Q&A with 2024 QB commit Ryan Puglisi

Ryan Puglisi made his first appearance in front of the Georgia fans on Monday night.

The 2024 quarterback and Georgia commit appeared on UGASports' "Rumors vs. Facts" episode. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native discussed his recruitment by Georgia, what he likes about the Bulldog offense, and his relationships with Kirby Smart and Todd Monken.

Here's what Puglisi, known as "Pug" by his friends, had to say.

What has life been like over the past few weeks, since before the commitment and then since it happened?

Puglisi: "Yeah, obviously as you guys know, I committed a few days ago, last week (Puglisi committed to Georgia on Oct. 16). It's been pretty wild since then. Before that, I started the season up. We start later than everyone else. I think we were in week four the week I committed. We were four games in. If you ask me, it's been a great start to the season so far. Just excited to be a Bulldog."

What went down with your commitment video and that plan? Some people at your game the Friday night before you committed heard you say you were going to Georgia.

Puglisi: "Yeah, so the guy who made the video, his name's Aaron. He goes by Byawags, that's his handle (on Instagram). He's amazing with those videos. I've been pretty close with him for a while. He was like, I knew he was making the video. He was like, 'When you score, come find me in the end zone. I'll be in the end zone, you can say it then. It'll be awesome.' That's kind of what happened. I scored and I saw him in the end zone. It worked out perfectly, just like he said it would. That's kind of how it happened."

What do you think you showed Georgia at a camp over the summer to earn an offer? What has it been like to have them turn up the heat on you over the past few months?

Puglisi: "It all really started in the spring when the recruiting period opened back up. Coach Monken came to my school at Avon and he watched me throw on our home field. He watched me throw live. Right after that, he called me and he was just like, 'We need to get you down on campus this summer.' So that's what happened. We started continuously talking, started to build a relationship. I kind of knew when I first met him he was a guy I would definitely want to play for. You could tell he understands football more than anyone else. That really caught my eye in the beginning. Then obviously I went down in the summer, I think it was June 15 or June 16, one of those days (Puglisi camped at Georgia June 16), and camped for them. Right after the camp was over, I went up to Coach Smart's office with my coach, Coach Wholley, he came down with us, and my dad as well. I got offered right after camp."

When did you know you would be committing to Georgia and what was it that made you know? What was the conversation like with Kirby Smart and Todd Monken when you gave them the news?

Puglisi: "I think I started to know and started to get a feeling as soon as I got the offer. I kind of felt right away that we had started a strong relationship, even before the offer. Getting the offer just added on to it. Having the offer and being able to talk to Coach Monken and Coach Smart, Coach Faulkner, Coach Bobo and all them, with the offer I was just able to just create a better relationship with them. We could just talk continuously, probably three, four times a week. Recently, probably within the past two months, I was getting on FaceTime with Coach Smart two times a week. I just really started to feel it. It was definitely an awesome time, being able to FaceTime and stuff. It was amazing just to be able to build that relationship with him as well. I really knew then, like within these past few months. I knew I had that feeling in me, I knew I wanted to get it done. My family was on board with it. I already had a few games in my junior season, so they were able to watch my film and stuff. I went down there, obviously, a few days ago (Puglisi visited for the Vanderbilt game on Oct. 15) and pulled the trigger on them just because I knew it was right as soon as I got there. It was the first time my mom and my sister were there. My brother wasn't able to come, which was unfortunate. As soon as most of my family were there, I brought my two uncles also. Everyone was blown away. I think it was the right time. I knew I wanted to, so there was no point in waiting."

What was it like building that relationship with Kirby Smart with his relationship as a defensive guy? Were you surprised with some of the conversations with him?

Puglisi: "I wouldn't say I was surprised. Honestly, I like it. Those defensive guys tend to be more juice and fiery. It's good to talk to those guys because they always bring it. It's fun to talk to those guys. I know Coach Smart has an amazing football mind. I knew talking offense with him, even though he's known as a defensive guy, was going to be definitely a good time. Like I said before, just always talking to those so-called defensive guys, they always bring a ton of energy. It was really good to talk to him about it."

Are there any particular recruits in the 2024 class you're going after at this point?

Puglisi: "Right when I committed, we had talked about a few names just to get the ball rolling and really get talking to them, building relationships up. Most of the receivers, offensive linemen, I talk to Mike Matthews, Kam Pringle. Kam Pringle was actually at the game with me, so I started to build a relationship with him there in person. So I talk to him. Really, I've been talking to Mike and Kam, and then just trying to build a relationship with my teammates who I know are going to be my teammates. Obviously, there were a few more names that came out. So just really trying to get the ball rolling with everything right now."

What do you think about the skill guys already committed to Georgia in 2024?

Puglisi: "I love it. Even just talking to them, I can tell it's going to be a good time. Talking to Ny (Carr), talking to Landen (Thomas), Sacovie (White), all those guys. I just get a good vibe from them. I know it's going to be a good time. Obviously it helps when they're the athletes that they are."

What is your favorite route to throw?

Puglisi: "Post, I like throwing a deep post. Either throwing a deep post or ripping a comeback. I like a sprint-out comeback. But if I have my choice, I'm definitely going to throw a deep post."

