Tag: uga football news

Georgia Bulldog named as potential surprise first-round pick

One Georgia Bulldog named as a possible surprise first-round pick in the NFL draft

Pro Football Focus’ Lauren Gray has named Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Kamari Lassiter as a surprise first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Lassiter is one of the top cornerbacks in the draft, but he is not regularly mocked in the first round.

The NFL draft almost always has a shocking first-round pick that most NFL draft experts and analysts did not expect. One recent example came in 2022 when the New England Patriots drafted Chattanooga offensive guard Cole Strange with the No. 29 pick in the draft.

Lassiter is not predicted to be a first-round selection according to most mock drafts. In fact, a recent mock draft projected Lassiter to go in the third round.

Gray also predicts Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin, Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, Michigan receiver Roman Wilson and BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamatala could be surprise first-round picks.

The NFL draft will be held from April 25-27 in Detroit. The draft will be televised on ESPN and ABC. No Georgia Bulldogs are attending the event in person.

Four-star DL projected to commit to Georgia

Four-star defensive lineman projected to commit to Georgia football

Four-star defensive lineman Bryce Davis has been projected to commit to the Georgia Bulldogs according to On3. Davis visited the Georgia football program on March 16.

Davis has also checked out Clemson football this spring. He has an upcoming visited scheduled with Duke on April 13 and an official visit with North Carolina this June.

Davis plays high school football for Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. Davis is the No. 42 overall recruit and No. 6 defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The four-star is the third-ranked player in North Carolina, per 247Sports.

The Grimsley standout is a good student that also plays high school basketball. Georgia sophomore defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett played high school football for Grimsley.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart recently visited Bryce Davis at his high school.

Davis has an incredible 6-foot-11 wingspan. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman recorded 92 total tackles and 12 sacks during his sophomore season. Davis is considered both an edge rusher and a defensive lineman. It is unclear with position he would play at the next level.

Georgia football offers edge rusher Luke Wafle

Georgia football offers the No. 1 recruit in New Jersey, Luke Wafle

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to four-star edge rusher Luke Wafle. Wafle is a member of the class of 2026.

Luke Wafle is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in New Jersey in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Former Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown had a lot of ties in New Jersey and helped the Bulldogs land some elite talent from the Northeast. Can the Dawgs continue recruiting the Northeast at a high level after Brown’s departure?

Wafle plays high school football for The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge rusher is ranked as the No. 86 recruit in the class of 2026 and the No. 6 player at his position. Wafle also plays basketball for The Hun School.

The four-star announced his scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs via social media:

Georgia football, like most college programs, does not currently have any commitments in the class of 2026. That will change soon.

Kirby Smart raves about Jared Wilson’s athleticism

“When you talk about athleticism at the center position, this guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs, believe it or not, our tight ends, our quarterbacks.”

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart loves the athleticism center Jared Wilson brings to the table for the Dawgs’ offensive line. Wilson, who is expected to start this season, is replacing All-SEC center Sedrick Van Pran.

Sedrick Van Pran is expected to be one of the first centers drafted in the 2024 NFL draft. Van Pran brought an elite combination of toughness and intelligence to the center position. His departure is a big loss for the Georgia offensive line, but Kirby Smart likes what he has in Jared Wilson.

“When you talk about athleticism at the center position, this guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs, believe it or not, our tight ends, our quarterbacks. His numbers are extremely athletics, over 300 pounds, can get to the second level as quick as anybody,” said Kirby Smart.

Wilson played in 13 of 14 games last season, missing the Orange Bowl. Wilson, a junior, has over 20 games of college experience and will anchor the Georgia offensive line alongside guard Tate Rateledge, guard Dylan Fairchild, tackle Earnest Greene and tackle Xavier Truss.

Jared Wilson notes that his background in soccer helped his athleticism. “I don’t really talk about this a lot, but I played soccer growing up, most of my childhood. I really feel like the athleticism came from that. But bringing it over to the center position I feel like is really unique,” said Wilson.

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Wilson had the opportunity to learn under Sedrick Van Pran for several years, so he had an excellent mentor. “Sed, his leadership, everybody knows about his leadership, it’s world renowned… I wouldn’t even have to go ask him a question, he would lead so much that he would say things that just would answer other people’s questions,” said Wilson.

Jared Wilson notes that he is trying to improve his leadership and blocking linebackers at the second level. He should be fun to watch in Georgia’s spring game this April.

Georgia football offers 4-star LB Tyler Lockhart

UGA football has offered a scholarship to four-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart

The Georgia Bulldogs and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann have extended a scholarship offer to standout class of 2025 linebacker recruit Tyler Lockhart. Lockhart is ranked as a four-star prospect, per 247Sports.

Lockhart plays high school football for Winona High School in Winona, Mississippi. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is the No. 187 recruit in the country. Lockhart is ranked as the No. 24 linebacker and eighth-ranked recruit in Mississippi.

The lengthy linebacker recruit recorded 104 total tackles as a junior. In Lockhart’s highlights, the Winona standout shows excellent speed. Lockhart is a good blitzer and frequently pressures opposing quarterbacks.

The four-star linebacker recruit is projected to commit to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. However, Georgia should never be counted out when it comes to recruiting a linebacker. The Bulldogs signed three top-10 linebacker recruits in both the class of 2023 and 2024.

Tyler Lockhart announced his scholarship offer from Georgia football via social media:

The four-star has recent scholarship offers from Southern Mississippi, LSU, USF and more top college football programs. Lockhart recently visited the Mississippi Rebels.

