Tag: georgia bulldogs news

Former Georgia OT Broderick Jones talks 2023 NFL draft

Jones appeared on Good Morning Football to talk ’23 draft…

Former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones is currently preparing for the 2023 NFL draft as one of the top offensive lineman prospects.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently projected Jones as the No. 13 overall pick to the New York Jets in his latest mock draft.

The 6-foot-5, 311 pound left tackle spent Georgia’s 2022 national championship season as a first-year starter and didn’t allow a single sack on quarterback Stetson Bennett in 15 games.

Jones recently appeared on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ to share why NFL teams should draft him.

“[A team should draft me] just because I’m such a hard worker. I’m going to come in and give you my all. You’ll never catch me slacking off. I will always do my best. Football is what I love to do. It’s just something that I’m a part of — like, it’s become a part of my life,” Jones said. “I breathe football. There’s nothing else that I do outside of football. That’s all I know, it’s all I’ve ever known, and it’s all I’ll ever want to do.”

The former five-star prospect made the Coaches Freshman All-SEC team in 2021 when he stepped in for starter Jamaree Salyer, who missed four games due to injury.

Jones built on the momentum from the 2021 season and was a force protecting Bennett’s blind side in 2022.

“Football is my main objective in life, so I’m going to keep it that way until the day I can’t play anymore. I want to play as long as I can and just do the best that I can. [I’m looking forward to] just being able to lock in with myself and being able to play my best game and go against anybody they put in front of me is what I’m looking forward to.”

The 2023 NFL draft will kickoff on April 27 in Kansas City and will be televised on NFL Network.

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UGA football offers Idaho’s top recruit

The Georgia Bulldogs are the latest college football program to offer a scholarship to four-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair.

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to the best recruit in Idaho, Gatlin Bair. Kirby Smart and Georgia football recruit the entire country every year and the 2024 recruiting cycle is no exception.

The four-star wide receiver received a scholarship offer from Georgia on March 27. Bair is the top-ranked recruit in Idaho and the No. 129 recruit nationally. He is the No. 22 player at his position, per 247Sports.

Bair plays football, runs track and plays basketball. The three-sport athlete has excellent speed and has posted 100-meter dash times under 10.5 seconds.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound recruit is a member of the class of 2024. Bair plays high school football for Burley Senior High School in Burley, Idaho.

The Burley Senior standout has received recent scholarship offers from Florida, Wisconsin, UCLA and Miami. Bair is generating a lot more national recruiting attention in recent months.

Bair is an explosive athlete. He can do a between-the-legs dunk. Check out the vertical on this dunk:

The four-star wide receiver announced his scholarship offer from Georgia football via Twitter:

Georgia football has 11 players committed in the class of 2024. So far, Georgia’s 2024 class is the best in the country. The Bulldogs have a commitment from four-star wide receiver Ny Carr, but that is all at the wide receiver position.

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NFL draft RB rankings: where is Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh?

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kenny McIntosh is one of the most versatile running backs in the 2023 NFL draft.

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kenny McIntosh can do a little bit of everything. McIntosh is capable of catching the football out of the backfield, pass blocking, and of course running the football.

The former four-star recruit was a mismatch as a receiver and that is arguably his biggest strength entering the 2023 NFL draft. McIntosh is ranked as the No. 10 running back in the draft, per Draft Wire.

The 6-foot, 204-pound running back faces strong competition from the 2023 NFL draft running back class. The position is loaded this draft cycle.

The back-to-back national champion is ranked behind running backs like Texas’ Bijan Robinson, Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, and UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet.

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Draft Wire is higher on McIntosh than Pro Football Focus. PFF ranks McIntosh as the No. 17 running back in the draft and the No. 185 overall prospect.

McIntosh averaged over five yards per carry in each of his four seasons in Athens. The versatile running back hauled in a career-high 43 receptions for 504 yards and two touchdowns in his final season at Georgia.

Thanks to Georgia’s consistent depth and rotation at the running back position, McIntosh enters the draft with under 300 total career carries, so he has not had too much wear and tear.

McIntosh clocked a 4.62 second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL combine. That time won’t wow draft scouts, but McIntosh has excellent change of direction and cutting ability. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, product’s 1.54 second 10-yard split was in the middle of the pack for running backs and showed that McIntosh has solid acceleration.

