LOOK: Numbers and photos of Georgia newcomers at practice
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Football held its second practice of the spring on Thursday, and with it came the first look for members of the media at the 2023 squad. The Bulldogs have 18 freshmen early enrollees plus a trio of transfers new to the team this spring. Here are the numbers DawgsHQ was able to come up with from that group along with photos of the Georgia newcomers:
Georgia Early Enrollees
Roderick Robinson – No. 0 – RB
Smooth striding back who makes defenses pay between the tackles with his leg drive and vision. One of the more savvy runners in the 2023 cycle. Runs with little to no wasted movements, very decisive runner. Excellent build and girth in his lower half, strong build for a running back coming straight out of high school. Stands in at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds and tested well during the spring camp circuit prior to his senior season. He ran a 4.71 40-yard dash, jumped 9-foot-8 in the broad jump and jumped a 31-inch vertical. Ran 11.35 in the 100m and jumped 19-foot in the long jump during his senior track and field campaign. Solid top-end speed to pull away from some second level defenders. Lacks ideal wiggle and twitch, more of a straight line, punishing runner. High floor prospect who can contribute early in goal line situations. Has the chance to become a feature back for most power five teams. Named 2022 MaxPreps California High School Player of the Year after his senior season.
AJ Harris – No. 4 – DB
Polished, developed defensive back with positional versatility and a physical mentality. Has good stature and size, checking in at 6-foot-0.5 and around 190 pounds with a 31-inch arm prior to his senior season. Very physically developed. A smooth mover and shows technical refinement to his game. Coordinated and looks to have good ball skills for the position. Extremely physical and strong as a tackler and run defender. Embraces contact and plays with an edge. Was a top performer at The Opening Finals prior to his junior season, showing anticipation and ball skills in picking off a number of passes while lined up as a safety. Played subpar competition at a small private school prior to transferring to a powerhouse public school as a senior. Turned in a strong senior season at Phenix City Central with 52 tackles and three interceptions. A high-floor prospect. Has not shown high-end long speed to this point, but runs fairly well. Could also play safety long-term, despite being considered as a cornerback prospect to this juncture.
Raylen Wilson – No. 5 – LB
One of the most athletic linebackers in the 2023 cycle who looks to be an ascending prospect after continued physical development. Measured around 6-foot-1, 225 pounds prior to his senior season. Grew over an inch and added over 10 pounds during his junior season. Also saw improvement on the track, cutting several hundredths off his 100-meter time running a personal best 10.91 mark during the spring. Flashes that top end speed on the field, where he is an eraser in space with sideline-to-sideline ability. Excels in pursuit where he shows the ability to close very quickly. Can track down plays from the other side of the field. A natural in space and shows the ability to cover. Often plays in the box and has experience reading and reacting as a run defender. A high volume tackler with over 250 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in his final two years of high school football. Physical in taking on blocks. Improved his play strength as he continued to ass mass. Turned in a standout showing at the Under Armour All-American Game, making some eye-popping plays while flashing elite closing speed. Father was a wide receiver in the NFL for five seasons and has several siblings who were high level college athletes. Younger for the class, not turning 18 years-old until the July before his freshman season in college.
Lawson Luckie – No. 7- TE
Well put together tight end prospect who excels in all phases of the position. Catches the ball naturally. Totaled 33 receptions for 358 yards and 3 touchdowns during his junior season. Looks comfortable getting in and out of breaks. Smooth mover with wiggle as a route runner. Dominant high point ability. Strong blocker that finishes with tenacity and violence. Lacks ideal top end speed and overall mass. Has the frame to put on quality weight. Has the athletic ability and receiver qualities to carve out a role early in his career. Will become a more complete player in college once he adds the necessary weight.
Joenel Aguero – No. 8 – DB
Head-hunting, twitched-up safety who is arguably the biggest hitter in the 2023 cycle. Delivers crushing blows over the middle of the field. Explodes into ball carriers and receivers. A top athlete who tests very well in the combine setting. Ran a 4.48 electronically-timed 40-yard dash prior to his junior season. Was considered the top athlete on the loaded IMG Academy defense as a junior. At his best when he can use his athleticism and physicality to play fast and move forward as a cover down defender. More of a strong safety type at this stage. Not overly long with sub 31-inch arms and may not have much more room for growth on his 5-foot-11 frame. Will need to continue developing his man coverage skills. Flashed some two-way playmaking ability as a senior after transferring home to St. John’s Prep, where he saw some time on offense.
