In offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, the Bulldogs have a young offensive lineman coveted by most of the nation’s top programs.
Along with Georgia, schools like Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Ohio State all wanted the South Carolina native.
As UGASports continues its series spotlighting the Bulldogs’ early enrollees, we turn our attention to Freeling, who could quickly move up the ranks at tackle for Georgia.
Let’s take a closer look below.
Monroe Freeling
Height: 6-7
Weight: 300
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ranking: Top-ranked player in South Carolina and 53rd overall
High School Career
Along with fellow signee Johnathan Hughley, Freeling was arguably the biggest recruiting win for Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels.
At 6-foot-7, Freeling towers above most players, but he’s also quite athletic for his size and plays with good fundamentals for a young player.
He played tackle in high school for Oceanside Collegiate Academy, helping lead the Landsharks to a 12-2 record and the SCHSL Class 2A championship game. His team averaged 214.1 yards per game with an average of 6.8 yards per carry.
Freeling – who does Yoga before every game and played basketball throughout high school - brings the coveted combination of size and quickness that really improved from his junior to senior season, earning an invitation to the Under Armour All-American Game.
Quoting Freeling
"Contrary to belief, I’m not an offensive lineman. I’m an athlete. That’s what I think I’m bringing. I love the weight room. I just want to be as much an athlete as a lineman. I want to be the most athletic tackle out there." - Monroe Freeling
"Coach Searels being there definitely helped. He stuck with me when he was at North Carolina. He recruited me hard there and then recruited me hard at Georgia and that's when the recruitment really picked up. Also, actually getting the chance to talk to Coach Smart and actually engage with him, it felt like he was an actual person, which was nice to know. He's got more than the alpha mentality a head coach needs to have.” – Freeling on position coach Stacy Searels
What They're Saying
“The development in Freeling‘s game has been remarkable over the last year and a half. The South Carolina native is heading to Georgia with an impressive combination of size, strength, and experience. Freeling has the quickness and strength to combat even some of the best linemen Georgia can throw at them, but he also has the quickness to ensure he doesn’t get taken advantage of by speed rushers. If he continues developing on this track, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him crack the starting lineup after just a year or two.” – Adam Friedman, Rivals Recruiting Analyst
What's Next
The fact that Freeling is here as an early enrollee is huge news.
He’ll get thrown right into the fire, too, as the Bulldogs do not exactly have a lot of depth at the tackle position with Warren McClendon and Broderick Jones moving on to the NFL.
Freeling probably needs to get a little bit strong, but that’s always the case with young players.
Otherwise, his athleticism is going to give him an opportunity to make a quick impression.
Freeling should get looks at both right- and left tackle for the Bulldogs this spring. Although it’s way too early to what that means as far as the two-deep, don’t rule it out.
As long as Freeling continues with the same work ethic he displayed in high school, you’re looking at a future starter at tackle over the next two years.
