Darnell Washington makes decision on NFL Draft entry
Georgia has seen four tight ends leave its talented room this offseason, the latest of them being Darnell Washington. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound freak from Las Vegas, Nevada announced his declaration for the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday with this post on social media.
“I would like to start off by thanking God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love, for guiding me throughout my football journey and allowing all of these opportunities to open up for me. To my family, thank you for supporting me as I attempted to turn my dreams into reality. I will forever be grateful for all the sacrifices made by those around me that gave me the opportunity to play the game of football. It is truly a blessing to have each and every one of you in my life.”
“To all my coaches and support staff that I’ve come across back home in Las Vegas and during my time in Athens: Thank you for always believing in me and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the University of Georgia. The lessons learned and friendships formed helped build me into the man I am today. To my teammates: I will always carry out experiences, memories and brotherhood with me. To DAWG nation: Thank you for the consistent support. You are the best in the world and it was an honor to play in front of it. My time in Athens has come to an end as I work to pursue my dreams of playing in the NFL. I am excited to announce that I will be DECLARING FOR THE NFL DRFAT. BIG 0 OUT!”
Washington hauled in a career-high 28 passes this year for 454 yards and two touchdowns. All three categories were more than his career totals coming into the season. He had a career-high 78 yards versus Vanderbilt in October before hauling in five passes, most in his three years on campus, for 60 yards and a touchdown against Mississippi State later in the season.
Washington was also one heck of a blocker too while on campus. He helped pave the way for the Georgia run game to step up in the second half of the season on the Bulldogs’ way to a second straight national title. Washington’s status for that National Championship Game was uncertain considering an ankle injury he suffered in the College Football Playoff semifinal versus Ohio State, however, he pushed through to play only slightly less than his season-average snap count. Washington caught one pass for 28 yards in the 65-7 win, setting up Stetson Bennett’s final touchdown of his UGA career on the play.
Washington’s decision certainly was one that was expected but is a big blow to the tight end room nonetheless. Now, after transfer portal entries from Arik Gilbert, Ryland Goede and Brett Seither, the Bulldogs only have two tight ends returning from this year’s team: Brock Bowers and Oscar Delp. It certainly helps to have the nation’s top player at the position plus the No. 2 signee in the country among all tight ends in the Class of 2022 returning, but experience certainly will be limited. Luckily, the talent coming in is strong too. Pearce Spurlin and Lawson Luckie are two of the top-10 tight ends in the country for the Class of 2023 and are both already signed and on campus at Georgia. Then the Bulldogs are making late pushes for Duce Robinson, a five-star and the nation’s No. 1 tight end in the class, and Walker Lyons, also a top-10 tight end.