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Georgia OL Tate Ratledge talks Bulldogs offensive line battle

“We have a lot of competition going on. [We’re] just competing every day and with a lot of depth”

One of Georgia football’s biggest questions for the 2023 season is along the offensive line.

The Bulldogs lose starting left tackle Broderick Jones and starting right tackle Warren McClendon to this year’s NFL draft.

Starting center Sedrick Van Pran elected to delay turning pro and will be back as the anchor up front, along with starting left guard Xavian Truss and starting right guard Tate Ratledge.

Ratledge, a rising redshirt junior, spoke on the changes along the Georgia offensive line after a spring practice session last week.

“We have a lot of competition going on. [We’re] just competing every day and with a lot of depth, I think one of Coach Searels’ goals is to find a starting five and then find a backup group where there’s not much drop-off. I think right now we do a lot where everybody gets a lot of reps, so there’s no telling [who will play where]. People are getting a lot of reps every practice.”

Rising junior Amarius Mims is a key contender at right tackle. The former five-star prospect saw action as a reserve in 12 games in 2022.

Ratledge mentioned Mims has a different mindset so far this offseason.

“He’s gotten very mature with how he goes about things, just coming into practice, not really taking plays off and things like that,” Ratledge said. “[He’s] just going out there and grinding every day and just really stepping into the shoes that he’s got to fill.”

Rising redshirt junior Austin Blaske and rising redshirt freshman Earnest Greene are battling for the left tackle spot. Blaske appeared in nine games last season and Greene missed the season due to injury.

There is plenty of time to make decisions of how the offensive front will look for the Bulldogs. The talent is there but finding continuity is the challenge.

Ratledge says the impact of the returning starters is helping the process.

“I think we have a couple guys that have been through it and know what to do, can really help the young guys come along and kind of take people under their wing and kind of show them the way.”

You can catch the Dawgs live from Sanford Stadium in the annual ‘G-Day’ game scheduled for April 15.

 

Georgia’s Kelee Ringo ranked No. 6 CB in NFL draft by ESPN

ESPN’s Matt Miller gives his take on Kelee Ringo…

Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo is considered one of the top corners in the 2023 NFL draft.

Ringo’s size and athleticism was on full display at the NFL combine and UGA’s pro day. The Tacoma, Wa., native checked in at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds and clocked a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash in Indianapolis.

ESPN’s Matt Miller recently ranked the top-11 corners in this year’s draft with Ringo coming in at No. 6.

“If we had done this exercise last summer, Ringo would have been higher. He was one of the top prospects in the entire class before the 2022 season began, but Ringo struggled last year as teams picked on him with breaking routes that challenged his change-of-direction skills. At 6-2 and 207 pounds, he has fantastic size and legitimate 4.3 speed (4.36 at the combine), but final appearances against LSU (six catches allowed for 104 yards) and then Ohio State in the College Football Playoff (five catches allowed for 75 yards) have stuck in evaluators’ minds. And against the Buckeyes, it wasn’t all just Marvin Harrison Jr.”

According to Miller, Ringo’s measurements are impressive, but there is a concern in man coverage ability.

“One defensive backs coach thinks a position change might help, though: ‘I almost think you move him to free safety if you run a man defense. It’s that bad.'”

“Ringo has impressive metrics and did record four career interceptions. He also broke up 10 passes last season and had 42 tackles. There’s no doubting the elite size, tackling ability and recovery speed, but the man coverage traits need developing if he stays at cornerback. He’s probably safely a Round 2 guy, but I think he has to play in Cover 3 or make a position change,” said an AFC area scout.”

Miller projects Ringo as a best fit for the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.

The draft will kickoff on April 27 televised on the NFL Network.

Georgia RB Kendall Milton out for remainder of spring practice

Kendall Milton out with a hamstring injury…

Georgia football will finish out the remainder of spring practice without rising senior running back Kendall Milton due to a hamstring injury, according to a report from 247Sports.

Milton is expected to contend for the starting running back role with rising senior Daijun Edwards and rising sophomore Branson Robinson.

The 6-foot-1, 220 pound tailback dealt with a similar injury that kept him out of two games during the 2022 season.

Milton was able to battle back from the injury and finished the year as the Bulldogs third leading rusher with 592 yards and eight touchdowns on 85 carries.

The Fresno, Cal., native’s 7.0 yards per carry average led all SEC running backs in 2022.

