This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting is about the numbers. Simple numbers. These are the new numbers to commit to memory so you’re not scrambling for a roster at G-Day this weekend.
New year. New season. New roster. New G-Day.
The ‘Dawgs have had their annual roster churn since that 60-point Orange Bowl evisceration of FSU down in Miami.
The NFL Draft beckoned. So did the export-import culture of NCAA Transfer Portal football. Georgia also welcomed 22 high school enrollees this January plus another six portal ‘Dawgs to the roster.
When Kirby Smart said earlier this year that 50-plus members of his program had not been around long enough in Athens to see their second G-Day yet, he wasn’t kidding.
We can point to 56 signees from the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes that add up to that. That’s a whopping 66 percent of the 85-man roster.
It means everyone will need a roster for G-Day and the first few games of the 2024 season. But if you’re reading this page on DawgNation today, you do not.
These won’t be the obvious ones. While Roderick Robinson in No. 0 carrying a heavier load might be a novelty to some, most fans will remember him as the third-leading rusher on the team in 2023.
There’s a mix here of freshmen of note, transfer ‘Dawgs and players expected to emerge during their second seasons between the hedges on Dooley Field.
Here are 24 names to CTRL-S into your memory banks before G-Day on Saturday and with a quick-as-a-hiccup thought why.
0
That’s sophomore LB Troy Bowles. The former HS All-American is expected to take on a bigger role on third downs this fall. He saw action in five games last fall, including three tackles in the opener against UT-Martin.
1
Junior RB Trevor Etienne gets the coveted No. 1 jersey on offense. You might have heard of him already from Mike Griffith and Connor Riley. The Florida transfer is the odds-on favorite for the RB1 slot in Athens.
1
CB Ellis Robinson IV wears that digit. There are a lot of things to say here, but him being the best CB prospect that Kirby Smart ever signed seems to cover it all in the same fashion that ER4 does receivers.
4
Former 5-star KJ Bolden has gone back to an old friend in the No. 4 jersey. Bolden has flashed quite a lot this spring to the point that Malaki Starks even said he reminds him of himself at that stage of his UGA career.
5
Don’t worry here. That No. 17 who looked like a blur to spark that late touchdown drive against Alabama is back. He wore No. 9 against FSU, but Anthony Evans III upgraded to a new number that looks as fast as he is.
7
Long and fast. Georgia sophomore CB Daniel Harris played in six games last fall, but he’s swapped in his old No. 15 for a number more suited to a guy who will earn some first-team reps at CB this fall.
8
Everyone at your tailgate is picking Miami transfer Colbie Young to be the breakout receiver for Carson Beck this fall. The former Georgia lettermen who have seen him will back that up. So you might as well go ahead and learn his number, too.
10
Talk about a stylish upgrade. Former 5-star Damon Wilson Jr. traded in his No. 35 for the No. 10 jersey vacated by Jamon Dumas-Johnson. Wilson is expected to be among the team’s sack leaders this fall.
12
Everyone knows Gunner Stockton wears No. 14. So commit Ryan Puglisi’s No. 12 to memory. When you see him shoot lasers all over the field at G-Day, you won’t forget the number of the kid with the big arm.
13
The transfer portal allowed the ‘Dawgs to sign USC receiver Michael Jackson III earlier this year. The 6-foot, 208-pound senior has great speed and uncanny hands. He can help UGA on punt and kick returns, too.
16
Vanderbilt transfer WR London Humphreys is now the only No. 16 on the roster. He’s got size, speed and skill. Does everyone remember him sprinting for a long touchdown against the Georgia defense last fall?
18
Georgia gave No. 18 on defense to freshman LB Chris Cole. He converted from safety to LB for his senior year of high school and wound up a 5-star. When his football days are up, he wants to become a doctor.
18
Go ahead and commit that No. 18 to memory. Sacovie White wears it on offense. The electric athlete is a pure football player. He should be one of your favorite players at UGA by the time his career runs its course.
19
The ‘Dawgs gave the No. 19 jersey to freshman linebacker Justin Williams. “Justo” was the consensus No. 1 LB prospect last year. He’ll start out flying down the field on special teams.
22
Buford High curse? The ‘Dawgs will now line up a pair of former Wolves in their secondary this fall. Alabama transfer Jake Pope already has one season under his belt working with first-year UGA safeties coach Travaris Robinson when they were both in Tuscaloosa.
23
Do you like 6-foot-4 freshmen TEs with low 4.5 speed in the 40? If so, you want to keep your eyes on 235-pound freshman TE Jaden Reddell. His No. 23 jersey meshes nicely with his “Jumpman” nickname.
29
Do you remember the TFL and forced fumble sophomore DE Gabe Harris had against FSU? He played in 11 games last fall and we’ve heard great things consistently about his progress this spring.
51
We are including legacy snapper Will Snellings here. The son of Paul Snellings came into UGA last year as one of the nation’s top long snapper prospects. He played against UAB and FSU last fall and is one of only two snappers on the roster.
55
Sophomore DT Jamaal Jarrett is one of the most improved players on the roster from 2023. The 6-foot-5, 350-pounder has reshaped his body and his game. He won’t start, but he will be counted on for big first and second-down snaps in a rotation.
70
Freshman OL Daniel Calhoun came in with much fanfare as an All-American with two brothers who played college football. He has shined. We feel Calhoun is already one of the top 10 OLs at UGA and climbing.
72
That’s redshirt freshman OT Jamal Merriweather. The ‘Dawgs flipped the Brunswick native late in the 2023 cycle from UCF. He’s bulked up to 290 pounds and is getting some second-team reps at LT.
79
We don’t know how much freshman OT Nyier Daniels will play this fall, but he will draw more “Who’s that guy? takes this fall than anyone else. He’s listed at 6-foot-8 and 365 pounds after dropping from 391 in January.
94
Redshirt freshman DL Xzavier McLeod transferred over from South Carolina. The former “Mr. Football” for the state of South Carolina is one of UGA’s most talented DLs and should work into Tray Scott’s rotation this fall.
99
Freshman DE Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is wearing No. 99 on the DL for Georgia. So the 5-star recruit has to be good. The fact he’s 6 feet, 4 inches and 275 pounds at 17 years and four months old also sticks out.
SENTELL'S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
