Georgia Football: Freshmen Most Likely to play Early in 2020
The Georgia Football program has secured its second number one ranked recruiting class in the last three years. In fact, the Bulldogs have secured a top 2 class for the third consecutive year and a top-three class, all four times that Kirby Smart has had a full recruiting cycle. And managed to run down the top spot in the inaugural SI-All American Standings. The 2020 recruiting class is loaded with talent, but so is the Dawgs current roster, meaning not every prized recruit will play right away. Here are five freshman players that have a great chance of getting on the field early.
Jermaine Burton - 4 Star Wide Receiver
The Georgia Football team had an obvious need at the wideout position, with the group being the thinnest it has been in years this past season. With graduate transfer Lawrence Cager no longer around and Dominick Blaylock still recovering from knee surgery, much more help is needed to keep defenses honest and discourage teams from doubling last years freshman star, Coach Kirby Smart and staff have certainly addressed the need in a major way, signing five wideouts to replenish the depth chart.
Jermain Burton isn't the highest-rated of the five signees, in fact, he's third among the group we will discuss tonight. However, I feel he has the best chance among the signees to the position to make an early impact.
Burton hails from Calabasas, California and for what the six-foot-tall wide receiver lacks in size, he makes up for it with blazing NFL type speed, running a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. He also has very dependable hands and is not afraid to catch the ball in the middle of the field in traffic. Burton will be able to burn defenses deep with his speed, but he will also be extremely dangerous in space.
The main reason Burton will see the field will be his ability to create space no matter his alignment or positioning on the field. In other words, with Blaylock likely not fully recoverred at the start of the season, Burton could easily slide into the slot.
Darnell Washington - 5 Star Athlete/TE
The Georgia Bulldogs lost both tight ends Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf to graduation, so there is a glaring need for help manning the position. Enter behemoth tight end Darnell Washington, from Las Vegas, Nevada. Washington is a mountain of a man, who sports very similar measurables to NBA superstar LeBron James. Nearing 6'8 and weighing in at just over 260 pounds, Washington is one of the largest recruits to ever be listed as an athlete coming out of high school. Washington is the number one player in his entire state, the number two athlete in the country, and the 23rd ranked player in all of the country.
TE, Darnell Washington
The athlete status is well deserved when it comes to Darnell Washington. It's harder for a man his size to get a good jump out of the sprinter's block, so he ran just 4.75 in the 40-yard dash. Yet on the field, he plays much faster. He's also surprisingly agile for a big fella, often shocking defenders with his wiggle and ability to make them miss in open space.
Tackling Darnell is a tricky proposition for defensive backs, as well as undersized linebackers. It can be very dangerous for defenders trying to tackle him high, often forcing opponents to make a business decision rather than risk injury in order to get him on the ground. Yet when defenders go low to make a stop on Washington, he has an answer for that as well. He's often just hurdles, the would he tackler, and continues down the field.
He's also a vicious blocker at the point of attack, often pushing his assigned man many yards downfield. Once he learns leverage at the NCAA level, it will be as UGA has an extra offensive lineman on running plays, but a massive wide receiver in the passing game. Look for Washington to become a major red-zone threat for the Dawgs. In fact, I'm going out on a limb, and predicting a seven touchdown freshman season for Darnell "The Prototype" Washington.
Jalen Carter - 5 Star Defensive Tackle
Jalen Carter is a 6'3 300-pound defensive tackle out of Apopka, Florida. He attended the same high school, as his football idol, NFL Hall of Fame player Warren Sapp. He's a is the third-rated player in the talent-laden state of Florida, the third-ranked defensive tackle recruit in the class, and the 18th rated player in the nation. A lot like the NFL legend he models his game after, Carter is a very explosive player. He's a basketball player and a very gifted athlete. He has the ability to play the three-technique at defensive end or defensive tackle. Being a high school weight lifter, Jalen possesses the strength to play nose tackle as well.
Carter packs a strong punch at the point of attack and has great short-area quickness, that allows him to play on the offense side of the line of scrimmage often. He's a strong defender in the run game that also adds interior pass rush ability. The Bulldogs are loaded on the defensive line with Jordan Davis, Malik Herring, and Trevon Walker, but Carter is too talented to keep off of the field. When the dust settles, Carter will be on the SEC All-Freshman team, and possibly even a Freshman All American.
After all, though UGA is deep along the defensive line, they still will need to replace the snaps from Tyler Clark and Michael Barnett, and quite frankly I don't think Carter will need much playing time to make a drastic impact. Add that on to the fact that Kirby Smart and his staff have shown a tendency to play 6 or 7 guys along that front and there's ample opportunity for the freshman in 2020.
Kendall Milton - Four-Star Running Back
Kendall Milton is the third member of our list, that originates from the West Coast. The Kid from Clovis, California is the seventh-ranked player in the state. The 6'2 220 pound Milton is also the number seven running back and the number 53 player overall. He is a powerful, violent runner who runs with an upright style, eerily similar to NFL Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George. Though he runs high, he has the ability to get small and slide through creases, when the situation calls for it. Kendall is far from just a power back, he posses surprising speed and agility for a man his size. He also posses a very high football IQ.
A man of great character, Kendall Milton is an even better person off the field, than he is a player on the field, and that's saying a lot. He's a man of strong convictions. Milton announced his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs via the most creative announcement video I've seen in some time.
It highlights the things most important to him: faith, family, and football.
Milton will compete with incumbents Zamir White, Kenny McIntosh and James Cook, as well as fellow incoming freshman Daijuan Edwards. When it's all said and done, Kendall will emerge as part of the team's one-two punch and give a serious challenge to Zamir White, to lead the Bulldogs in rushing.
CB, Kelee Ringo
Kelee Ringo - Five Star Cornerback
Kelee Ringo is yet another Georgia Football recruit that calls the Western United States his home, showing that Kirby Smart and his coaching staff, are truly a national recruiting powerhouse. He's from Scottsdale, Arizona and is the Dawgs top recruit in this class, checking in as the number one cornerback in the nation, the number one player from Arizona, and the fourth-ranked player in the country. A tall defensive back with great size and length at 6'2, 205 pounds, Ringo is an ideal player to defend tall wide receivers. He also has tremendous speed, running the 40-yard dash in the 4.3 range.
Related: Ringo was a member of the inaugural SI All-American Team
Man to man coverage is the specialty of Kelee Ringo. His long arms and size allow him to press and reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage. His talent will allow him to win the starting cornerback position, opposite All American candidate Eric Stokes and team with Divaad Wilson to give the Georgia Bulldogs a formidable nickel package. Ringo has all the makings of a future NFL player. In fact, our Brooks Austin compared him to the Arizona Cardinals All-Pro Patrick Peterson. Those are high expectations, but Ringo could very well live up to them. When his time is done in Athens, he will be a first-round pick.
