Figured I’d let this simmer a few days, vibes may be better today than last week… especially after winning the damn SEC for the 2nd time 3 years… anyways, here we go!
Ethan Barbour - He actually reminds me of another one of Todd Hartley’s guys - Brevin Jordan. He’s undersized and compact built, but he is a great weapon in the pass game imo and developing into a physical presence blocking as well. He’s more than a possession TE, he can roll when he sees green grass.. I’m just really intrigued with how he’s going to be used and how soon because I don’t think there’s a major learning curve here - I expect him to get acclimated quickly. I don’t think he’s talked about enough in this class, he can help this offense. Not afraid to go over the middle in traffic either. Probably the surest hands our of everyone in this class. One of the earliest commitments in the class. Auburn was always the “other team” here.. but they never were truly a major threat throughout the recruitment, was always strong in his commitment.
Thomas Blackshear - He’s one of the biggest enigmas in this class for UGA. Nobody knows for sure what we’re getting here… the lack of him putting film out there and also playing at a smaller type school in regards to exposure… what’s the ceiling for this dude? From my standpoint, pretty damn high. Maybe doesn’t have the highest floor in the world due to the unknowns and also had some maturing to do (big personality..). After seeing some of his body work this year, if he hits then he’s an electric type prospect at the WR position. He has a Dillon Bell type frame (not quite as thick). Not a burner, but has high level ball skills and elusive after the catch. At the HS level, Bell was more of an overall athlete that had to transition and you see that in his play, Blackshear is a dude that can separate, snag on you, get YAC, etc. Imo he’s a guy that may not get a ton of catches per week, but when he touches the ball it’s an explosive. Tennessee thought they were going to nab him for a while due to the connection he had with his old QB signing with the Vols, but he committed relatively early and there was a brief period where he said he would entertain other schools but that never transpired really.
Rasean Dinkins - Tough, hard nosed kid that plays with disciplined aggression. Always around the football and I love his instincts. On the smaller side at Safety, but he’s a true ball hawk. Can jump outta the gym and is a smoothly fast mover - I’d say he’s a solid 4.5 guy. I have a good feeling that this one is going to work out for UGA… he’s almost in a sense like how Dominick Sanders was in HS, he’s on a really good team with SEC and D1 guys and he’s the one that’s really standing out on Friday nights.. it’s almost like “well what kinda crazy shit do I need to put on tape to get this offer that I want?. Would actually surprise me if he didn’t start at some point for UGA. Committed to Tech in after his OV there in the summer, but always left the door open to where if UGA made that call and wanted him.. he was all Dawg, just needed the green light. Ole Miss also loved his game. Isaiah Gibson may have helped facilitate it on both ends lol, but UGA thinks they are getting a ball player here.
Juan Gaston - Massive human. Should fit right in with those hogmollies that UGA signed in the 2024 class. Has some bad weight he will need to shed off, which should happen pretty quickly. Tends to play down to his competition at times, but when he’s on.. he’s shown dominance. He’s better with pads on than he is during camp settings. I think he’s a RT all the way. Has OT footwork, to me he doesn’t have the consistent aggression for Guard. I still think he’s fairly raw even though he’s been on the recruiting scene for quite a while, kinda like Daniel Calhoun last cycle… had their name out in recruiting circles since they were 14, but still has a lot of potential to tap into. I think he will eventually be a multi year starter for UGA. One the very top priorities for Searels this cycle. He was very quiet about his recruitment all together, I personally feel like Oregon was the runner up rather than Tenn. He’s from ATL, but he’s not a transplant kid… his parents didn’t hurt at all in this one for UGA. Crazy ceremony, though.
Isaiah Gibson - This dude is so physically gifted. He is exactly how you draw up an elite edge rusher from frame and body wise. Freakishly long arms - over 7 ft wingspan is absurd. When he decides he’s going to whip you, there’s nothing you can do about it. Inconsistent motor at times on the HS level. Plays pretty violent. A little stiff imo.. needs to work on bend and flexibility if edge rusher is his position. His weight has fluctuated a ton over the course of the past year, so I’m interested what UGA staff decides to do with his body. He reminds me a bit of Danielle Hunter. I don’t think he comes in and takes over a job, but I expect him to have a few packages early.. but once he develops and refines his game with better technique, the sky is the limit here. I still think there’s a chance he gets about 20 lbs heavier and plays on the line. His future isn’t cut and dry, the guy’s body looks different every month it seems like.. gotta figure out what to do with him. “Committed” to USC back in March off a visit high, but knew when that happened the chances of him signing there were slim to none… UGA was always his dream school and his family preferred him staying close. Tennessee made a very competitive offer and wanted him badly.. Ohio St couldn’t get traction. Michigan tried to get in it late but that wasn’t anything other than kicking the tires.
Jontae Gilbert - Solid cover guy at this stage imo. Not someone that’s a ball hawk or lock you up on an island, but his coverage skills has improved and at this point I believe he can play CB rather than him being a Safety prospect. Had a very good workout for staff this summer (shout out to him for coming and earning that green light offer even as a top 150 type ranked player), clocked 4.5 and answered some questions about his speed. I’m not exactly sure he plays early in his career, but has a chance to develop with that 6’1 frame. This one was all over the place for a while… NC St had the momentum later in the recruitment but when he worked out for UGA and they liked what they seen, he had the green light. I wasn’t expecting him to completely shut it down after he committed, but it was quiet as church mouse once he threw on the Georgia hat.
Dontrell Glover - Mean, nasty, ugly… whatever grimy word you want to call it, Donnie is it. Violent. Plays to and thru the whistle. Not the size of most OLs at UGA - he’s only about 6’2 and got a little bad weight on him, but he plays so gritty and tough that he became a priority during spring evaluations. He seems pretty refined in his game, but he’s been starting on a HS that produces D1 OLs on a regular basis since he was a freshman. The main thing he needs to work on is getting his body right. This guy is a future team leader… vocally and action wise. Wouldn’t shock me if he had a career trajectory of a Justin Shaffer, play good enough winning football to be a multi year starter at guard on a National title contending team. His recruitment started to swing UGA after UGA honed in on his after spring and FSU & Tenn thought they were in it deep but that was never really the case. He committed and completely shut it down.
