Kelee Ringo taken by Philadelphia Eagles in fourth round of NFL Draft
The wait is over for Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. He’s headed to Philadelphia after being taken by the Eagles with the No. 105 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. There he’ll join first round selections Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith along with 2022 draftees Jordan Davis and Kelee Ringo,
Ringo arrived in Athens as one of the most highly touted prospects in the country for the Class of 2020. The No. 4 overall player and top-ranked corner, Ringo headed east from his hometown of Tacoma, Wash. and Saguaro High School in Arizona.
While fans were excited, they had to wait a little bit longer than they might’ve hoped though. Ringo underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum upon arrival and missed the entirety of the 2020 season. He was back with the team for bowl prep and suited up for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl but did not play.
That practice at the end of the season gave Ringo the jump start that he needed headed into 2021. Competing for a starting spot that spring, Ringo ended up winning it by the fourth week of the season. That wasn’t before he had his first career interception in just his second game against UAB, an athletic play.
Ringo remained in the starting spot opposite of Derion Kendrick – who was picked in last year’s NFL Draft – for the final 12 games of the seaosn. He was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team and to the watch list for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award – eventually brought back to Athens by his teammate Brock Bowers.
When the Bulldogs beat the No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats in a highly anticipated matchup, he had a career-high seven stops including a sack on NFL Draft prospect Will Levis. He had multiple tackles in seven games down the stretch and capped things off with six stops in the National Championship against Alabama. Then of course there was his highlight reel interception of Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and 79-yard return that sealed the deal on the victory over the Crimson Tide.
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Ringo returned in 2022 expected to be a big part of the Georgia defense. He absolutely was, starting all 15 games and finishing with 42 tackles. Ringo had another two interceptions in his redshirt sophomore season, picking off Hendon Hooker in the Bulldogs’ win over then-No. 1-ranked Tennessee as well as Levis just two weeks later. He also managed to tie his career-high total for tackles versus the Volunteers with seven stops. Ringo was named to the 2022 AP and Coaches’ All-SEC Second Team.
Ringo ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the same place he picked off Young to seal the deal on the first of Georgia’s two National Championship wins. That time was good for a top 10 spot overall and to tie him for fifth among players at his position.
Ringo received his fair share of criticism leading up to the draft for sometimes giving up big plays or failing to get his head around while covering a receiver. However, his unique combination of size and speed made him an attractive prospect nonetheless.
Ringo is the fifth Georgia player off the board joining Carter and Smith to the Eagles and Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