Was there any one specific factor that made you choose Georgia?

Puglisi: "I would say culture as a whole at Georgia. I feel like there's just excellence around everywhere, whether it's academics, whether it's athletics. When I stepped on campus the first time there in the summer, there weren't that many people there, but you could just feel it. It's just an amazing place to be and definitely a place I thought I could definitely excel in all aspects. I just think Georgia as a whole, Georgia as a culture, was the main thing that stuck out to me."

In your opinion, what do you need to work on before arriving at Georgia?

Puglisi: "I think, a lot of people talk about how I have pretty good arm strength. I think sometimes, I can get carried away and throw it a little too far sometimes. So working on my touch is definitely something I'm going to be focusing on."

How tall are you projecting to get? What are you looking like as far as a 40-yard dash time?

Puglisi: "I'm about 6-foot-3 right now. I'm still growing I think, that's what my doctor said. Every time I see people they say I got taller, so I think that's a good sign. I have a ton of height in my family. I hope I don't get that tall. My cousin is like 6-11. I don't plan on getting that tall.... I think the last time ran one (40-yard dash) it was about 4.8, in that area."

Have there been any conversations about playing baseball in college as well?

Puglisi: "So most of the schools that I got offered for football, I got offered for baseball as well. That happened with Georgia as well. I mean right now, I'm pretty focused on football, pretty committed for football. I don't know, it's been a talk. It's always been a lifelong dream of mine, but right now I'm pretty focused on football."

How much have you talked to any current or former players?

Puglisi: "So for a former player, I go to the same gym as Tyler Catalina. He was an offensive tackle, I think he was there for Coach Smart's first year. I have his number, I talk to him a little bit, a good amount after I committed. He had nothing but good things to say about it. He loved playing for Coach Smart and Coach Smart cared for his kids a ton. He always pushes them to be their best. That was definitely a really good thing to hear after I committed. I talked to Branson Robinson a little bit, I talked to Amarius Mims. I've been talking with those guys. When I went in the summer, I got to talk to Stetson (Bennett), I got to talk to Brock (Vandagriff), Carson (Beck). That was a good time as well."

What were your impressions of Stetson Bennett the person when you met him?

Puglisi: "I thought he was awesome. I thought all of those guys were awesome, especially coming off a national championship. You would have never expected that those guys just won a national championship. They went right back to work. Extremely humble guys and definitely some people that I'm looking forward to being around. I have nothing but good things to say about those guys after I was with them, definitely a good time."

What is your relationship like with Todd Monken? What do you like about what the Georgia offense is doing right now?

Puglisi: "My relationship with Coach Monken has been awesome. Even before I had the offer, I knew that he was a guy I really wanted to play for. We had just started to build a strong relationship before the offer, and then when I got the offer it just skyrocketed. My relationship with him has been amazing. Their offense obviously catches my eye because it's very explosive. They can be third-and-long, but then they can make a deep play or make an explosive play that recovers for it. It's a very explosive team. Being explosive, it gives you more room for error. If they're going to be explosive on one play, they can afford to make a mistake or something like that. Being explosive is something that's really awesome being a part of. I know I'm always going to be surrounded by playmakers there, always going to be surrounded by a big offensive line, a good running back, a great running back usually. That definitely is awesome as well."

What's your favorite food?

Puglisi: "My favorite food, that's a good one.... Definitely chicken pot pie. My mom makes the best chicken pot pie if you've ever had that."

Did you build any strong relationships with anyone on the recruiting staff?

Puglisi: "Yeah, Cody Collins 100%. He was amazing. He was always with me throughout my visits and stuff like that. Coop (David Cooper) as well. All those guys, they were amazing. But I spent most of my time with Cody. He took care of my family. He was just an amazing guy to be around. He was with me my first visit and he was with me my last visit as well."

Do you have a personal meal plan or trainer? What does the offseason regimen look like?

Puglisi: "At school, just because I go to boarding school, we have a trainer on campus who does all of our sports and stuff like that. Before school in the offseason, we'll do our lifts before school or early morning, kind of like a college program. He has our own football-specific lifts and we run team lift as well. The meals come through the school. It's a well-known athletic school, so they do have a nutrition plan for everybody. Not like singled out for each different person, but the food that they put out every night is nutritious food.

From a Youtube viewer: My daughter wants to know if you have a girlfriend.

Puglisi: "I have a girlfriend from home. I have a girlfriend, I've been dating her for a year and a half now."

Do you already have a dislike for Florida?

Puglisi: "I know what's going on now. I'm a Georgia Bulldog, so if you're not a Bulldog I don't really like you."

You wore number three in a lot of your recruiting photos - is that the number you're hoping for in college?

Puglisi: "Either number three or number two. I'm wearing number two this year because I transferred mid-year, so a senior that was already here has three. I might switch back to three next year. But my brother wears two, I wear two now."

Is there anything else you want to tell the Georgia fans?

Puglisi: "I'm going to go out there and I'm going to give it my best. I'm excited to be a Georgia Bulldog. I plan on early enrolling, so the sooner it comes, I can't wait. Just definitely excited to be a Georgia Bulldog."