Elijah Griffin - One of the best DL tape overall in several years. This is a dude. Ideal size, not so tall that he gets stood up, but big and great body composition.. not much fat on there. Quick twitch and doesn’t use purely his strength as much as most really big guys at the HS level, he has a bag of moves already at this stage. Has an incredible get off. Slippery for a guy this size, OLs have a hard time getting paws on him and keeping them on him. I think he’s a 3T for sure at the next level. More refined coming in than a Jalen Carter imo.. maybe not that brute strong as JC88, but he has a bigger motor. I see more Derrick Brown when comparing their HS body of work. I could go on and on about him, but it’s a lot of words just to say that he’s a special talent. Let’s be real, he was never going anywhere other than Georgia. His other “top two” Miami and Southern Cal were just paid for vacation destinations, he knew where he wanted to play football for a long time. Notice when Terry and Gibson committed to Southern Cal off those visit highs, Griffin was on that trip and that was never even a thought for him and his camp.. Mama was on the Dawgs side since day one.
JJ Hanne - I was quite impressed with his senior tape. The biggest thing that I like about him - he has a relentless motor. Even when he doesn’t know what he’s doing or where he’s going, he’s going 100 mph. Coming from Germany, he is very raw and new to the game, so will need a good bit of time to develop, but he’s no rush… he knows this is a long term play and also knows there’s a ton he needs to work on. Great frame, so many options there… I can’t help but not to think of TID when I watch him move.. probably actually a little more athletic than him if I’m being honest. Every school that saw him workout in person, offered immediately. During camp sessions, he made his rounds and got offered by UGA, Bama, Oregon, and Texas within a week… his ranking didn’t get caught up to where he was as a projectable upside prospect. Chose UGA during the summer and that was that.
Darren Ikinnagbon - This is a Kirby special. Someone that prides himself in doing whatever needs to be done.. as in he engages and sheds the correct way (not perfect technique - he’s still raw in a sense) and plays just as hard against the run as he does when he’s rushing the passer - for a high school edge rusher to have that mindset is very rare. High effort, big motor type guy. From what I’ve seen from his senior film, he’s gaining confidence as a pass rusher as well. He has that Gabe Harris size to where he could be a Jack or put on some pounds and be a 5 tech.. he carries 250 relatively easily. His recruitment was a UGA vs Ohio St battle and both schools wanted him badly, but UGA was where he wanted to go all along and where he felt comfortable, thus the Buckeyes couldn’t get true momentum. Quiet recruitment, just the way I like it.
Dominick Kelly - I was actually shocked when I watched in his film from this year and how damn good he looked. He looked crisp and very confident. Instinctive, physical enough, and pretty sticky to some talented competition at WR. Showed some ball skills as well. I like his build and frame for a true CB. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting here, but I was pleasantly surprised. With all that said, I’m not a fan of the reclassification aspect.. I tend to believe it puts the kids at a disadvantage and increases the bust rate. USC commit for a bit, but that was never going to last. Reclassification move happened fast but not at a bad time after Michigan sniped Shamari Earls.
Anthony Kruah - I was pretty damn impressed when I watched his senior film. Off the hoof you don’t think he’s as big as he is, but he’s a legit 6’2 and has long arms. Makes sense why Marietta used him on defense similar to how Jalon Walker is used at UGA. Not saying he’s THAT good, but that hybrid role with a natural pass rush skillset is apparent here. Also on the lighter side, probably only 205 right now. Closes to the ball very well. Love to see LBs used on offense in HS, Kruah actually showed some skill at RB.. Carried this Marietta team all year. It wouldn’t shock me in the least to see him overperform his ranking by a good margin. Very high academic kid, he was loyal to UNC and they did a good job with the early eval and selling academics. In the end, he was going to have a really hard turning down Georgia once he was identified as not only a target, but a priority with him absolutely balling out his senior year.
Chase Linton - This is a high ceiling prospect. Has extremely impressive arm length, verified 6’7 wingspan. Worked out for UGA twice around summer time and he shot up the board. World class numbers in the tripple jump. Quick first step, very bendy at this stage and shouldn’t get rerouted by OTs once he puts on some mass in college, that’s his only flaw right now is that he can get pushed around by a much bigger OL. Reminds me of Will McDonald from the Jets… naturally thin and long frame, once he beats the OT he gets to the QB in a HURRY. High academic kid, very smart… Rutgers had an awesome early eval on him and almost stole a sure fire SEC dude right out of ATL. He worked out more than once for UGA and earned that offer. Bama wanted him bad and Tech made a strong push, but Georgia is his dream school and it was always just a matter of time.
Hezekiah Millender - This is a long term play here at the QB position… but he was higher on the board than initially thought of. Moved to Athens from Arizona and has done nothing but improve since he’s been in the area. Not a super elusive runner, but moves well enough to extend plays and pick up first downs with his legs when needed. Has a good bit of work to do with his release and throwing motion, has a wind up that needs to get corrected. Solid arm strength. Could develop into something if he is open to taking the time. He has a good body composition and size as well, athletic build. Has been a top priority for Boise St for a while now and probably could have saw the field relatively early at Boise St… but when that full ride to UGA came available, he jumped on the opportunity.
Ryan Montgomery - The more I watched of him, the more I like him. He was poised to have a really big senior year before the knee injury… I thought he done a fine job at the camps this summer and the Elite 11. He’s mobile enough to move around in the pocket, but he’s a pocket passer for sure. His biggest strength is the accuracy, throws a layered football. Has pretty good arm strength, nothing crazy. He’s put on some good weight from jr to senior year and has gotten fairly thick in the lower half, I thought he was going to be a little too skinny for my liking but his frame is solid now. I think he will make a full recovery from the ACL - he’s not pressed on playing right away anyways. I love that he’s willing to wait his turn and that this is where he wanted to be. He made the strongest push for himself to be in this class. Bobo identified Zollers before his ranking jumped up and he was 1a on the board.. he chose Mizzou and all eyes went to Juju… except they didn’t. Montgomery and Bobo had a good couple of conversations, he took a quiet visit and despite being the clear #1 target for the Gators, when he had the green light to be a Dawg he jumped on board immediately. Fast forward to the night before signing day… UF starts their bidding. They offered a substantial amount for him and things got hairy around 8pm on Signing Day Eve. Woke up this morning a Dawg and let UF coaches know around 8:30 in the morning. Shows how highly coveted he was in Gainesville…
Jaylan Morgan - This is an instinctive football player. Probably not the most “traitsiest” guy in the world, but that’s not his game. He seems to be one of those that just always around the ball.. when evaluating him I get similar vibes as Javon Bullard, not to say he’s going to end up THAT good, but he is a striker with ball skills. Another thing that reminds me of Bullard (along with similar size) is that I see him as a Star/Safety rather than a CB, I think his best game is visualizing the field and attacking instead of flipping those hips and running with alpha SEC WRs, jmo. He plays hard, highly doubt you’d see him loafing and watching his teammates make plays. Ole Miss and Florida got in it, but knew UGA was locked in here when he was at the scavenger hunt.. but recruitment was quiet from the jump until the end. No drama, just ball with Morgan.
