Freshman Faces: Jaheim Singletary
Defensive analyst Will Muschamp was the primary recruiter in two major battles this past cycle: corners Travis Hunter and Jaheim Singletary.
Hunter ultimately chose to sign with Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders, spurning several major Power-5 programs. The story made national news, and Hunter entered the national limelight.
When people talk about Hunter, they use labels such as "transcendent," "game-changer," and "special." However, some believe Jahiem Singletary has similar transcendent traits on tape.
Singletary hails from Jacksonville, Florida, and played his high school football for Riverside. He grew up one hour away from Gainesville, Florida, but never gave the Gators much attention in his recruitment.
He committed to Ohio State midway through his junior season, but the Buckeyes lost him during the summer. There were some serious defensive issues at Ohio State, as evidenced by their lackluster unit this past season.
Furthermore, southeast schools began to whisper in Singletary's ear, urging him to stay close to home. He unofficially visited both Georgia and Miami heading into his senior season before de-committing from Ohio State in August.
Muschamp and former defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae pushed hard when Singletary hit the open market, ensuring he felt like a priority. Head coach Kirby Smart launched a push towards the end, which sealed the deal for Singletary.
While he had been trending Georgia's way for months, Singletary made his commitment public on November 21, 2021. He signed his letter of intent a few short weeks later, joining one of the best secondary classes in the country.
The Bulldogs have fielded several top defensive backs within the past few years. Former corners Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell were both top-35 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, which should kick off a long list of top-end corners produced by Georgia.
Corner Derion Kendrick projects as a top-50 pick in the upcoming draft, and current Bulldog corner Kelee Ringo could be the No. 1 corner in the 2023 NFL Draft. The bottom line is that Georgia knows how to mold NFL-level corners in three years, which is what every top prospect wants.
Singletary appears to be the next in line to carry on this proud tradition at face value. He stands 6'2 with extremely long arms and can flip his hips at the drop of a hat.
He will have to put on weight during his time at Georgia, as right now, he is listed at 170 lbs. Singletary was even nicknamed the "Slim Reaper" in high school because of his narrow stature. They simply call him "Slim" now at Georgia.
While he excelled in high school at that size, the Georgia defense demands quite a bit of its corners in terms of run support and in the blitz package. Singletary wants to be physical, which is a significant first step, but he must bring his body up to speed to realize that potential.
Singletary's ball skills are remarkable. He consistently high points the football and makes athletic plays that leave your jaw hanging. He played wide receiver and corner in high school, the tell-tale sign of a corner with elite skills at the catch point.
He has a natural read-and-react ability that could result in some pick-6s at the next level. Singletary is patient when reading his keys but explodes out of his stance and makes up ground quickly.
Aside from some minor weight concerns, there is reason to believe that he could become a first-round corner under Georgia's tutelage. There is constant turnover in their corner room, which means Singletary could play sooner rather than later.
His career arc could be similar to 2021 signee corner Kamari Lassiter. Lassiter spent most of last season coming up to speed on college life, but his reps in garbage time suggested that a special player is waiting in the wings.
Singletary could spend the 2022 season learning to become a college player before seeing the field in his second year and blossoming. Whatever the case may be, one thing is sure: Georgia feels they landed an excellent football player.
SI All-American graded him as the No. 1 corner in the 2022 cycle and No. 11 overall. Here is what they had to say about one of Florida's top playmakers.
"The only other corner under consideration for the top spot at this stage, the Floridian's case is just as a strong. Singletary has been an alpha corner prospect since his freshman year in the Jacksonville metro, with success there and on offense at wide receiver. But the elite length, muscular build and true ball skills are tailor-made for the modern secondary, where he can win with technique off the ball and certainly at the line of scrimmage. The future Bulldog is confident in his game, flashes better makeup speed than his size would suggest, yet he plays with the leverage discipline of a college veteran. Few cornerbacks at his size remain at the position at the next level, but we would be surprised if Singletary became another in that bunch -- he is simply special."
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