INDIANAPOLIS - Amarius Mims still remembers the exact day he entered the transfer portal.
On April 10, 2022, Mims chose to look for greener pastures elsewhere. The talented five-star prospect from the Class of 2021 felt ready to get more playing time and went to find other opportunities.
But as Kirby Smart reminded him at the time, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. As he stands on the verge of becoming an early-round NFL Draft Pick, Mims knows just how green it truly is in Athens.
"I feel like Georgia’s the best college institution in the country," Mims said. "I feel like they prepared me and the guys, my teammates here, more than anybody else in the country, honestly."
Mims admitted he arrived in Athens as an immature kid. A big man with a bigger personality, Mims didn't always take things as seriously as he could have.
That immaturity ultimately led to the decision to enter the portal. Mims strongly considered transferring to Florida State. But after a visit to Tallahassee, he chose to remain a Bulldog.
Older players such as Jamaree Salyer, Broderick Jones, and Warren McClendon were all responsible for helping Mims grow up.
"As a freshman, you come in, you’re kind of immature. You’ve still got a little high school vibe," Mims said. "Guys told me, there’s a time and a place. Like I said, the sooner you realize that and the more your mental gets strong, you’ll be a better football player on the field."
Mims played in 14 games in 2022, rotating in at both tackle spots with McClendon and Jones. He started both of Georgia's College Football Playoff wins in place of an injured McClendon.
Injuries marred Mims' 2023 season, limiting him to seven games. The final blow came in the SEC Championship Game, when Mims went down early in the contest with an ankle injury and did not return.
"I wish I could have finished the game with my guys," Mims said. "We fell up short. Like I said, if I could go back to that game, I wish I wouldn’t have gotten bumped up on my ankle again. I know if we were 100 percent healthy, it would have been a different outcome in that game, honestly, I think."
Now at the NFL Combine, Mims' maturity is on full display.
For starters, the signature red streaks in his hair are gone. Mims said he wants to look as presentable as possible for what he considers a job interview.
According to Mims, teams have been impressed with his maturity so far in interviews. As a younger prospect, they didn't expect him to come across as well as he has.
Mims hasn't played in as many games as some of the other top offensive line prospects in Indianapolis. But he feels the combination of his skillset and his new attitude have him ready to compete.
"The three years I spent at Georgia, I had to mature early, go in the portal and all that good stuff that kind of matured me fast," Mims said. "I know I don’t have the amount of starts as many guys here, but I feel like I’m just as prepared and just as good as everybody else here in the tackle class."