Daniel Okonkwo - Literally an 11th hour add to the class. Admittedly, I don’t know a ton about him.. but after watching him, he’s a physical player with really good size. Not super twitched up or a speed demon, but closes to the ball very well. Will strike you. My main concern here is the speed, looks like about 4.7 guy to me but that’s just off the eyeball test. He looks very good at dissecting plays quickly, so likely a smart football player here. Plays good competition at Hillgrove. Won’t go against the 85, so nice last minute addition. His only real offer was from Northern Illinois, he broke off that commitment after being in communications with UGA on Signing Day knowing this opportunity had a possibility of happening… I’m sure NIU was devastated as they thought they had found a gem.
Landon Roldan - His film is a joy to watch. Explosive athlete that tends to always be open. He isn’t a bad route runner, but he’s far from refined so there’s a ton of ceiling here.. he’s putting up gaudy numbers based on sheer speed and athleticism. Legit 4.3 guy and plays that fast.. gets where he’s going in a damn hurry. Not the surest hands, has some things to work on.. but it wouldn’t surprise me if this dude turned into a highly drafted player in the future. I don’t see the Ladd comparisons per say, speed wise and skin color are their only similarities imo. Ladd was more shifty and loose hipped smallish guy with wiggle.. Roldan is a more linear athlete that tends to make his move, plant, and turn on the burners before and after the catch.. which he will need to work on his craft to add more to his game than just outrun everyone.. but to me he’s actually a little more of a chunk yards threat than even Ladd was, which is a compliment to a high degree. His game actually reminds me of a smaller version of Brian Thomas Jr - the sorta squared up hips and that ridiculously explosive move when they plant their right leg and burst up field sticks out to me.. may not be guys that have 8 or 9 catches per game, but when they get theirs it’s an explosive. Legitimate stud baseball player… if this was 10 years ago, he may not even had ended up going the football route. Tech wanted him badly, they tried to make a big push to get him to commit to them before he officially got the UGA offer.. he held off a few days, UGA put the offer out and then he took his OV and committed the next week. Clemson tried to make a run at him during the season, but he was set on UGA.
Todd Robinson - South GA tough. Dog mentality type kid. Plays QB but make no mistake he’s a physical dude. Hard nosed pure football player that to me could have been a top 5 RB in this class if that’s what he wanted to be… but he will be in the secondary at UGA. I expect him to get looks at Star early on and then possibly get looks at safety if I had to say right now. Physical dude that can really run, clocked 4.4 at UGA camp this summer. Will probably take some time to learn how to play that side of the field, but after working out for UGA staff they had zero concerns about him playing there instead of RB and that should speak volumes. When evaluating its hard to really decipher how he’s going to progress and how quickly he takes to a position he hasn’t really played before… but he loves the game, is an athletic as hell, and is a no nonsense guy that actually cares about winning and not about any type of clout. The only offers he cared about were UGA and Bama, he got them and only took those 2 OVs and he shut it down.
Mason Short - I don’t think the bust rate here is high… but the ceiling probably isn’t the highest either. I think he could be a serviceable player, I don’t see him coming in and taking someone’s job in the near future. He could be a RT or Guard, I actually think RT is where he’s best right now, but future is probably at Guard. Uses his hands well and has good feet, just tends to play too straight up imo. Position versatility is a plus here, he could potentially be that Swiss Army knife and play wherever if/when injury occurs. I like his body composition, he’s pretty consistent throughout his frame.. not very long limbed though. When he committed to Bama, it never felt like that one was over.. UGA staff certainly didn’t think it was a solid commitment. Nick Saban then retires and the OL coach is gone and those were the only things keeping him committed to Bama in the first place. Clemson wanted him bad, but this one was a slam dunk.
Cortez Smith - I really like his body composition for the Center position.. he is compact in a sense but not sawed off, certainly not a fat boy - there won’t be a ton of work to do on his body other than just getting stronger. Skinny ankles. I don’t think he’s a guy that’s going a ton of time to develop if you need him to play sooner than later, he’s a pretty refined Center at the HS level. He’s not a freak athlete there, which is why is ranking is conducive to around a 5th round type pick.. but this dude will be able to play winning ball at the highest level in college, no doubt in my mind. I definitely view him purely as a Center (if you can’t already tell), he could play Guard in a pinch but your best lineup would be with him at OC. I’m actually surprised this recruitment drug out as long as it did… Miami was his #2 school but they never felt good about it. As long as UGA didn’t fill up on the OL, he had a spot.. and as long as he had a spot, he was a Dawg.
Talyn Taylor - Probably my personal favorite prospect in this class for Georgia. He’s such a clean player that it’s almost like you’re already watching an NFL guy run routes. You can absolutely tell he sits there and studies Justin Jefferson and how he’s always open even though he’s not a burner.. he implements those similar body movement in his breaks. Makes sense because him and Jettas are similar from a measurables standpoint. He looks like a cross between Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to me… I didn’t view him as a burner, but after watching his senior tape, he’s got some serious wheels. His balance is incredible. In the open field he’s almost like a RB with his spacial awareness and vision. I would be quite surprised if he didn’t have an early impact like Pickens and AD Mitchell had. He was hurt a large portion of his Jr year so he didn’t get to show his capabilities on wax, but in the spring/summer he was really tearing up the camp circuit. This senior film tho… it’s something special. Ohio St identified and prioritized him as one of the top players on their entire board, but he ended up cancelling his OV there. His heart was always with Georgia, even before Bmac left.. but when he went on the OV it solidified that this is where he wants to be and he shut it down. Ohio St and Ole Miss tried like hell to get traction but he never waivered (thank goodness).
Dennis Uzochukwu - By far the most athletic OL that UGA signed this cycle. I don’t think he’s done growing either… typically the Nigerian bloodlines tend to continue growing longer, so his frame could get better naturally not to mention being in an SEC weight room. Has legitimate first round NFL measurables - fantastic wingspan. Really light on his feet. Raw as hell when it comes to pass protection moves. Has played against really good edge rushers this year in HS… Very smart kid. I see OT all the way here, wouldn’t surprise me if he was the starting LT for UGA at some point.. but he’s gonna take a minute. There’s a world where he gets overwhelmed and doesn’t pan out, but at this stage I believe he’s a high ceiling prospect. He really blew up when his senior tape gained traction.. went from smaller schools to the likes of Ole Miss, VT, Tech, and eventually Georgia all offering within a week or so. Once he got the committable offer, he couldn’t wait to join the class. Shoutout to Dell and MSA for finding this dude early, was a helluva eval for Georgia State.
Bo Walker - Bowling ball. Probably only about 5’7, but he’s a thick dude - heavier than his listed weight imo. Has very good balance and tackle breaking ability. I don’t see him as a high upside type player, but I think he can be a solid contributor for a winning team. His body and running style actually reminds me a bit of Ray Davis from Kentucky and now spelling James Cook with the Bills.. not as quick or good as Davis, but I see some similarities there. Wanted to see him have a full senior tape, but his season got derailed with him being ineligible until he found a home at Rabun Gap. Hit the ground running there and was very productive. Committed very early and never waivered as long as Georgia wanted him. UNC, Tech, and Louisville kicked the tires here some but Bo was just keeping schools on the backburner in case the relationship with UGA fizzled out, but that never happened.
Zayden Walker - Not going to lie here, I wasn’t the biggest Zayden Walker guy when I watched his Jr film.. I knew behind the scenes UGA staff thought when he worked out for them that he had the best workout they’d EVER seen for a LB prospect. He was a must get at that point.. but to me, I thought he regressed some from his Soph to Jr year. He looked a little stiff in the hips to me and not 5star type explosive athlete to me. Then I dug into it more, he was playing pretty significantly banged up in 2023.. fast forward to his Sr year and HOLY SHIT this is what I wanted to see. If his ranking doesn’t improve by a decent bit then film is simply not being watched. This is his first year playing off ball LB / hybrid and it’s something special. He is so instinctive on his blitzes, it’s just perfect timing off the snap (the edge rushing background don’t hurt here one bit). Closes to the ball fast and violently. Knifes thru OLs way too easily. Adjusting from Schley Co to the SEC along with getting used to playing ILB fully will probably take a year or so in my mind, but he’s so physically gifted you may have to get him on the field some early. His brother went to AU, he had ZERO interest in them. His other brother is at South Carolina and imo they finished 2nd at the end even though Miami made the strongest push throughout, but nobody felt like he was going anywhere except UGA and he shut it down after his OV first weekend in June.
CJ Wiley - I look at him as a jumbo athlete type WR, gotta feel like he is a future X, but to me you can use him in a variety of ways.. especially with that speed for a big guy, one of his best attributes is making guys miss after the catch. He could work on his fluidity and smoothness, but when he gets a full head of steam he’s like a horse pulling away from the field. He’s pushing 6’3+ and going on 215 I’d say… he carries it well but this is a big dude. 10.8 speed in that big frame makes for a very intriguing prospect here.. Will go ahead and say it, he doesn’t have the most natural hands and can fight the ball just a tad and let it get to his stomach instead of using his size to pluck it on the top of DB’s heads.. but it’s something I expect to get much better given how this kid wants to be great and improve. I think that’s why he’s not a 5star WR, but wouldn’t surprise me to see him being an integral part of UGA offense at some point. I can’t help but to think of some old school Fred Gibson here. Committed to FSU much to the surprise of UGA staff, I never fully expected him to sign there. Texas A&M had a ton of momentum coming off their visit and he got closer to committing to them than I would like to admit.. but that was VERY short lived and once the visit high wore off, he locked in on UGA and remembered why he almost committed here in the first place. A few weeks later UGA did not expect him to commit when he did, but in classic CJ Wiley style he randomly made a call on a random week night and put out a tweet and that was it.
Elyiss Williams - One of the freakiest players UGA has EVER signed… I mean this dude looks like an avatar outrunning DBs at 6’7. He didn’t play in an offense that was conducive to his skillset until this year. Will be the best blocker at TE since Darnell Washington. He’s not Brock Bowers and may never put up ridiculous numbers like that… but this is a special specimen and any DC that is facing UGA is going to have to spend time allotted for how they are going to defend him. If CJ Wiley wasn’t in this class then I’d say you could even flex him out wide at X.. still may do that at times. Very high level basketball player as well. I would like to see a little better balance from him after the catch, that’s really my only critique of his game. The longest standing commit in this class. FSU had a good relationship with his mother and Miami had a good offer for him, but the vibe was always strong to UGA and ultimately he shut it down during the summer after his OV. You know what this staff thinks of someone when UGA has the best NIL package for someone…
Tyler Williams - He’s one of the guys in this class that it’s hard to peg the ceiling/floor on… Not much into going to camps or 7 on 7s. Plays tough competition and always seems like he’s outrunning everyone… the game speed doesn’t matchup with the numbers he posted in track when he was a sophomore and he hasn’t any verified times since with track. I don’t think my eyes are lying here, he can roll. Great size and build, I feel like he can really mold his game into a complete players because he’s big enough to be an impactful blocker. Probably isn’t the most natural pass catcher but I don’t see any particular issues with his ball skills and seems to make difficult and contested catches. Good things happen when he catches the ball, he’s a big play weapon and has the explosivity to score from anywhere. Miami valued him as one of their more coveted prospects this cycle, they thought he was an absolute gem and better than his ranking… it was almost a toss up between them and UGA but things shifted in UGA’s favor when it was clear that he was a take and a target.
