2022 Signing Day Central

Welcome to Early Signing Day.

Georgia commits will be signing their National Letters of Intent throughout the day. A couple of key Bulldog targets are set to announce their decisions as well.

Stay tuned in with UGASports Early Signing Day Central as we continue updating Georgia's signees throughout the day.

Three-star offensive tackle Kelton Smith committed to Georgia over offers from schools such as Florida State, Florida, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas A&M. Smith has experience at both guard and tackle so that versatility will help him make an impact sooner than later for the Bulldogs. He has a rare combination of length and athleticism that is raw with a lot of untapped potential.

At 6-foot-6, 323 pounds, Georgia early enrollee Joshua Miller adds another brick to the ‘Great Wall of Georgia’ as offensive line coach Stacy Searels likes to say. Miller is an offensive tackle prospect that was previously committed to Penn State from December of 2021 to June of 2022. Georgia got involved in late May and things moved quickly towards a flip to the Dawgs. Miller is a native of Chester, Virginia, and was a standout for Life Christian Academy on both sides of the ball in high school.

Barnesville, Georgia, native CJ Allen has been committed to the Georgia Bulldogs since June of this year. Allen is an explosive athlete with a 6-foot-1 220-pound frame. Allen was a star running back for his Lamar County team in high school, but will make his impact at the college level at inside linebacker. Tennessee, Oklahoma, and USC all worked to secure the commitment of Allen, but ultimately Allen decided that staying home to get developed in Georgia’s system was the best move for his future. Allen is an early enrollee and currently practicing with Georgia.

Monroe Freeling is a towering 6-foot-7 prospect that is now hovering around the 300 pound mark. Freeling, a native of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is one of, if not the, biggest win for offensive line coach Stacy Searels and the Georgia Bulldogs in the Class of 2023. With an enormous frame, Freeling also possesses good agility and overall athleticism. Georgia beat out its main competition in this recruitment which was the Clemson Tigers. Freeling is a Rivals250 player and the No. 1 overall prospect out of South Carolina in the 2023 cycle.

Georgia flipped Haynes from Penn State in July of this year. The Rivals250 receiver from Pennsylvania brings blazing speed to the class. He has been clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. On just 55 catches in his senior season, Haynes recorded 1,212 yards and 13 touchdowns. That speed combined with solid size gives Haynes the potential to be a difference-maker in the Georgia offense.

Williams might be the most well-rounded of Georgia’s receiver commits. He has great size at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds. But Williams also has good speed and is explosive enough to be a dynamic punt returner for Lakeland High School in Florida. As an early enrollee who is also taking part in bowl practices, Williams has a decent chance to carve out a role for himself in the offense next fall.

Another prospect that also gets overshadowed slightly due to a miss at the position in-state is safety Joenel Aguero. I expect the No. 6 nationally rated safety to see the field early and often in Athens. He just helped lead St. John's Prep (MA) to another state title a few weeks ago.

Georgia's first commit of the day came around 8:30 when defensive back Daniel Harris committed to the Bulldogs. Harris had backed off his previous pledge to Georgia last month but has now rejoined the class. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Harris is just the type of long and rangy prospect Kirby Smart and company like to play at corner.

UPDATE: Harris' paperwork came in at around 9:15 this morning, officially making him a Bulldog.

Anthony Evans III is as fast of a prospect as there is in the Class of 2023. With a verified 10.2 100-meter time and true 4.3 40-yard dash speed, Evans can simply fly. Originally a commit to the Oklahoma Sooners, Evans decided to flip his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs after a long pursuit from Bryan McClendon and Todd Monken. Evans is an early enrollee that is already practicing with the team. With that experience and tremendous speed, Evans could find himself on the field for Georgia in 2023.

Harris committed to Georgia in June at the end of a tireless recruitment by Fran Brown. A long-standing relationship with Kirby Smart also played a role in Harris’ decision. Harris is Georgia’s highest-rated defensive back commit at No. 31 overall. He has good size (6-foot-1 and 183 pounds) and pairs strong coverage skills with physical play and a willingness to tackle opponents. It will be tough with those in front of him, but Harris is a freshman who could possibly see the field in some capacity.

Troy Bowles is just one of several linebacker signees for the Bulldogs. Troy is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. A few of these battles, including this one, were won over playoff teams such as Ohio State. The No. 3 nationally rated inside linebacker recorded 65 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and led his Jesuit (Fla.) team with five interceptions.

Spurlin is Georgia’s longest-standing commit, having been pledged to the Bulldogs since Sept. 30, 2020. Now the prospect who grew up a rabid Georgia fan in metro Atlanta has officially put pen to paper with the Bulldogs. Spurlin is listed as a tight end, but his athleticism and route running basically make him a big receiver. It will be interesting to see how Georgia employs his skill set alongside fellow incoming tight end Lawson Luckie.

