Tag: Florida State football news

Georgia transfer OLB Jermaine Johnson chooses Florida State

Georgia linebacker Jermaine Johnson is transferring to Florida State. Details and depth chart projections for 2021 here.

Last week in a surprising move, Georgia linebacker Jermaine Johnson, who is second on the team in sacks in 2020 with five, entered the Transfer Portal. 

On Saturday, the senior announced that he is headed to Florida State.

Johnson, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, played for Last Chance U’s Independence Community College before transferring to Georgia in 2019 as the No. 1 rated JUCO prospect in the nation.

After playing in 14 games in 2019, totaling 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, Johnson broke out for the Bulldogs in just seven games played this season, racking up 16 tackles, five tackles for loss and 5 sacks.

Johnson is allowed another year of eligibility because of the NCAA’s extension of student-athlete eligibility for the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to transfer was unexpected because of Georgia’s linebacker depth chart projections for 2021.

Team sack-leader and Bednarick Award semi-finalist Azeez Ojulari has been projected as a first-round pick in some NFL mock drafts and early reports say the redshirt sophomore will indeed enter the 2021 draft, seemingly leaving a big spot to fill, which most believed Johnson would take over next season.

Not to say that Georgia does not have pass-rushers to step up after the departure of Ojulari and now Johnson, because it does.

Sophomore Nolan Smith is a former 5-star recruit who can dominate games at times and explosive junior Adam Anderson ranks third on the team in sacks in 2020 with 4.5.

Joining them will be a loaded 2021 recruiting class from the linebacker position, featuring 4-star Chaz Chambliss and 5-star Xavian Sorey. Both guys can play multiple positions and should get meaningful reps with the gaps left by Ojulari and Johnson.

 

Georgia football recruiting: 2021 4-star DB Terrion Arnold set to release top schools Friday

Georgia football target, 2021 4-star DB Terrion Arnold set to release top schools this Friday. Details here

2021 4-star safety Terrion Arnold ( John Paul II Catholic High School) from Tallahassee, Florida has confirmed that he will be releasing his top schools this Friday, per his Twitter account.

The Under Armor All-American prospect is rated as the No. 10 player in Florida, the No. 2 safety and the No. 85 prospect overall in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

247Sports wrote:

“One of the more complete defensive back prospects in a loaded 2021 class for the Sunshine State. Should sign with a Top 25 program and develop into an all-conference type player. Potential is there to play on Sundays.”

As one of the elite defensive back prospects for 2021, Arnold has plenty of interest from some of the top programs in the country.

He holds 44 offers, including ones from Alabama, Florida State and Florida – who are rumored to be in the lead to sign Arnold as of now.

We’ve seen Georgia coach Kirby Smart pull talented guys from Florida before, so check back in Friday to see if Georgia makes Arnold’s top schools.

 

 

4-star OL Dietrick Pennington includes Georgia football in top 5

Saturday, 2021 4-star offensive guard Dietrick Pennington announced his top-5 schools on Twitter. Details here

Saturday, 2021 4-star offensive lineman Dietrick Pennington announced his top-5 schools on Twitter. The list includes Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State and LSU.

Pennington (6-foot-5, 326 pounds) plays football for Evangelical Christian School in Cordova, Tennessee, where he sees playing time at both guard and defensive tackle.

247Sports has Pennington rated as the No. 12 guard, the No. 4 prospect in Tennessee and the No. 212 prospect overall in the 2021 recruiting class.

From 247Sports:

“Wide-bodied lineman, big-jointed with a thick lower half and a bulky upper body. Plays both ways for his high school and has multi-positional and multi-sport background. Natural feet and lateral agility.”

 https://twitter.com/Dietrick80P/status/1266862668717178881

Falcons’ Todd Gurley hopes to mentor LA Rams rookie RB Cam Akers

Georgia football great Todd Gurley, now of the Atlanta Falcons, hopes to mentor to Los Angeles Rams rookie RB Cam Akers out of FSU.

The Los Angeles Rams turned to the NFL Draft to find their replacement for former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley, who now plays for the Atlanta Falcons.

The Rams, who released Gurley in March, selected Florida State running back Cam Akers with the 52nd overall pick.

The Rams and Gurley might not on the best terms right now due to Los Angeles still owing the former superstar a multi-million dollar payment, but Gurley said that he hopes to be able to mentor Akers as he begins his NFL career.

“Just because whatever I have going on with the Rams, (that) don’t make me upset or want to bash or downplay another man,” Gurley said on Friday’s episode of the UNINTERRUPTED: We Run This Station podcast.

“He’s making his dream come true, just like I made my dream come true in 2015. And they went and got this kid in the second round, so I just want to be able to just tell him or show him early too, just as far as like the way to move. And then everything that comes with LA is so much opportunity out here. It’s like even though I’m going to be playing in Atlanta, I’m going to still be out here during the offseason because I know the amount of opportunities and the relationships that I had and grew out here. So I want to be able to do the same thing for him, man.”

Coming out of high school, Akers was rated as the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect, playing for Clinton High School in his hometown of Clinton, Mississippi. Similar to Gurley, both came from a small-town and both played at a high level in college. Additionally, both had to learn how to adjust to playing in Los Angeles, one of America’s biggest markets, at a young age.

“He’s going to be a running back in the LA market. He’s going to be scoring touchdowns. He’s going to be making plays. So I want him to be able to be on the same type of thing I was on, but even more and at an earlier stage. So it’s just like everyone’s always talking a big game and saying they’re going to do this, they’re going to do that. It’s just about helping the youth. Whether they made it or not, just like when people go back in the communities and do community work, how about reach out to the young guy that’s coming up, that’s getting drafted or the young guy that don’t know anything and tell him.”

Gurley was taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. For four years, he was one of the best running backs in the NFL, if not the best. But after his knee began to bother him more and more, Gurley’s touches declined and the Rams would not say why. Gurley was criticized immensely, but never complained. He tuned out the noise and continued doing his thing. In five seasons, Gurley racked up 7, 494 total yards and 70 total touchdowns. His 5,404 rushing yards ranks sixth all-time in Rams history.

“He just made his dream come true, so why not make this guy even better? And obviously, he’s got to focus on the field and stuff like that,” Gurley said, still speaking of Akers. “And that’s going to take care of itself. He’s going to be with a great offense. He’s going to be making plays. He got (quarterback Jared Goff). He got (wide receiver) Robert Woods. He got (wide receiver) Cooper Kupp. He got the opportunity right there in front of him. So I just want to maximize it and take off.”

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