Ethan Barbour - He actually reminds me of another one of Todd Hartley’s guys - Brevin Jordan. He’s undersized and compact built, but he is a great weapon in the pass game imo and developing into a physical presence blocking as well. He’s more than a possession TE, he can roll when he sees green grass.. I’m just really intrigued with how he’s going to be used and how soon because I don’t think there’s a major learning curve here - I expect him to get acclimated quickly. I don’t think he’s talked about enough in this class, he can help this offense. Not afraid to go over the middle in traffic either. Probably the surest hands our of everyone in this class. One of the earliest commitments in the class. Auburn was always the “other team” here.. but they never were truly a major threat throughout the recruitment, was always strong in his commitment.
Thomas Blackshear - He’s one of the biggest enigmas in this class for UGA. Nobody knows for sure what we’re getting here… the lack of him putting film out there and also playing at a smaller type school in regards to exposure… what’s the ceiling for this dude? From my standpoint, pretty damn high. Maybe doesn’t have the highest floor in the world due to the unknowns and also had some maturing to do (big personality..). After seeing some of his body work this year, if he hits then he’s an electric type prospect at the WR position. He has a Dillon Bell type frame (not quite as thick). Not a burner, but has high level ball skills and elusive after the catch. At the HS level, Bell was more of an overall athlete that had to transition and you see that in his play, Blackshear is a dude that can separate, snag on you, get YAC, etc. Imo he’s a guy that may not get a ton of catches per week, but when he touches the ball it’s an explosive. Tennessee thought they were going to nab him for a while due to the connection he had with his old QB signing with the Vols, but he committed relatively early and there was a brief period where he said he would entertain other schools but that never transpired really.
Rasean Dinkins - Tough, hard nosed kid that plays with disciplined aggression. Always around the football and I love his instincts. On the smaller side at Safety, but he’s a true ball hawk. Can jump outta the gym and is a smoothly fast mover - I’d say he’s a solid 4.5 guy. I have a good feeling that this one is going to work out for UGA… he’s almost in a sense like how Dominick Sanders was in HS, he’s on a really good team with SEC and D1 guys and he’s the one that’s really standing out on Friday nights.. it’s almost like “well what kinda crazy shit do I need to put on tape to get this offer that I want?. Would actually surprise me if he didn’t start at some point for UGA. Committed to Tech in after his OV there in the summer, but always left the door open to where if UGA made that call and wanted him.. he was all Dawg, just needed the green light. Ole Miss also loved his game. Isaiah Gibson may have helped facilitate it on both ends lol, but UGA thinks they are getting a ball player here.
Juan Gaston - Massive human. Should fit right in with those hogmollies that UGA signed in the 2024 class. Has some bad weight he will need to shed off, which should happen pretty quickly. Tends to play down to his competition at times, but when he’s on.. he’s shown dominance. He’s better with pads on than he is during camp settings. I think he’s a RT all the way. Has OT footwork, to me he doesn’t have the consistent aggression for Guard. I still think he’s fairly raw even though he’s been on the recruiting scene for quite a while, kinda like Daniel Calhoun last cycle… had their name out in recruiting circles since they were 14, but still has a lot of potential to tap into. I think he will eventually be a multi year starter for UGA. One the very top priorities for Searels this cycle. He was very quiet about his recruitment all together, I personally feel like Oregon was the runner up rather than Tenn. He’s from ATL, but he’s not a transplant kid… his parents didn’t hurt at all in this one for UGA. Crazy ceremony, though.
Isaiah Gibson - This dude is so physically gifted. He is exactly how you draw up an elite edge rusher from frame and body wise. Freakishly long arms - over 7 ft wingspan is absurd. When he decides he’s going to whip you, there’s nothing you can do about it. Inconsistent motor at times on the HS level. Plays pretty violent. A little stiff imo.. needs to work on bend and flexibility if edge rusher is his position. His weight has fluctuated a ton over the course of the past year, so I’m interested what UGA staff decides to do with his body. He reminds me a bit of Danielle Hunter. I don’t think he comes in and takes over a job, but I expect him to have a few packages early.. but once he develops and refines his game with better technique, the sky is the limit here. I still think there’s a chance he gets about 20 lbs heavier and plays on the line. His future isn’t cut and dry, the guy’s body looks different every month it seems like.. gotta figure out what to do with him. “Committed” to USC back in March off a visit high, but knew when that happened the chances of him signing there were slim to none… UGA was always his dream school and his family preferred him staying close. Tennessee made a very competitive offer and wanted him badly.. Ohio St couldn’t get traction. Michigan tried to get in it late but that wasn’t anything other than kicking the tires.
Jontae Gilbert - Solid cover guy at this stage imo. Not someone that’s a ball hawk or lock you up on an island, but his coverage skills has improved and at this point I believe he can play CB rather than him being a Safety prospect. Had a very good workout for staff this summer (shout out to him for coming and earning that green light offer even as a top 150 type ranked player), clocked 4.5 and answered some questions about his speed. I’m not exactly sure he plays early in his career, but has a chance to develop with that 6’1 frame. This one was all over the place for a while… NC St had the momentum later in the recruitment but when he worked out for UGA and they liked what they seen, he had the green light. I wasn’t expecting him to completely shut it down after he committed, but it was quiet as church mouse once he threw on the Georgia hat.
Dontrell Glover - Mean, nasty, ugly… whatever grimy word you want to call it, Donnie is it. Violent. Plays to and thru the whistle. Not the size of most OLs at UGA - he’s only about 6’2 and got a little bad weight on him, but he plays so gritty and tough that he became a priority during spring evaluations. He seems pretty refined in his game, but he’s been starting on a HS that produces D1 OLs on a regular basis since he was a freshman. The main thing he needs to work on is getting his body right. This guy is a future team leader… vocally and action wise. Wouldn’t shock me if he had a career trajectory of a Justin Shaffer, play good enough winning football to be a multi year starter at guard on a National title contending team. His recruitment started to swing UGA after UGA honed in on his after spring and FSU & Tenn thought they were in it deep but that was never really the case. He committed and completely shut it down.