Milton’s setback opens the door for more spring opportunities for Edwards, Georgia’s second-leading rusher last season, Robinson and redshirt freshman Andrew Paul, who suffered an ACL tear in the 2022 preseason.

The Dawgs will take the field at the annual ‘G-Day’ spring game in Sanford Stadium on April 15.

4-star OT Max Anderson names his top schools

Anderson has four SEC schools in his top eight

Four-star offensive tackle recruit Max Anderson is narrowing his favorite opportunities at the next level. The class of 2024 offensive tackle puts Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oregon, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Michigan in his top eight.

The Georgia Bulldogs football program offered a scholarship to the talented offensive tackle prospect in early March 2023. Georgia was not in Anderson’s previous list of top schools, but the Dawgs are on his radar now after offering the four-star offensive tackle.

Georgia football already has secured commitments from 10 players in the class of 2024. As of March 24, Georgia has the nation’s best recruiting class in 2024 cycle. Kirby Smart and Georgia are still seeking a commitment from an offensive lineman in the class of 2024.

Anderson plays high school football for Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas. Frisco is located north of Dallas.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle is ranked as the No. 200 player in the class of 2024 and the No. 13 offensive tackle. Anderson is the No. 36 recruit in Texas. The Michigan Wolverines are favored to land a commitment from the Reedy star, per 247Sports.

The four-star offensive tackle has summer visits planned with Tennessee and Michigan.

The big offensive lineman announced his top schools via Twitter:

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Watch: Former Georgia Bulldog, Washington Commander Jake Fromm throws at UGA

Jake Fromm putting in work in Athens!

Former Georgia quarterback and current Washington Commander Jake Fromm is preparing for his fourth NFL season.

Fromm was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills and spent two seasons in Buffalo.

The New York Giants signed Fromm from the Bills practice squad in 2021 and started two games before being non-tendered, making him a free agent in 2022.

The former Bulldog standout stayed in shape and was picked up by the Commanders practice squad in October of 2022 and signed a reserve contract in January.

Fromm recently got some reps in at Georgia’s indoor facility in Athens in preparation for the 2023 season.

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Fromm is working with quarterback training specialist at QB Country.

 

 

Georgia basketball’s Kario Oquendo makes NBA draft decision

Georgia basketball star Kario Oquendo has entered the transfer portal and NBA draft

Georgia basketball standout Kario Oquendo has declared for the 2023 NBA draft. Oquendo is also entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal. Oquendo is still able withdraw from the draft and return to college.

Oquendo was the team’s leading scorer in 2021-2022 (15.2 points per game). He entered the transfer portal last offseason, but ultimately elected to return to Athens.

Kario Oquendo averaged 12.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 2022-2023. Oquendo connected on just 26.7% of his three-point attempts.

The junior guard transferred to Georgia from Florida SouthWestern where he was named first-team All-Southern Conference in 2020. One of Kario Oquendo’s former Florida SouthWestern teammates, Terry Roberts, followed him to Georgia. Roberts also elected to enter the NBA draft.

Georgia Bulldogs guard Kario Oquendo joins a bunch of college basketball players in the transfer portal. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Oquendo’s decision to return to Athens helped Georgia have a better season in 2022-2023. Georgia improved from six wins to 16 wins in the first season under head coach Mike White.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound guard has played in 60 games over the last two seasons for Georgia basketball.

Oquendo announced his plans for the NBA draft and his intention to enter the transfer portal via Twitter:

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Georgia hires two former Power Five offensive coordinators to staff

ICYMI: Two former Power Five offensive coordinators have joined Georgia’s staff

Georgia football filled voids on its offensive staff on Monday with the hiring of former Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter and former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey.

Streeter, 46, played at Clemson from 1997-1999. He served as recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach after returning to the Tigers in 2014. He spent the 2022 season as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator and Clemson showed improvement, but hired former TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley after the season.

Dickey, 63, joined the Aggies’ staff in 2018 after Jimbo Fisher’s hiring as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. A&M finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference in total offense and scoring offense in 2018 and 2020.

Dickey moved to tight ends coach and Fisher took over play calling in 2022. After a disappointing season, Dickey was let go and the Aggies brought in Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator.

Streeter and Dickey’s addition fills the roles left by former offensive analysts Buster Faulkner, now at Georgia Tech, and Mike Bobo, now the offensive coordinator following the departure of Todd Monken to the Baltimore Ravens.

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