Charlton Warren and Kirby Smart got their man on Saturday, as five-star defensive back Kelee Ringo announced his signing to the Georgia Bulldogs during the Adidas All-American Bowl.
Ringo was named the fastest man at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in both 2018 and 2019, posting a laser-timed 4.35 during the 2019 event in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I've been up there four times, building a great relationship. I like Coach Kirby [Smart], Coach [Charlton] Warren. Also, Coach [Nick] Williams has been recruiting me a lot. Just overall, every time I go up there, they treat me like family, and just great coaches," Ringo said of the Bulldogs in September. "Overall, I like what they're doing with the program. It just felt different when I was down there. I definitely could see myself going there.”
Despite making his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, distance never seemed to phase Ringo or his mother, Tralee Hale.
"She (Hale) likes it up there. She likes the coaches' wives, when they sit down to dinner," Ringo said. "She has a really good vibe with them. Coach Smart, he's a DB fanatic. He knows what he's doing. My mom feels like Georgia will be a school that could take care of me."
Of course, personal relationships with the 6-foot-3, 195-pound defender also came into play.
“[Charlton Warren]’s a great coach, and he knows what he’s doing on the field. All the technique was at the summer camps, and he’s coached me up as well. I can see myself putting my faith into him to develop me," Ringo said during Monday’s All-American Bowl check-in. "I was able to get into the film room with Coach Kirby Smart as well, and he knows what he’s doing across the field. I could also see myself putting my faith in him and developing me.”
The Bulldogs also represented a unique opportunity to allow Ringo’s immense upside to flourish.
“[Georgia] plays six DBs on the field. If I were to go there, I’d be able to get a lot of experience on the field, and that would make me more valuable for the next chapter in my life," Ringo said on Monday.
He becomes the fourth five-star pledge signed for Georgia’s Class of 2020, joining Darnell Washington, Tate Ratledge, and Kendall Milton. Five-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones, a public commit, is scheduled to sign in February.