Elijah Griffin - One of the best DL tape overall in several years. This is a dude. Ideal size, not so tall that he gets stood up, but big and great body composition.. not much fat on there. Quick twitch and doesn’t use purely his strength as much as most really big guys at the HS level, he has a bag of moves already at this stage. Has an incredible get off. Slippery for a guy this size, OLs have a hard time getting paws on him and keeping them on him. I think he’s a 3T for sure at the next level. More refined coming in than a Jalen Carter imo.. maybe not that brute strong as JC88, but he has a bigger motor. I see more Derrick Brown when comparing their HS body of work. I could go on and on about him, but it’s a lot of words just to say that he’s a special talent. Let’s be real, he was never going anywhere other than Georgia. His other “top two” Miami and Southern Cal were just paid for vacation destinations, he knew where he wanted to play football for a long time. Notice when Terry and Gibson committed to Southern Cal off those visit highs, Griffin was on that trip and that was never even a thought for him and his camp.. Mama was on the Dawgs side since day one.
JJ Hanne - I was quite impressed with his senior tape. The biggest thing that I like about him - he has a relentless motor. Even when he doesn’t know what he’s doing or where he’s going, he’s going 100 mph. Coming from Germany, he is very raw and new to the game, so will need a good bit of time to develop, but he’s no rush… he knows this is a long term play and also knows there’s a ton he needs to work on. Great frame, so many options there… I can’t help but not to think of TID when I watch him move.. probably actually a little more athletic than him if I’m being honest. Every school that saw him workout in person, offered immediately. During camp sessions, he made his rounds and got offered by UGA, Bama, Oregon, and Texas within a week… his ranking didn’t get caught up to where he was as a projectable upside prospect. Chose UGA during the summer and that was that.
Darren Ikinnagbon - This is a Kirby special. Someone that prides himself in doing whatever needs to be done.. as in he engages and sheds the correct way (not perfect technique - he’s still raw in a sense) and plays just as hard against the run as he does when he’s rushing the passer - for a high school edge rusher to have that mindset is very rare. High effort, big motor type guy. From what I’ve seen from his senior film, he’s gaining confidence as a pass rusher as well. He has that Gabe Harris size to where he could be a Jack or put on some pounds and be a 5 tech.. he carries 250 relatively easily. His recruitment was a UGA vs Ohio St battle and both schools wanted him badly, but UGA was where he wanted to go all along and where he felt comfortable, thus the Buckeyes couldn’t get true momentum. Quiet recruitment, just the way I like it.
Dominick Kelly - I was actually shocked when I watched in his film from this year and how damn good he looked. He looked crisp and very confident. Instinctive, physical enough, and pretty sticky to some talented competition at WR. Showed some ball skills as well. I like his build and frame for a true CB. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting here, but I was pleasantly surprised. With all that said, I’m not a fan of the reclassification aspect.. I tend to believe it puts the kids at a disadvantage and increases the bust rate. USC commit for a bit, but that was never going to last. Reclassification move happened fast but not at a bad time after Michigan sniped Shamari Earls.
Anthony Kruah - I was pretty damn impressed when I watched his senior film. Off the hoof you don’t think he’s as big as he is, but he’s a legit 6’2 and has long arms. Makes sense why Marietta used him on defense similar to how Jalon Walker is used at UGA. Not saying he’s THAT good, but that hybrid role with a natural pass rush skillset is apparent here. Also on the lighter side, probably only 205 right now. Closes to the ball very well. Love to see LBs used on offense in HS, Kruah actually showed some skill at RB.. Carried this Marietta team all year. It wouldn’t shock me in the least to see him overperform his ranking by a good margin. Very high academic kid, he was loyal to UNC and they did a good job with the early eval and selling academics. In the end, he was going to have a really hard turning down Georgia once he was identified as not only a target, but a priority with him absolutely balling out his senior year.
Chase Linton - This is a high ceiling prospect. Has extremely impressive arm length, verified 6’7 wingspan. Worked out for UGA twice around summer time and he shot up the board. World class numbers in the tripple jump. Quick first step, very bendy at this stage and shouldn’t get rerouted by OTs once he puts on some mass in college, that’s his only flaw right now is that he can get pushed around by a much bigger OL. Reminds me of Will McDonald from the Jets… naturally thin and long frame, once he beats the OT he gets to the QB in a HURRY. High academic kid, very smart… Rutgers had an awesome early eval on him and almost stole a sure fire SEC dude right out of ATL. He worked out more than once for UGA and earned that offer. Bama wanted him bad and Tech made a strong push, but Georgia is his dream school and it was always just a matter of time.
Hezekiah Millender - This is a long term play here at the QB position… but he was higher on the board than initially thought of. Moved to Athens from Arizona and has done nothing but improve since he’s been in the area. Not a super elusive runner, but moves well enough to extend plays and pick up first downs with his legs when needed. Has a good bit of work to do with his release and throwing motion, has a wind up that needs to get corrected. Solid arm strength. Could develop into something if he is open to taking the time. He has a good body composition and size as well, athletic build. Has been a top priority for Boise St for a while now and probably could have saw the field relatively early at Boise St… but when that full ride to UGA came available, he jumped on the opportunity.
Ryan Montgomery - The more I watched of him, the more I like him. He was poised to have a really big senior year before the knee injury… I thought he done a fine job at the camps this summer and the Elite 11. He’s mobile enough to move around in the pocket, but he’s a pocket passer for sure. His biggest strength is the accuracy, throws a layered football. Has pretty good arm strength, nothing crazy. He’s put on some good weight from jr to senior year and has gotten fairly thick in the lower half, I thought he was going to be a little too skinny for my liking but his frame is solid now. I think he will make a full recovery from the ACL - he’s not pressed on playing right away anyways. I love that he’s willing to wait his turn and that this is where he wanted to be. He made the strongest push for himself to be in this class. Bobo identified Zollers before his ranking jumped up and he was 1a on the board.. he chose Mizzou and all eyes went to Juju… except they didn’t. Montgomery and Bobo had a good couple of conversations, he took a quiet visit and despite being the clear #1 target for the Gators, when he had the green light to be a Dawg he jumped on board immediately. Fast forward to the night before signing day… UF starts their bidding. They offered a substantial amount for him and things got hairy around 8pm on Signing Day Eve. Woke up this morning a Dawg and let UF coaches know around 8:30 in the morning. Shows how highly coveted he was in Gainesville…
Jaylan Morgan - This is an instinctive football player. Probably not the most “traitsiest” guy in the world, but that’s not his game. He seems to be one of those that just always around the ball.. when evaluating him I get similar vibes as Javon Bullard, not to say he’s going to end up THAT good, but he is a striker with ball skills. Another thing that reminds me of Bullard (along with similar size) is that I see him as a Star/Safety rather than a CB, I think his best game is visualizing the field and attacking instead of flipping those hips and running with alpha SEC WRs, jmo. He plays hard, highly doubt you’d see him loafing and watching his teammates make plays. Ole Miss and Florida got in it, but knew UGA was locked in here when he was at the scavenger hunt.. but recruitment was quiet from the jump until the end. No drama, just ball with Morgan.