Justyn Rhett – No. 9 – DB
Tyler Williams – No. 10 – WR
Former basketball-first athlete who blossomed as a wide receiver after transferring to powerhouse Lakeland High as a junior. Has a natural, well-rounded skill set at receiver. A big, fluid mover at around 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Has plus length for the position with 33.5-inch arms. Draws on his basketball background to win at the catch point. High-points and attacks the ball in contested situations. Shows good lateral agility and spatial awareness as a runner after the catch. Made plays as a senior as a receiver, return man and even on direct snaps while helping Lakeland to a state title. Continues to be a top basketball player, averaging over 15 points per game as a junior. Will need to continue progressing in the technical aspects of his game given his lack of football focus to this point. Not as productive as most other top wide receivers with 399 yards and six receiving touchdowns as a senior with a relatively low number of targets.
Yazeed Haynes – No. 13 – WR
Twitchy receiver with the athleticism and skills to develop into one of the top deep threats in the 2023 cycle. Has a slender build, checking in at over 6-foot-1, 165 pounds in the off-season prior to his senior year. Turned in strong performances on the college camp circuit, running sub 4.4 second marks in the 40-yard dash. Transferred that athleticism over to the field as a senior with a very productive final campaign. Hauled in 55 catches for 1,212 yards and 13 scores as a senior. Shows an easy, long stride with a high level burst. Consistently separates downfield on vertical routes. A smooth, fluid mover. Has made progress both as a route-runner and pass catcher. Makes some high-difficulty catches in traffic and shows the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Also rips off long chunk gains after the catch. Did not face terribly stiff competition and will need to continue honing his technical skills at the position, but shows noteworthy athletic upside.
Anthony Evans – No. 17 – WR
Sam M’Pemba – No. 26 – EDGE
Physically-developed two-way athlete, with the highest projected ceiling as an EDGE prospect. Played as a pass rusher and wide receiver at his initial high school prior to transferring to IMG Academy as a junior. Primarily played as a tight end/h-back at IMG during the fall of 2021. A strong athlete with dip and feel for rushing the passer. Had considerable murkiness around his ultimate position. Practicing at EDGE in the spring for IMG and looks primed to make an impact as a pass rusher. Measured at 6-foot-3.5, 240 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wing-span prior to his senior season. Tests as a solid to good athlete, clocking an electronically-timed 4.94 second 40-yard dash prior to his senior season. Would benefit greatly from a permanent move to defense as a senior, in our opinion.Practicing at EDGE in the spring and looks good there. Can continue to improve initial quickness but savvy and has natural pass rush ability.
Gabe Harris – No. 29 – EDGE
Highly physical defender who plays with an edge that few in the 2023 cycle can match. Measured a shade shy of 6-foot-4 and around 245 pounds with a 33.25-inch arm, giving him requisite length for the position. May not have much more room for growth on his frame. Played against top competition at a top high school program in South Georgia prior to transferring to IMG for his senior year. Embraces contact. Physical at the point of attack. Effective in setting the edge and excels as a run defender. Sheds offensive linemen to make plays against the run. More of a power and straight line pass rusher as opposed to winning with pure speed and bend, but showed progress on that front as a senior. Drew high praise during his time at IMG. A solid not spectacular athlete. Plays with a high effort level. Has the look of a high floor prospect who could tap into his upside with continued progress as a pass rusher.
CJ Allen – No. 33 – LB
Explosive linebacker who wins with processing and ability to sort through the trash to bring down ball carriers. Good tester in the combine setting who jumped a 30-inch vertical and 9’7” broad jump in 2022 as well as an electronically-timed 4.62 second 40 in 2021. A three-sport athlete that ran a 23.72 200m in 2022 and 11.18 100m in 2021. Also plays basketball. A two-way player on Friday nights, playing running back and linebacker. Rushed for 1,080 yards and 16 touchdowns along with 91 tackles and 3 interceptions as a junior. Shows excellent field vision and awareness. Rarely caught out of position and quick to trigger and come downhill. Efficient tackler that gets his face across ball carriers consistently. Lacks Ideal length for the position, but is always around the football and should be productive at the next level.
