Today we shift our focus to defensive back Lewis Cine.
Restocking the secondary was a major goal for the Bulldogs this cycle, and getting Cine on campus certainly figures to make an impact.
Listed at 180 pounds, Cine projects as a safety for the Bulldogs once he adds a little weight.
What is Georgia getting in Cine?
Cine proved to be a big playmaker at Trinity Christian High in Texas, coming up with 85 tackles in nine games, including 13 for loss.
He also intercepted a pair of passes and forced a couple of fumbles. He excelled on special teams as a return man on punts.
At Georgia, Cine will bring a physical presence to the Bulldogs' secondary. Cine plays with a lot of effort, which is a big reason Rivals ranked him as the nation's No. 54 best overall player.
Chad Simmons on Lewis Cine: "Lewis Cine is known for his physical style of play and how he loves contact, but during Under Armour All-America game week, he showed he can also play in space and cover a lot of ground on the back end. He has a great frame, he showed great awareness in the secondary, and he was one of the best at tracking the ball in the air all week. Cine could be on track to make an early impact in Athens."
What to expect
It's going to be interesting to see how quickly Cine picks up the defense, because if he can, it's conceivable we could see him work himself into the rotation at safety behind projected starters J.R. Reed and Richard LeCounte.
Listed at 180 pounds, it's possible that once fall camp rolls around, Cine will be in the 190-195 range but has the frame to add even more weight and muscle than that.
Cine could also get a look or two at Star before all is said and done. But it's expected that coaches will keep him primarily at safety, at least for the time being.
Playing time prediction
Cine probably isn't ready to jump into the starting lineup, but his future is bright.
We've talked about his physical presence, but Cine has great awareness whenever he's on the field and plays with a lot of smarts. Although he's not as big as Otis Reese, Cine hits with a similar ferocity.
Cine will get a long look come spring, and with a solid effort, he could earn some second-team reps along with possibly becoming a regular on special teams.