Daniel Okonkwo - Literally an 11th hour add to the class. Admittedly, I don’t know a ton about him.. but after watching him, he’s a physical player with really good size. Not super twitched up or a speed demon, but closes to the ball very well. Will strike you. My main concern here is the speed, looks like about 4.7 guy to me but that’s just off the eyeball test. He looks very good at dissecting plays quickly, so likely a smart football player here. Plays good competition at Hillgrove. Won’t go against the 85, so nice last minute addition. His only real offer was from Northern Illinois, he broke off that commitment after being in communications with UGA on Signing Day knowing this opportunity had a possibility of happening… I’m sure NIU was devastated as they thought they had found a gem.
Landon Roldan - His film is a joy to watch. Explosive athlete that tends to always be open. He isn’t a bad route runner, but he’s far from refined so there’s a ton of ceiling here.. he’s putting up gaudy numbers based on sheer speed and athleticism. Legit 4.3 guy and plays that fast.. gets where he’s going in a damn hurry. Not the surest hands, has some things to work on.. but it wouldn’t surprise me if this dude turned into a highly drafted player in the future. I don’t see the Ladd comparisons per say, speed wise and skin color are their only similarities imo. Ladd was more shifty and loose hipped smallish guy with wiggle.. Roldan is a more linear athlete that tends to make his move, plant, and turn on the burners before and after the catch.. which he will need to work on his craft to add more to his game than just outrun everyone.. but to me he’s actually a little more of a chunk yards threat than even Ladd was, which is a compliment to a high degree. His game actually reminds me of a smaller version of Brian Thomas Jr - the sorta squared up hips and that ridiculously explosive move when they plant their right leg and burst up field sticks out to me.. may not be guys that have 8 or 9 catches per game, but when they get theirs it’s an explosive. Legitimate stud baseball player… if this was 10 years ago, he may not even had ended up going the football route. Tech wanted him badly, they tried to make a big push to get him to commit to them before he officially got the UGA offer.. he held off a few days, UGA put the offer out and then he took his OV and committed the next week. Clemson tried to make a run at him during the season, but he was set on UGA.
Todd Robinson - South GA tough. Dog mentality type kid. Plays QB but make no mistake he’s a physical dude. Hard nosed pure football player that to me could have been a top 5 RB in this class if that’s what he wanted to be… but he will be in the secondary at UGA. I expect him to get looks at Star early on and then possibly get looks at safety if I had to say right now. Physical dude that can really run, clocked 4.4 at UGA camp this summer. Will probably take some time to learn how to play that side of the field, but after working out for UGA staff they had zero concerns about him playing there instead of RB and that should speak volumes. When evaluating its hard to really decipher how he’s going to progress and how quickly he takes to a position he hasn’t really played before… but he loves the game, is an athletic as hell, and is a no nonsense guy that actually cares about winning and not about any type of clout. The only offers he cared about were UGA and Bama, he got them and only took those 2 OVs and he shut it down.
Mason Short - I don’t think the bust rate here is high… but the ceiling probably isn’t the highest either. I think he could be a serviceable player, I don’t see him coming in and taking someone’s job in the near future. He could be a RT or Guard, I actually think RT is where he’s best right now, but future is probably at Guard. Uses his hands well and has good feet, just tends to play too straight up imo. Position versatility is a plus here, he could potentially be that Swiss Army knife and play wherever if/when injury occurs. I like his body composition, he’s pretty consistent throughout his frame.. not very long limbed though. When he committed to Bama, it never felt like that one was over.. UGA staff certainly didn’t think it was a solid commitment. Nick Saban then retires and the OL coach is gone and those were the only things keeping him committed to Bama in the first place. Clemson wanted him bad, but this one was a slam dunk.
Cortez Smith - I really like his body composition for the Center position.. he is compact in a sense but not sawed off, certainly not a fat boy - there won’t be a ton of work to do on his body other than just getting stronger. Skinny ankles. I don’t think he’s a guy that’s going a ton of time to develop if you need him to play sooner than later, he’s a pretty refined Center at the HS level. He’s not a freak athlete there, which is why is ranking is conducive to around a 5th round type pick.. but this dude will be able to play winning ball at the highest level in college, no doubt in my mind. I definitely view him purely as a Center (if you can’t already tell), he could play Guard in a pinch but your best lineup would be with him at OC. I’m actually surprised this recruitment drug out as long as it did… Miami was his #2 school but they never felt good about it. As long as UGA didn’t fill up on the OL, he had a spot.. and as long as he had a spot, he was a Dawg.
Talyn Taylor - Probably my personal favorite prospect in this class for Georgia. He’s such a clean player that it’s almost like you’re already watching an NFL guy run routes. You can absolutely tell he sits there and studies Justin Jefferson and how he’s always open even though he’s not a burner.. he implements those similar body movement in his breaks. Makes sense because him and Jettas are similar from a measurables standpoint. He looks like a cross between Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to me… I didn’t view him as a burner, but after watching his senior tape, he’s got some serious wheels. His balance is incredible. In the open field he’s almost like a RB with his spacial awareness and vision. I would be quite surprised if he didn’t have an early impact like Pickens and AD Mitchell had. He was hurt a large portion of his Jr year so he didn’t get to show his capabilities on wax, but in the spring/summer he was really tearing up the camp circuit. This senior film tho… it’s something special. Ohio St identified and prioritized him as one of the top players on their entire board, but he ended up cancelling his OV there. His heart was always with Georgia, even before Bmac left.. but when he went on the OV it solidified that this is where he wants to be and he shut it down. Ohio St and Ole Miss tried like hell to get traction but he never waivered (thank goodness).
