Georgia lands Texas A&M transfer Deyon Bouie for 2023
Georgia dipped into the transfer portal today for the services of a former Bulldogs commit, with Deyon ‘Smoke’ Bouie committing to Kirby Smart and company per On3’s Jeremy Johnson.
Bouie, a Peach State product hailing from Bainbridge, Georgia’s Bainbridge High prior to his time in College Station, becomes the third transfer commitment in the Class of 2023 for the Bulldogs joining a pair of wide receivers Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett.
A 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback, he joins AJ Harris, Joenel Aguero, Daniel Harris, Chris Peal, Justyn Rhett and Kyron Jones in the Georgia secondary class for the cycle.
The former four-star prospect and No. 84 overall player in the Class of 2022 per the On3 Consensus, Bouie originally committed to Georgia in November of 2020 backing off of his commitment in June of last year.
Even after committing to Texas A&M in August of 2021, however, the Bulldogs never relented in their pursuit, and head coach Kirby Smart made Bouie a personal project given the background they both share.
“Coach Kirby (Smart) isn’t really recruiting me, he’s like a father figure to me,” Bouie told On3’s Jeremy Johnson in December of last year. “We’re from the same city. He’s more than a coach. I look at it like that. He treats me like a father treats a son. I’m already committed, he’s still reaching out and giving me tips. That tells me he still wants me.”
In addition to being the No. 84 prospect in 2023, he was the No. 11 cornerback in the country and the No. 9 overall prospect in Georgia for the cycle.
On3 High School Scouting Report on Deyon Bouie
“Legitimate two-way prospect at cornerback and wide receiver, but likely to play on defense long-term. Among the shortest highly-ranked corners in the 2022 cycle at under 5-foot-11, but has some compensatory length. Added some bulk to his frame prior to his senior season. Has high-end ball skills at both corner and receiver. Effortlessly tracks and locates the ball over his shoulder. Capable of making some high-difficulty one-handed grabs. Turns to play the ball with natural feel and instincts in man coverage. Has been a standout on the 7-on-7 circuit for several years with his skills and two-way ability. Showed open field ability in the return game as a sophomore. Missed the entirety of his junior season with a knee injury. Still working to regain some burst as a senior and is seeing more success as a ball-winner than separator. Lacks verified athleticism by way of testing or track times. Older prospect for the class.” – Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings
