Georgia pitcher Jonathan Cannon had a specific number in mind.

When no major league team elected to step forward, his decision was easy. Cannon will be returning to Athens for his junior year.

"It ended up a money-slot deal,” Cannon said in a telephone interview with UGASports. “I think it worked out good. I’m happy about the next year and coming back.”

So are the Bulldogs.

Cannon’s return gives Scott Stricklin’s rotation a real shot in the arm, as the 6-foot-6 right-hander figures to anchor a staff that could not only include the likes Liam Sullivan and Jaden Woods, but also Will Childers and Garrett Brown. Both Brown and Childers missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Juco transfer Dylan Ross and signee Coleman Willis from Houston County are also expected to be in the mix.

“It should be good,” Cannon said. “I’m really excited about our rotation, especially with the return of Will Childers and Garrett Brown, and Dylan Ross (signee) is the real deal as well. We’ll have a lot of depth. We won’t be bull-penning games next year.”

With this year’s draft pushed to July instead of June, Cannon was among several MLB draft-eligible prospects who opted to stay sharp by playing a bit of summer baseball. Cannon pitched for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), going 0-0 with a 0.69 ERA in three starts. He allowed just one run earned run on nine hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 13 innings. In 2021 for the Bulldogs, Cannon went 4-2 with a 3.98 ERA in 12 starts.

“It got to the point where I saw the writing on the wall and knew that Athens was my next move. I’m not mad about it at all,” Cannon said. “I’m really happy to be going back to Athens for another year. I was truly happy, whether it was with the draft or coming back to school.”