Dennis Uzochukwu - By far the most athletic OL that UGA signed this cycle. I don’t think he’s done growing either… typically the Nigerian bloodlines tend to continue growing longer, so his frame could get better naturally not to mention being in an SEC weight room. Has legitimate first round NFL measurables - fantastic wingspan. Really light on his feet. Raw as hell when it comes to pass protection moves. Has played against really good edge rushers this year in HS… Very smart kid. I see OT all the way here, wouldn’t surprise me if he was the starting LT for UGA at some point.. but he’s gonna take a minute. There’s a world where he gets overwhelmed and doesn’t pan out, but at this stage I believe he’s a high ceiling prospect. He really blew up when his senior tape gained traction.. went from smaller schools to the likes of Ole Miss, VT, Tech, and eventually Georgia all offering within a week or so. Once he got the committable offer, he couldn’t wait to join the class. Shoutout to Dell and MSA for finding this dude early, was a helluva eval for Georgia State.
Bo Walker - Bowling ball. Probably only about 5’7, but he’s a thick dude - heavier than his listed weight imo. Has very good balance and tackle breaking ability. I don’t see him as a high upside type player, but I think he can be a solid contributor for a winning team. His body and running style actually reminds me a bit of Ray Davis from Kentucky and now spelling James Cook with the Bills.. not as quick or good as Davis, but I see some similarities there. Wanted to see him have a full senior tape, but his season got derailed with him being ineligible until he found a home at Rabun Gap. Hit the ground running there and was very productive. Committed very early and never waivered as long as Georgia wanted him. UNC, Tech, and Louisville kicked the tires here some but Bo was just keeping schools on the backburner in case the relationship with UGA fizzled out, but that never happened.
Zayden Walker - Not going to lie here, I wasn’t the biggest Zayden Walker guy when I watched his Jr film.. I knew behind the scenes UGA staff thought when he worked out for them that he had the best workout they’d EVER seen for a LB prospect. He was a must get at that point.. but to me, I thought he regressed some from his Soph to Jr year. He looked a little stiff in the hips to me and not 5star type explosive athlete to me. Then I dug into it more, he was playing pretty significantly banged up in 2023.. fast forward to his Sr year and HOLY SHIT this is what I wanted to see. If his ranking doesn’t improve by a decent bit then film is simply not being watched. This is his first year playing off ball LB / hybrid and it’s something special. He is so instinctive on his blitzes, it’s just perfect timing off the snap (the edge rushing background don’t hurt here one bit). Closes to the ball fast and violently. Knifes thru OLs way too easily. Adjusting from Schley Co to the SEC along with getting used to playing ILB fully will probably take a year or so in my mind, but he’s so physically gifted you may have to get him on the field some early. His brother went to AU, he had ZERO interest in them. His other brother is at South Carolina and imo they finished 2nd at the end even though Miami made the strongest push throughout, but nobody felt like he was going anywhere except UGA and he shut it down after his OV first weekend in June.
CJ Wiley - I look at him as a jumbo athlete type WR, gotta feel like he is a future X, but to me you can use him in a variety of ways.. especially with that speed for a big guy, one of his best attributes is making guys miss after the catch. He could work on his fluidity and smoothness, but when he gets a full head of steam he’s like a horse pulling away from the field. He’s pushing 6’3+ and going on 215 I’d say… he carries it well but this is a big dude. 10.8 speed in that big frame makes for a very intriguing prospect here.. Will go ahead and say it, he doesn’t have the most natural hands and can fight the ball just a tad and let it get to his stomach instead of using his size to pluck it on the top of DB’s heads.. but it’s something I expect to get much better given how this kid wants to be great and improve. I think that’s why he’s not a 5star WR, but wouldn’t surprise me to see him being an integral part of UGA offense at some point. I can’t help but to think of some old school Fred Gibson here. Committed to FSU much to the surprise of UGA staff, I never fully expected him to sign there. Texas A&M had a ton of momentum coming off their visit and he got closer to committing to them than I would like to admit.. but that was VERY short lived and once the visit high wore off, he locked in on UGA and remembered why he almost committed here in the first place. A few weeks later UGA did not expect him to commit when he did, but in classic CJ Wiley style he randomly made a call on a random week night and put out a tweet and that was it.
Elyiss Williams - One of the freakiest players UGA has EVER signed… I mean this dude looks like an avatar outrunning DBs at 6’7. He didn’t play in an offense that was conducive to his skillset until this year. Will be the best blocker at TE since Darnell Washington. He’s not Brock Bowers and may never put up ridiculous numbers like that… but this is a special specimen and any DC that is facing UGA is going to have to spend time allotted for how they are going to defend him. If CJ Wiley wasn’t in this class then I’d say you could even flex him out wide at X.. still may do that at times. Very high level basketball player as well. I would like to see a little better balance from him after the catch, that’s really my only critique of his game. The longest standing commit in this class. FSU had a good relationship with his mother and Miami had a good offer for him, but the vibe was always strong to UGA and ultimately he shut it down during the summer after his OV. You know what this staff thinks of someone when UGA has the best NIL package for someone…
Tyler Williams - He’s one of the guys in this class that it’s hard to peg the ceiling/floor on… Not much into going to camps or 7 on 7s. Plays tough competition and always seems like he’s outrunning everyone… the game speed doesn’t matchup with the numbers he posted in track when he was a sophomore and he hasn’t any verified times since with track. I don’t think my eyes are lying here, he can roll. Great size and build, I feel like he can really mold his game into a complete players because he’s big enough to be an impactful blocker. Probably isn’t the most natural pass catcher but I don’t see any particular issues with his ball skills and seems to make difficult and contested catches. Good things happen when he catches the ball, he’s a big play weapon and has the explosivity to score from anywhere. Miami valued him as one of their more coveted prospects this cycle, they thought he was an absolute gem and better than his ranking… it was almost a toss up between them and UGA but things shifted in UGA’s favor when it was clear that he was a take and a target.
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