Georgia football among schools to contact Michigan transfer safety

Georgia football is recruiting talented transfer safety Keon Sabb, who recently entered the portal

Michigan Wolverines safety Keon Sabb entered the NCAA transfer portal after Jim Harbaugh accepted the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers. Sabb, a former four-star recruit, is one of the top players available in the transfer portal.

Sabb will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He just won a national championship with Michigan and would project as a starter at pretty much any Power Five program.

Last season, Sabb recorded 28 total tackles and two interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive back recorded six tackles and two pass deflections in the national championship against Washington.

The Georgia Bulldogs have reportedly contacted Sabb as have Alabama, Syracuse, Oregon, Auburn and other top college football programs. Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia missed on elite Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs, so the Bulldogs could still be looking to add another talented safety via the portal.

Georgia’s safety room for the fall is looking pretty stout. Georgia returns Malaki Starks, who should be a preseason All-American. The Bulldogs added five-star recruit K.J. Bolden. Dan Jackson, Joenel Aguero, Alabama transfer Jake Pope, JaCorey Thomas and David Daniel-Sisavanh highlight other key members of Georgia’s safety group. The big question at safety this spring is who will start opposite Starks?

Looking at how Georgia football recruited in-state prospects in 2024

Georgia football signed just four top-30 in-state recruits in the Bulldogs’ No. 1 class of 2024

The Georgia Bulldogs finished the class of 2024 recruiting cycle with the No. 1 class in the SEC and the No. 1 class in the country. Georgia won the recruiting title, but the Bulldogs did it without dominating in-state recruiting. Overall, nine of Georgia’s total 28 signees are in-state recruits.

Georgia signed four of The Peach State’s top-11 recruits in the 2024 recruiting cycle. These are the only top-30 in-state prospects that Georgia signed. The Bulldogs did not exactly clean up shop in Georgia, but neither did any other college program. No other school signed more than two top-20 recruits in Georgia.

Now, more than ever, Georgia’s recruiting efforts rely on landing a variety of national recruits from all over the country. Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia have been able to remain successful on the recruiting trail. However, Georgia’s recruiting does come at a steep cost. The Bulldogs spent over $5 million on recruiting during the 2023 fiscal year.

Seven of Georgia football’s 11 top-100 signees were out of state prospects in the class of 2024. With the new era of name, image and likeness, recruiting at a national level is more important.

Still, Georgia’s deep ties to in-state high schools and longstanding relationships is critical to the Dawgs’ recruiting success. Georgia is one of the most talent-rich states in the country and featured 15 recruits ranked in 247Sports’ top-100 in the class of 2024. The Bulldogs’ inherit recruiting advantage due to having only one other Power Five school in the state (Georgia Tech) does give Georgia an inside track to consistently landing top recruiting classes.

Former Georgia defensive backs coach named as recruiter of the year

Former Georgia football defensive backs coach played a big role in Georgia securing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown was named 247Sports’ recruiter of the year. Brown, who accepted the head coach job at Syracuse following the SEC championship game, played a massive role in recruiting Georgia’s top-ranked class of 2024.

Brown heavily recruited five-star defensive back Ellis Robinson IV, who is the nation’s No. 2 recruit, to come to Georgia. Robinson’s father described Brown’s relationship with his son.

Fran was not just a coach to Ellis, he was more like a mentor, an uncle. The relationship we developed with him and his family was like family. Even though he’s at Syracuse now that (relationship) hasn’t changed a bit. One word that describes Fran is genuine.

Recruiting is all about relationships, which is something Brown excels at. Brown has recruiting challenges ahead at Syracuse, but has already done an excellent job adding talent to the Orange’s roster. Brown helped Syracuse sign the No. 34 recruiting class in the nation. Several former Georgia Bulldogs transfers followed Brown to Syracuse.

Brown helped Georgia add two five-stars (Robinson and KJ Bolden) to the secondary in the class of 2024. Additionally, the Bulldogs signed a pair of four-star cornerbacks.

Senior Bowl releases official measurements of 6 Georgia Bulldogs

Senior Bowl releases official measurements of six Georgia Bulldogs ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

The 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl is upon us, as NFL draft-eligible players from all across the country join league personnel in Mobile, Alabama. Players will go through drills and interviews all week before suiting up to play in the annual scrimmage on Saturday, Feb 3.

Six Georgia Bulldogs have made the trip: wide receivers Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, running back Daijun Edwards, defensive backs Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith and long snapper William Mote.

Center Sedrick Van Pran accepted his invite to the event, but he was deleted from roster on Monday. It’s unclear why, but decisions like these usually come down to an injury situation or advice from their representatives.

Beyond the on-field activities, players are also measured much as they would be at the NFL combine. Below are the participating Bulldogs’ official measurements as released by the Senior Bowl on Monday.

Ranking Georgia Bulldogs in the transfer portal

Ranking the 10 best Georgia Bulldogs in the NCAA transfer portal

All four of Georgia’s incoming transfers are ranked among the top 70 players in the transfer portal according to 247Sports. The Georgia Bulldogs have had more than 15 players enter the transfer portal after losing in the SEC championship to Alabama.

Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia has seen a number of elite players enter the transfer portal, but the Bulldogs should be fine because they signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Former Bulldogs (A.J. Harris can still technically return) are five of the top 50 players in the NCAA transfer portal.

Overall, 10 Georgia Bulldogs (incoming and departing players) are ranked in the top 100 players in the transfer portal. Who are the best Georgia players that have entered the transfer portal this cycle?