Damon Wilson – No. 35 – EDGE
Disruptive pass rusher with one of the best first steps and flexibility in the 2023 cycle. Owns a solid build, checking in at nearly 6-foot-4 and over 230 pounds. Has plus length for the position with arms that measure over 34 inches. Tests as a good athlete in the combine setting but plays quicker than his times indicate. Explosive and twitchy leaper. Shows the ability to bend and dip around the edge, in addition to the outstanding first step. Has high-level curvilinear movement skills with the ability to get low and turn corners at high speeds. Advanced technically and flashes quick hands. Plays with good effort. A dogged worker who has spent time training. Plays for a top high school program in Florida, helping his team to a state title as a junior. Had a big junior season, tallying 15 sacks. Was not as productive as a senior. Strong in the weight room, but will need to continue adding play strength to aid as a run defender. Can also improve his closing speed to aid in finishing plays behind the line at a higher rate. Looks like one of the better pure pass rushers in the 2023 cycle.
Jordan Hall – No. 44 – DL
Explosive defensive lineman who has the best combination of length and first-step quickness in the 2023 cycle. Measured at around 6-foot-3, 310 pounds with an arm over 34 inches prior to his senior season. Explodes into the backfield in a split second, blowing up plays in the backfield. Shows outstanding short area burst, closing on quarterbacks and running backs. Uses active hands at the line of scrimmage and employs an effective swim move. Looks to have long arms, which aid in his ability as a violent finisher behind the line. Has the play speed to track down plays from the backside. Put together some of the best junior season video among defensive tackles in the 2023 cycle. Played well when facing top competition. Will benefit from time in a college strength program. Turned in a very strong showing at the All-American Bowl, looking like the top defensive lineman in attendance.
Jamaal Jarrett – No. 55 – DL
One of the bigger defensive line prospects in the 2023 cycle. Measured at 6-foot-5 and around 365 pounds prior to his senior season. Strong, physical interior presence who overwhelms smaller offensive linemen with his girth and strength. Can forklift offensive linemen into the backfield when he plays with good pad level. A pure pocket pusher. Shows effort in running down plays in pursuit. Lacks ideal length at the position. Could also potentially play interior offensive line long-term. Does not test as a top athlete in the combine setting and could see some gains on that front as he reshapes his body at the college level. Significantly younger for the class, turning 17 years old in July prior to his senior season.
Monroe Freeling – No. 57 – OL
Physically-gifted offensive tackle prospect who pairs an elite frame with high-end athleticism. Has the best combination of frame, flexibility and functional movement skills among the strong offensive line group in the 2023 cycle. Grew to around 6-foot-7, 295 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length to go with the stature, checking in with a 7-foot wing-span and arms that measure over 34 inches. A fluid, flexible mover on the field. Moves as well as any top offensive lineman in the cycle. Tests very well in the combine setting and is a dunker on the hardwood. Flashes his high-end reactive quickness as a run and pass blocker. Has some dominant moments when working to the second level. Added strength as a senior showing increased finishing ability. Also doubled as a disruptive defensive tackle, with the ability to take over games on that side of the ball. Will need to refine his pass set at the college level. Looked like the top offensive line prospect in the cycle after a strong week at the All-American Bowl.
Pearce Spurlin – No. 88 – TE
Lengthy tight end with twitch and a wide catch radius. Measured over 6-foot-5 and around 230 pounds with a 33.75-inch arm. Ultra productive offensive weapon that totaled 74 catches for 1,404 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. Wins at the catch point with body control and explosiveness. Has a knack for bursting through arm tackles and getting upfield in a hurry. A willing blocker that looks to finish, just needs to continue adding play strength to become more productive in that role. Also plays basketball. Has a leaner build with plenty of room for growth – has added close to 30 pounds between his sophomore and senior years. Has the chance to be productive early on at the next level. Can become a complete tight end once he physically develops and becomes a greater force as a blocker in the run game.
*** NOTE: Offensive lineman Josh Miller has a shoulder injury this spring and was not out at practice
Georgia Transfers
Rara Thomas – No. 5 – WR
Dominic Lovett – No. 6 – WR
Deyon Bouie – No. 31 – DB