Luckie listened to a pitch from Alabama in recent months. But the Georgia legacy ultimately decided to sign with the Bulldogs. He is built more in the mold of a traditional tight end at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. Luckie is already a strong blocker, something Georgia will need in the room with Darnell Washington likely departing after the season. He and Pearce Spurlin complement each other well as a tight end duo in this class.

Four-star safety Chris Peal was a prospect the staff prioritized very early in the process. The No. 16 nationally rated safety eventually picked the Bulldogs over Michigan back in the summer and never wavered on his status. Peal eclipsed 1,000 rushing with 16 touchdowns while also tallying 37 total tackles. Look for him to be strictly at defensive back for the Dawgs.

Hughley announces in a ceremony at his school that he will indeed be signing with Georgia. Despite some flirtation with other schools, Hughley followed through on his commitment and signed with Georgia Wednesday. The Langston Hughes product has a great frame for an offensive tackle at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds. A little bulking up will likely be required before Hughley is a contributing offensive tackle. But his athleticism gives him a high ceiling as a future SEC lineman.

Jarrett arrived in Athens this past weekend, tipping the scales at 6-foot-6 and over 370 pounds. The No. 5 defensive tackle in the nation, Jarrett is often compared to Jordan Davis who also hailed from North Carolina. Time will tell if he can fill Davis’ shoes, but he has the size and pedigree to start that journey.

Overall Raylen Wilson may end up being the most gifted football player in the class for Georgia. A native of the Sunshine State, Wilson is a sideline to sideline player at inside linebacker with great instincts. Georgia co-defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach Glenn Schumann helped the Dawgs secure the commitment of Wilson after he was previously committed to Michigan for a seven month period. Wilson is an early enrollee and already practicing with Georgia.

Rhett comes to Georgia via Las Vegas after committing to the Bulldogs in April. The former Notre Dame commit has good size at six-foot and just under 200 pounds. His future home is likely at corner, although he could possibly see some reps at star as well.

Georgia has signed a kicker from Cajun country with a big leg. Peyton Woodring drilled a 60 yard field goal during his senior season that would have been good from 65 or more. Georgia is likely to be in need of a kicker next season and the highly coveted place kicker from Lafayette, Louisiana could very well be that guy. The Dawgs landed Woodring in a direct battle with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Georgia has signed Rivals100 running back Roderick Robinson II. The No. 3 nationally rated running back flipped from UCLA to Georgia in October and never wavered in that pledge down the stretch after several schools came after him. Robinson finished his senior season with 2,378 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns in 14 games.

Samuel M’Pemba is the highest ranked player in the Class of 2023 for Georgia. The hybrid defensive end, outside linebacker is originally from the St. Louis, Missouri area, but spent the last two years of his high school career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The five-star was pursued by every major contender out there. Most notably, Georgia beat out Alabama, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and Tennessee in this recruitment. M’Pemba is an early enrollee and has tremendous upside with his athleticism and 6-foot-4, 250 pound build.

Georgia signs hybrid defensive end, outside linebacker and four-star prospect Gabriel Harris out of IMG Academy. Harris played at Thomas County Central in Gerogia prior to moving to IMG for his senior season. Harris is listed at 6-foo-4, 254-pounds and is ranked as the No. 42 overall prospect in the Class of 2023, regardless of position. Harris was committed to Florida State at one point, but made the decision to become a Bulldog in April of this year after building a strong rapport with UGA outside linebacker coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe shortly after his hiring.

Kyron Jones has committed to Georgia, completing the flip from North Carolina State.

Jones has emerged as a target for Georgia over the past couple of months. After taking an official visit to Athens earlier this month and later decommitting from North Carolina State, he committed to the Bulldogs on Wednesday. The Bulldog staff envisions using Jones’ blazing speed in the defensive backfield. It might take some time for him to transition from running back, but Jones has the tools to be factor in the Georgia secondary.

UPDATE: Jones' paperwork has been submitted. He's officially a Bulldog.

Five-star EDGE Damon Wilson committed to Georgia during a ceremony on ESPN.

Wilson is the biggest domino to fall on this signing day, choosing Georgia over Ohio State. The 6-foot-5, 238-pound five-star EDGE is an explosive and athletic player who adds one more talented body to Georgia’s outside linebacker room. His skills will need to be refined, but his potential is through the roof. By signing and getting to campus early, there’s a decent chance Wilson will be able to see the field for Georgia in 2023.

UPDATE: Wilson is officially signed as of about 7:10 p.m. on Dec. 21.