Ryan Puglisi: Georgia 4-star QB signee fits the Bulldogs' mold under center

Kirby Smart and Georgia cruised to the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle. Despite that, the Bulldogs losing Buford (Ga.) five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola to Nebraska in a late flip ahead of Early National Signing Day was what grabbed national headlines.

The top-20 recruit and No. 3 QB in the On3 Industry Ranking was one of UGA’s centerpiece pledges, but in the blink of an eye, is now headed to Lincoln instead of Athens. A big loss for the Dawgs, sure, but there’s still a touted signal-caller in their 2024 class.

Avon (Conn.) Old Farms four-star QB Ryan Puglisi committed to Georgia on Oct. 16, 2022. When Raiola pledged earlier this year in May, Puglisi stood pat and remained committed. As the year progressed, he stayed put on Smart’s pledge list, despite falling in the middle of the pack in the class as the second QB behind Raiola.

Now, Raiola is a Cornhusker, but Puglisi remains a Bulldog — and is already signed and in Athens, too. While he may not have the ranking that Raiola does, many around Athens believe Puglisi has the tools to be a future starter for UGA.

“Honestly, he kind of reminds me right now of what Carson Beck was when Carson Beck got to Georgia,” Jake Rowe of DawgsHQ said on The Inside Scoop. “I don’t necessarily think he’s going to have to wait that long, but he’s a really physically-gifted guy, good size, good athleticism, strong arm, kind of a quiet demeanor, doesn’t make a lot of noise, doesn’t do a lot of interviews, kind of keeps to himself, but is very, very competitive, according to everyone you talk to.”

Puglisi fits Georgia’s type at QB

Recent memory has proven that Georgia can succeed without a one-man-show under center. The Stetson Bennett’s and Carson Beck’s of the world don’t often wow you with their innate athleticism or play-making ability, yet all they do is win games.

While it’s far too early to lump Puglisi into any category — he’s still the No. 9 QB in the cycle, after all — he’s already shown that he has some of the characteristics of a great quarterback. Loyalty can go a long way, and if Puglisi’s recruitment is any indication, he’s got that in spades.

“I’m not sitting here saying ‘man, Georgia’s got it figured out,’ they’ve got a type at quarterback, but I think they’re starting to figure out their type at quarterback — which is that talented, but reserved and hard-working and loyal, there’s some stick-to-itiveness there,” Rowe said.

“If there’s anything Ryan Puglisi did during this process, it was showing Georgia ‘i’m with you no matter what, i’m with you when Dylan Raiola commits, i’m with you if he decommits … I think Georgia’s got a guy that’s very talented, but more than anything — you mentioned the captain thing, I think he’s made of the right stuff to get there, too.”

Ryan Puglisi Scouting Summary

“Live-armed signal caller who throws with some of the best velocity in the 2024 cycle. Measured at around 6-foot-2.5, 200 pounds with a 9.25-inch hand prior to his senior season. Has a thick, powerful base which he uses to generate power. Can drive the football to multiple levels with ease. Shows the ability to step up in the pocket and rip throws to the far boundary. Capable of layering touch passes in the red zone. A solid functional mover with reactive movements. Has a baseball background with a fastball that reportedly exceeds 90 miles per hour. Can improve his overall consistency in game settings and reaction to pressure. Plays a brief eight game season against varying levels of competition at a boarding school in Connecticut. Will enter college with fewer live game reps and passing attempts than many of his blue-chip peers. Registers as an average athlete in the combine setting.”

Puglisi has an On3 NIL Valuation of $273K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.