the highest number of points based on the voting from the participating ESPN reporters, and received the top spot based on having more first place votes than Hunter.

Pro Football Focus also released their list of top graded safeties based on last season, with Starks being ranked second to Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. PFF described Starks as “an elite athlete who’s a standout run defender and tackler for the position while also consistently making plays in coverage.”

Starks is limited this spring after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Georgia freshman standing out so far through spring practice

Joseph Jonah-Ajonye has caught the attention of numerous observers thus far through spring for his size, versatility, and the reps he is getting early on.

Early signs have pointed to one newcomer on the defensive side of the ball having a chance to be a major producer for Georgia this season.

Joseph Jonah-Ajonye has caught the attention of numerous observers thus far because of his size, versatility and number of reps he is getting.

The former five-star has joined incumbent edge rusher Mykel Williams  rotating between outside linebacker and defensive end drills during practices, reflecting the versatility in his game. He is listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and 275 pounds, and he has been lauded by many for his build, including DawgNation’s Connor Riley who compared it to “that of a moose.”

Jonah-Ajonye has been able to get added experience during practice as a result of both the absence of Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and the lack of experience at the outside linebacker position for the Dawgs. Kirby Smart recently commented on Jonah-Ajonye, saying, “He’s getting 40-50 reps per day, which is huge for his development.”

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A native Nigerian, Jonah-Ajonye has given himself the moniker “the Nigerian Nightmare” as a nod to legendary NFL fullback Christian Okoye. In his original commitment announcement, he said, “If you are a football player that loves to win, be surrounded by amazing people, and get developed at a high level, Georgia is a no-brainer.”

Georgia loses recruiting analyst to Michigan

A Georgia football personnel and recruiting analyst has been hired by Sherrone Moore and Michigan.

Georgia football staffer John Collins has been hired by the University of Michigan to serve as its assistant director of recruiting. Collins spent the past two years as a recruiting and personnel analyst with the Bulldogs. He helped Georgia secure the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle.

Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines made a splash this offseason when they poached Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford to replace Mike Hart. Michigan finished the 2024 recruiting cycle ranked 16th nationally with 26 commits, and currently have three commits in the upcoming class.

For Georgia, this opens another recruiting position for coach Smart to fill on his staff, something it has been particularly familiar with this offseason. The program has already replaced key recruiting assistants Dell McGee, Fran Brown and Bryan McClendon. The Dawgs hold five commits in the class of 2025 and the nation’s No. 15 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

Georgia basketball defeats Ohio State to advance to NIT semifinals

Georgia basketball will face Big East school after winning in the NIT quarterfinals against Ohio State

Georgia basketball continued its strong run through the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) with a 79-77 victory in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Senior guard Noah Thomasson took the lead for the Dawgs, scoring 21 points and shooting 50% from the field in his thirty minutes of action, including a two-point jump shot to give the Dawgs the lead with 37 seconds remaining in the game that they would not give up. Jamison Battle lead the way for the Buckeyes with 22 points and eight rebounds.

The win brings Georgia’s record to 20-16 in head coach Mike White’s second season, with a chance to advance to the NIT title game for the first time in program history. Ohio State finishes their season 22-14, with Jake Diebler taking over as the full-time head coach following a strong finish down the stretch as the replacement for longtime head coach Chris Holtmann.

Georgia will face the Seton Hall Pirates who defeated the UNLV Rebels in the NITA quarterfinals. The semifinal matchup will take place on April 2 in Indianapolis.

 

Georgia softball rises in latest power rankings

Georgia softball is the top SEC team in the latest softball power rankings

The Georgia Bulldogs softball team has risen to No. 3 in the latest edition of the NCAA’s softball power rankings. Georgia went 4-0 over the past week, sweeping Ole Miss in a three-game series on the road and defeating Georgia Southern 17-1.

Georgia is now 27-4 on the season with wins over seven different ranked opponents. The Dawgs are ranked behind only Oklahoma and Texas in the power rankings. Georgia is 5-1 in SEC action.

Michella Chester explained why she bumped Georgia up to the No. 3 softball team in her top-10 power rankings.

No. 3 was a tough choice between a mix of Stanford, Georgia and Duke, all sitting around the same spot. I ended up giving it to the Dawgs, who had an impressive sweep over a strong Ole Miss team on the road.

Georgia softball’s next game is at Kennesaw State on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. ET. After that, Georgia hosts Arkansas in a three-game SEC series from Saturday to Monday.

4-star athlete includes Georgia in his top six teams

After an up and down recruiting weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs received some good news on Monday morning.

After an up and down recruiting weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs received some good news on Monday morning. Four-star athlete Jamarion Morrow named the Dawgs to his top six alongside Alabama, Oregon, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

Morrow, a native of Germantown, Tennessee, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. On the offensive side, primarily playing at running back, he recorded 1,212 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, while also contributing 24 tackles and four interceptions as a defensive back. He helped lead the Germantown Red Devils to a 14-0 start as season ago prior to a loss in the state playoff quarterfinals.

In terms of past comparisons, Morrow is of similar size to former receiver Mecole Hardman, who was also recruited as an athlete and started his career at cornerback prior to moving to receiver. He received his initial offer from the Bulldogs in January.

The Germantown High School standout is the No. 328 recruit in the country, per 247Sports. Morrow is the No. 15 athlete in the nation and the No. 10 recruit in Tennessee.

Georgia ranked in latest USA TODAY baseball coaches poll

UGA baseball finally ranked in the coaches poll after 21-4 start to the season, sweeping Alabama

Following a sweep of the previously No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide over the weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs have made their debut in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. The Dawgs are up 13 spots from a week ago to No. 24 in the latest poll, which is No. 11 among SEC teams. Alabama dropped to No. 18 in the rankings after falling to Georgia.

Georgia currently sits at 21-4 for the season, with three of those losses coming in a road sweep at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats last weekend before their victorious return to Foley Field against the Crimson Tide. In the series against the Tide, the Bulldogs hit eleven home runs over two days after the Friday matchup was postponed to Saturday morning.

Star Charlie Condon has continued to shine for the Bulldogs, now holding a .517 batting average with 17 home runs and 37 RBIs for the season. Condon, who is projected to be a top pick in the MLB draft, leads the country in batting average and home runs.

Georgia will host Mercer on Tuesday before traveling to Knoxville for a series against the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers this weekend.

Elite five-star defensive lineman flips from Georgia to USC

A five-star defensive lineman has flipped from Georgia to USC.

When looking back at the past weekend across the college football recruiting world, you will not find a more notable takeaway or piece of news than what happened with Georgia commit Justus Terry.

Terry, who is one of the nation’s premier prospects regardless of position in the 2025 cycle, officially flipped his commitment from Georgia to USC this past Sunday. An in-state prospect for the Bulldogs out of Manchester High School, Terry had previously been committed to Georgia since January of 2023.

The now USC commit ranks as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia. Terry, a five-star prospect, is also the No. 2 defensive lineman nationally in the class.

Georgia’s 2025 recruiting class now holds five total commitments, with five-star Elyiss Williams now taking over the label of the Bulldogs top commit, which was previously held by Terry.

Georgia running back arrested on DUI charges

Georgia’s projected starting running back was arrested on Sunday morning in Athens on four misdemeanor charges.

Georgia’s projected starting running back, Trevor Etienne, was arrested on Sunday morning in Athens on four misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane/improper driving on the road, and affixing materials that reduce the visibility of windows/windshield. He was arrested at 4:35 a.m. and was released later in the morning at 5:27 a.m. after posting bond.

Etienne is in the midst of his first spring with the Bulldogs after transferring from Florida in December. Last season for the Gators, he rushed for 753 yards and eight touchdowns while splitting starting reps with Montrell Johnson.

Etienne, the brother of former Clemson star and current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, is competing for the starting role this Spring with returning backs Roderick Robinson, Andrew Paul, and Branson Robinson for the Bulldogs.

The severity of any potential suspension or internal discipline for Etienne is unknown at this time.

5-star defensive lineman flips commitment from Georgia

After landing two elite recruits this weekend, Georgia football lost a commitment in the class of 2025.

After landing two major recruits this weekend, the Dawgs have now lost a commitment in the class of 2025. Five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry committed to Southern Cal on Sunday morning, after having been pledged to the Dawgs since January of last year.

Terry is listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds and is a native of Manchester, Georgia. His decommitment comes after the addition of nose tackle Stephon Shivers on Friday and leaves the Dawgs with five commitments in the class of 2025. He is the second commit for the Trojans, joining five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, a recent target for the Bulldogs.

Terry recorded 78 tackles and 13 sacks in the 2023 high school season. He presents a major addition for a Trojans team that is seeking to change the defensive culture around the program under third year head coach Lincoln Riley.

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In explaining his decision, Terry said, “It was a no brainer! Coming from a small town I wanted to expand my life as much as possible and I felt like USC is the right place to do that!”