Joenel Aguero an under-the-radar national sleeper according to ESPN
Georgia players oftentimes arrive on campus as household names. That was the case for Danvers, Mass. defensive back Joenel Aguero, the nation’s No. 3 safety and a top-50 player overall in the Class of 2023.
The 5-foot-11.5, 200-pound safety spent time at IMG Academy in high school before playing his final season at St. John’s Prep. He won MaxPreps Massachusetts High School Football Player of the Year as a senior. Now, entering his sophomore season at Georgia, ESPN has him identified as an under-the-radar player to keep an eye on. If a player of Aguero’s caliber is considered “under-the-radar,” that’s great news for Georgia.
“It’s difficult to pick a sleeper from a roster loaded with former five-star prospects, but safety Joenel Aguero was limited last season because of a hamstring injury he suffered in preseason camp. He had seven tackles and one pass breakup in 12 games, contributing mostly on special teams and on defense in the fourth quarter of blowouts. He’ll be counted on this season to compete for one of the two safety spots vacated by Tykee Smith and Javon Bullard,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote. “Aguero was the No. 3 safety prospect in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN Recruiting, and he has the speed and tackling ability to flourish at the star nickel position.”
Aguero saw action in 12 games as a freshman. Credited with seven tackles including five solo stops and one for loss, Aguero had his best outing against UAB. He also blocked a punt in Georgia’s win over Florida, sending it out of the end zone for a safety. However, his role in 2024 should be bigger than just special teams. With three defensive backs off to the NFL including Tykee Smith at STAR and Javon Bullard with his time spent at both safety and STAR, Aguero is a prime candidate to take over a starting spot.
Of course he’s not the only player with the capability to step into a larger role. JaCorey Thomas has a similar skillset to Aguero, only with added experience. Justyn Rhett and Kyron Jones are hoping to take steps in the right direction during their second season while Alabama transfer Jake Pope and five-star freshman KJ Bolden arrive on campus looking to make an instant impact. There’s also David Daniel-Sisavanh, Dan Jackson and others that add to the totality of the secondary alongside All-American Malaki Starks.
Georgia opens the season its season August 31st against ACC favorite Clemson in Atlanta (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC). The Bulldogs, according to DraftKings, open as 13.5-point favorites over the Tigers.
