Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s the Intel. This rep has the latest with Georgia’s 3-star OT commitment Jamal Meriweather. He ranks as the nation’s No. 32 OT and the No. 476 overall prospect for 2023 on the 247Sports Composite ratings.
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The first Wednesday of February has long been known as National Signing Day to college football and the many many millions of frenzied fans who have obsessed over teenagers singing their names on letters of intent.
It won’t be quite like that for 3-star Georgia football commitment Jamal Meriweather tomorrow. He already signed back in December. There will be no signing ceremony for him among his Pirates on Wednesday. He already held that event back in December.
It will just be a signing announcement when that day comes to Meriweather.
The 6-foot-7 Meriweather has a very strong senior season. It caught the attention of the Bulldogs who came with a very committable offer. When he flipped from Central Florida on December 5, that didn’t afford him enough time for university admission and acceptance prior to the early signing period on Dec. 21.
Some programs need admission to the university before they officially announce a prospect as a part of the annual signing class. Other schools also require a qualifying ACT or an SAT score in order to do. The University of Georgia is one of those programs.
That’s what DawgNation has been told was the holdup with announcing Meriweather as a ‘Dawg.
“He’s taken the ACT and everything,” Brunswick High football coach Garrett Grady said. “Everything is good. Georgia has that information already. Everything is working out just fine. They have everything they needed. It is on their end to just process that information. Everything is in good hands. Everything is moving forward.”
Meriweather just needs his admission to UGA. That’s the matter of when the football program will be able to release his signed letter of intent.
“It is not just the ACT,” Grady said. “It is just all the paperwork in general for being admitted to the college. It is the application, the whole process and a,l the other things that come with the application. There’s an essay part in there that he had to write. They have got all the information and they are processing it.”
He remains the lone unsigned commitment in the 2023 recruiting class that currently ranks No. 2 nationally on the 247Sports Composite ratings. The two-time defending national champions saw 25 members of its 2023 recruiting class sign back in December during the early period.
Jamal Meriweather: “The dream itself isn’t over. It has just started”
Meriweather was the lone holdover commitment. He won’t be able to enroll until late May or early June. That’s will all come after his Brunswick High School graduation.
DawgNation will have its eyes fixed on any news regarding Duce Robinson over the next few days. It is up in the air about whether he will sign or not. There’s also the potential addition of 4-star TE Walker Lyons on National Signing Day for the 2023 class.
Let’s also not forget 5-star junior CB Ellis Robinson IV. The nation’s No. 1 CB prospect is also set to make his college commitment on Wednesday. He’s down to Alabama, Georgia, Colorado, LSU and Miami for his choice.
Meriweather also got the chance to take his official visit to UGA over the weekend with his family. It was quite the moment for Team Meriweather.
“I done fell in love,” Meriweather told DawgNation.
The big OT from Brunswick went through the photo shoot. He paired the white jersey with the red pants and red helmet for one series of poses. He then went back into the equipment locker for the black jersey and black pants and topped it off with the white helmet.
“The best part was meeting all of the staff,” he said. “Because they made me and my family feel comfortable. Kirby Smart also talked about how it is at UGA outside of football. It made me feel like I was home.”
Meriweather also got in the requisite poses with Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels.
“It is a dream come true but the dream itself isn’t over,” Meriweather said. “It has just started.”
Jamal Meriweather: Don’t sleep on this part of the Georgia football class
Meriweather has significant upside due to his relative lack of experience playing the offensive tackle position and also his vast athleticism for his size.
He had been a defensive lineman early in his career. DawgNation has picked up a lot of intel from sources about how Meriweather handled himself this past season. He’s seen as a prospect with an upside considerably higher than his nation’s No. 31 OT prospect ranking from the 247Sports Composite scale. His On3.com prospect ranking has him as the nation’s No. 13 OT and as the nation’s No. 195 overall recruit.
That’s more in line with feeling here on his potential in Athens.
“He’ll end up better than a lot of stars they have signed,” one South Georgia coach told DawgNation. “Big athlete with a lot of Dawg in him.”
Grady said Meriweather has been in good spirits waiting through this admissions process.
“He’s very excited,” Grady said. “He’s happy. His family is happy. I think he knows the opportunity that he has in front of him and he’s going to take advantage of it and do the best he can.”
Meriweather has put on some weight. He’s continued to work out and is in the 285-to-290-pound range at this time.
“I think he’s got a lot of talent,” Grady said. “I think he’s got to work on what Coach Searels expects him to do and learn the playbook. What I’ve said before is his skill set is a wide range. He’s got long arms. He’s got great feet and then hitting the weight room and getting in that program with their strength staff is going to lead to a tremendous upside for him.”
He’s set to graduate on May 28.
“When it comes down to being in the trenches he really plays hard and plays to the whistle finishing blocks,” Grady said. “I think it is really exciting watching somebody play that position the way it is supposed to be played.”
Check out the impressive senior film for Meriweather below.
SENTELL’S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on DawgNation.com)
- BREAKING: Electric RB prospect Dwight Phillips Jr. commits to Georgia football
- Ellis Robinson IV: The genuine reason why the nation’s No. 1 junior CB will commit on February 1
- Sammy Brown: Why the LB depth that’s built up in Athens is actually a plus for UGA
- Colin Simmons: The 5-star EDGE breaks down an “amazing” first trip to UGA
- Remembering Chandler LeCroy: She was NEVER not smiling
- Dylan Raiola: Why a “gold standard” Georgia football program now has a strong chance with the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect for 2024
- Eddrick Houston: The 5-star priority target recaps his national title celebration visit
- BREAKING: Elite class of 2025 OT Micah Debose commits to the G
- BREAKING: Elite class of 2025 in-state DL Justus “Jay” Terry commits to the G
- What we’re hearing on the national championship celebration recruiting weekend in Athens
- Remembering Devin Willock: Remember the life of a gone-far-too-soon championship Bulldog
- PHOTOS: Georgia football welcomes 5-stars and elite recruits to the national title celebration
- Ellis Robinson IV: Why the ‘Dawgs remain on top for the nation’s No. 1 cornerback prospect
- Colin Simmons: The nation’s No. 1 EDGE for 2024 previews his first UGA visit this weekend
- WATCH: Bill Goldberg steps in to congratulate Peyton Woodyard on committing to the G
- All-time great DGD Nolan Smith shares why the second championship means more for him
- The recruiting tale of the tape for the national championship skews heavily for Georgia
- Jordan “Big Baby” Hall: The story behind his viral “Money Drop” moment at the All-American Bowl
- Cover 4 on Georgia football: How many more national championship weeks like this one are coming?
- BREAKING: Nation’s No. 2 junior safety Peyton Woodyard had made his college decision
- The never-before-seen way (in Athens) the ‘Dawgs can sign ANOTHER All-American TE this year