Ladd McConkey announces decision to enter NFL Draft

After four seasons at Georgia, wide receiver Ladd McConkey is turning his attention to the NFL. He took to social media on Monday to announce the decision.

“Dawg Nation, these past 4 years have been nothing short of amazing. Making the decision to come to the University of Georgia has truly been the best decision of my life. It has been an honor to represent the G, and it is something I will forever cherish,” McConkey wrote in a message.

“To my family, thank you for always sticking by my side and showing me unconditional love. I would not be where I am today without y’all. To all my coaches, thank you for investing everything you had into me. Y’all believed in me when no one else did and continually pushed me to become a better player and man. To the training, EQ and nutrition staff, thank you for always taking care of me and making sure I was read to be at my best. To my teammates, I couldn’t imagine a better group of guys to spend the last 4 years with. The connection we built is real and will stick with me forever. To the BEST fans in the nation, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and showing me unwavering support. There is no better feeling than playing between the hedges.”

McConkey redshirted and was a member of the scout team in his first season at Georgia. Come 2021 though, he was making an impact. McConkey played in all 15 games, starting seven, and finished second on the team in catches with 31 for 447 yards and five touchdowns. His team-high five grabs and 135 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, helped the Bulldogs to a road win over a ranked Auburn squad and earned McConkey SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Just a couple of weeks prior, he had both a rushing and a receiving score versus Vanderbilt.

McConkey once again finished second on the team in receiving in 2022, this time with an even bigger role for the Bulldogs. He hauled in 58 passes for 762 yards and a team-high tying seven receiving scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns. In the 2023 National Championship Game win over TCU, McConkey caught five passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bulldogs to the largest victory in College Football Playoff history as they beat the Horned Frogs 65-7.

McConkey made the decision to return to Georgia for another year after his strong 2022 campaign, and while there were times he was incredibly impactful, injuries largely derailed things in 2023. McConkey missed the first four games of the season due to a back injury. He was eased back into the lineup and began playing his best football after the bye – putting up a career-high 135 yards receiving against Florida and a career-high seven receptions (95 yards) versus Missouri. However, on Senior Night against Ole Miss, McConkey “tweaked” his ankle late in the game. He played just six snaps the next week versus Tennessee, did not dress for the regular season finale at Georgia Tech and was visibly playing through pain in the SEC Championship against Alabama. McConkey finished the season having played in just eight games and hauling in 29 passes for 456 yards and two touchdowns.

Over the course of his career, McConkey earned spots on the Freshman All-SEC Team (2021) and All-SEC Second-Team (2022) on the field while being named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and a finalist for both the William V. Campbell and Wuerffel trophies for his efforts in the community and in the classroom.

More on Georgia and the NFL Draft…

Georgia has led the country in NFL Draft selections over the last three seasons with 34 in total. The Bulldogs also rank first over the last five with 48, boosted in large part due to the modern-era NFL Draft record 15 players that were picked in 2022 off of Georgia’s national championship-winning squad. Last year, UGA tied for the nation-high with 10 players picked.

In total, the Kirby Smart era at Georgia has seen 55 selections. You have to go all the way back to 1992 to find the last time at least one Bulldog was not taken in an NFL Draft. Georgia has had a player picked in the first round every year since 2018. That list includes Roquan Smith, Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, Deandre Baker, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Eric Stokes, Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Lewis Cine, Jalen Carter, Broderick Jones and Nolan Smith.