This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 3-star WR commitment Landon Roldan. He ranks as the nation’s No. 72 WR and the No. 461 overall prospect for 2025 on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking sees Roldan as a 4-star, the No. 59 WR and No. 388 overall.
Ladd McConkey. Landon Roldan.
How many times have you good folks heard or read those names in a sentence lately?
McConkey was an unheralded find from Northwest Georgia., He didn’t have his UGA offer until less than a month before the traditional National Signing Day in 2020. The Dawgs swooped in and turned the longtime Vol from a Vol family into one of the best recruiting and development stories of the Kirby Smart era in Athens.
McConkey was a difference maker in Athens. He then became the No. 34 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a Week 1 starter for the Los Angeles Chargers in his rookie year.
Roldan is a 6-foot-1 senior wideout at North Oconee High just outside of Athens. He’s a blur on the field who has been stacking up the multi-score games for his Titans this fall.
There’s an obvious reason why those comparisons are being made. Are they legit?
Georgia 3-time All-American David Pollack is a good as source as any for that take. Pollack is embedded within the North Oconee programs as a coach. He’s also been watching Roland since he was very young.
But if you paired up their film side-by-side, their games are not the same. McConkey has more twitch. That’s evident.
“Ladd is a lot quicker,” Pollack said.
But the rest of what the very popular former ESPN commentator will have DawgNation’s full attention.
“Landon has better hands,” Pollack said. “I can say that. Landon has better speed and Landon is very smart. You can move him all over the field. He’s got a lot of gifts, so he’s definitely got some traits that are great. That’s the good things.”
“But Landon is really good with the ball in his hands. Landon was a tailback growing up all in youth ball so he sees things quickly. He runs the ball really really well so he’s got some great gifts. He’s definitely got some things that you can’t instill in people. that is just kind of innate.”
What sticks out to David Pollack about Landon Roldan?
Bring up Roldan to Pollack. Ask him what he sees. What sticks out.
That’s a layered conversation.
“What component?” Pollack will lead off with that. He steers the conversation into a place that might take awhile to really cover all the necessary ground.
How ‘bout off the field?
“Super quiet,” he said. “Super reserved. Not a man of many words. But just kind of cool. Dry as can be. There’s not a lot of flamboyance to him. He’s not a typical wide receiver.”
That’s not just because the 185-pound Roldan clocked off multiple laser 4.3s in the 40 testing for the UGA staff, including a best of 4.37 seconds.
“Most wide receivers are very flashy,” Pollack said. “Very me centered. He’s not like that.”
Bland is another word. Like toast.
How ‘bout on the field?
“I’ve seen very few people,” Pollack starts off again. “His elite superhero trait is tracking the football. So very rarely will you ever see him reach for a football. Like a long lunge or have to contort his body. The way he sees the ball. Ridiculous. It’s an elite. It’s a superhero trait.”
Those skills were honed by years of youth and travel baseball. Roldan was that Andruw Jones type who got to everything. But just the type who didn’t care who noticed.
“So he’s got his speed, but the biggest thing is he tracks the football as well or better than anybody. He’s a center fielder. Like that’s just his superpower.”
When Roldan was offered by the Dawgs this summer, Pollack knew what was coming.
“I know the kid,” Pollack said. “So I know he was excited. So I know what Georgia meant to him. I knew he was going to Georgia right away. Like as soon as they offered him. That was the golden ticket to him. That’s the one [offer he always wanted] so I think that’s pretty cool.”
Check out some of Roldan’s best plays this fall below. He’s ripped off highlights reels on both sides of the ball and on special teams. North Oconee (9-0) is ranked No. 2 in GHSA Class AAAA so far this fall.
SENTELL’S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
