This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with early enrollee freshman Todd Hartley. He ranks as the nation’s No. 2 TE and the No. 36 overall prospect for XXXX on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the No. 1 and at No. 36 overall.
When last we checked, the Georgia football roster does not runneth over with “X” receiver types.
That is part of the reason why there has been speculation, including legitimate scouting opinion, that 5-star TE signee Elyiss Williams should get some snaps at receiver next season.
There’s also the notion the 6-foot-7 Williams, with a wingspan that would catch a Delta pilot’s eye, is very talented. The former 3-time All-State basketball player also lined up out wide frequently during his high school days at Camden County High in South Georgia.
There is also a surplus of tight ends in Athens. Williams and his fellow 2024 signee Ethan Barbour are now the fourth and fifth former high school All-Americans for Todd Hartley’s room in Athens.
How does Hartley feel about that? Well, that was just the question we had for him last week at Sugar Bowl Media Day in New Orleans.
“Listen, that’s an ultimate compliment,” Hartley said. “I want to recruit tight ends that can not only play ‘Y’ and ‘F’ but ‘X, Z and H’ whatever you want to call it. It is called position versatility, right? The more value you have, the more you’re able to learn the positions you can play for us. The more versatile you are on offense, the more value you have for our offense. It is easier to get you in the game if you’re able to play more positions, right?”
“So that’s the ultimate compliment to get you recruiting guys that can play other positions.”
As he continued that thought, Hartley then took the latitude to bring up both Barbour and Williams.
“First off, they fit what we want,” he continued on. “From a character standpoint. From a competitive character standpoint. Both of them are very eager to learn. Both of them are very attentive. Very mature. They go about their preparation process the right way.”
Hartley then detailed what he saw out of those January enrollees during their first taste of The Georgia Way during early Sugar Bowl prep in Athens.
“It has only been a couple of days but what you can see early on is that, okay, maybe some things you thought about them in high school have been confirmed a little bit from just a kid standpoint. Just who he is as a person. Is he going to fit what we do? Is he going to be able to thrive in what Kirby Smart wants in a Georgia football player? Early on, you can really kind of tell that a little bit already about the both of them.”
Williams clearly evolved as a pass catcher in a much more modern offense for his senior year. Through his first three years of high school, he caught 36 passes for 791 yards and eight touchdowns. That was 22 yards per reception in some very heavy run-first and Wing-T offenses.
That senior year was different. The All-American had 54 catches for 789 yards and 11 scores. He also lined up and made some plays as a defensive end. Prior to that, he had flashed his physicality by manning up and blocking off defenders as a sophomore and a junior in those Wing-T sets, too.
“I tell everybody if you think he’s not physical, go watch that Wing-T film of him from last year,” Camden County coach Travis Roland said. “Watch how physical he is. It is crazy. When he gets to Georgia and lifts those weights and eats all that food five or six times a day you’re going to be looking at a 260 or 270-pound specimen. He’s going to be a first-round draft pick. I’m going to tell you right now.”
“He’s a special kid.”
There were times when his coaches thought he got overthrown on fade balls. But not when he’s that long and can jump the way he can.
“It still kills me that he can run bubbles,” Roland said. “Guys that big should not be able to run a bubble screen, but he’s able to do it. Then he had a one-handed catch in the springtime; that was just amazing.”
The former 5-star said that’s an area where playing hoops has helped his game.
“Those really come from the basketball court,” he said this fall. “Me catching alley-oops and getting rebounds. I think that transfers over a lot.”
Williams grew up a UGA fan in Charlton County. There’s a strong legacy of former Bulldogs from Folkston.
He also told DawgNation back in late October that he’d be happy with whatever he’s asked to do. It
“I wouldn’t even care,” Williams said back in October. “I would go make a play.”
He said he would play tight end. Or receiver. Or split out wide. The dream is to make it to the NFL to provide generational wealth for his family more so than playing a specific position.
“Wherever they want to put me, I’m there,” Williams said earlier this fall.
SENTELL’S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
