UGA Football Coach Kirby Smart Praises Top New Freshman

Every year there are several true freshmen who find a way to see the field during their first season as a Bulldog. Last year we saw two true freshmen start on the offensive line, an emerging star on the defensive line, a promising safety, two more tight ends, among others make a first-year impact. The year before that it was KJ Bolden, Nate Frazier, Chris Cole, among others made a strong impact in year one. Now, there are several more freshmen who are pushing for playing time in 2026.

Sources tell SI that freshman guard Zykie Helton, pass-catcher Kaiden Prothro, receiver Craig Dandridge, safety Tyriq Green, and several more are impressing behind the scenes. Another true freshman to keep an eye on is offensive tackle, Ekene Ogboko. Ranked as the No. 7 offensive tackle prospect and the No. 44 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, Ogboko is a promising left tackle at 6-foot-6 320-pounds who could be a possible multi-year starter down the road. He may not play a ton this fall, but his talent and potential is easy to see. Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke about his promising freshman earlier this week.

“He's come a long way," Smart told reporters. "He continues to get better. He's added some weight. I think the conditioning part and the level of play and how long, how many snaps he can play, things like that, we'll find out. We hope to be able to get him in there and play some and get better. The only way he's going to get better at this point is to be able to play some. He goes against good guys every day, and he is an extremely hard worker who takes pride in his performance. Traditionally, the people who are extremely hard workers and they take pride in their performance, they are successful. So if you want a remedy for success, be extremely hard worker that takes pride in your performance, and he does that."

Ogboko is the younger brother of current Georgia Bulldog defensive lineman, Nnamdi Ogboko, but is hoping to make a big impact for himself on offense. The younger Ogboko dominated on both sides of the ball as a senior last fall, leading the South Garner (NC) offensive line to record rushing numbers while not giving up a sack. He added 60 tackles on defense with 27 TFLs. He also forced two fumbles, recovered another and recorded two sacks. Earnest Greene is the current starter at left tackle, but one day, it will likely be Ogboko's job to lose. He's a young player on the offense line that Bulldog fans need to keep a close eye on this upcoming weekend against Tennessee State.

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