Advertisement
Published Dec 16, 2020
Signing Day Central
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

It's Early Signing Day, and UGASports is here to bring you all today's activities.

Below, meet the newest Bulldogs who have signed on the dotted line and stay with us throughout the day.

It's going to be a busy day.

Meet the Newest Bulldogs

DL Jonathan Jefferson

If you are looking for a prospect that spent most of this cycle as an “under the radar” type guy it is four-star defensive tackle Jonathan Jefferson. The No. 202 nationally rated prospect is a “project” type defensive lineman, but also the type prospect that coach Tray Scott could develop into a premiere interior defensive lineman in the SEC. Jefferson finished his senior season with 70 total tackles in 11 games, 19.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks and two pass deflections.

OL Jared Wilson

Wilson’s recruitment was one of the most interesting, with an original commitment to the Bulldogs and Sam Pittman in late 2019. He wavered on the decision when Pittman left for Arkansas and ultimately ended up decommitting and following that soon after with a commitment to his home state Tar Heels. Matt Luke never relented, however, and Wilson ended up finding his way back into the fold with the Dawgs. At 6-foot-3, 345-pounds, Wilson may have to do a bit of body reshaping when he arrives to Athens, but he’s considered a high upside guard and has earned high marks from both Pittman and Luke for his efforts.

DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Dawkins, a four-star strongside defensive end, committed to Georgia in late October over South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The No. 1 overall prospect in the state of South Carolina, he is the Bulldogs’ first signee from the town of Gaffney in at least 60 years. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman seems to fit as both an edge player or interior defender at the collegiate level. Dawkins has tremendous upside. To beat the opposing player in front of him, he has a strong inside rip move while his long arms give quarterbacks issues because of his knack to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage.

OL Micah Morris

Offensive line coach Matt Luke made Morris a priority from day one and Morris responded by committing in April and not wavering on his word. The 6-foot-5 offensive tackle played against tough competition at Camden County High School and is especially seasoned in run blocking, which can only help the Bulldogs in the years to come. The nation’s No. 49 overall prospect is also ranked as the ninth offensive tackle in the nation.

OL Dylan Fairchild

Fairchild is an agile guard that is technically sound at the position. One of the reasons for his agility is that during the winter he is a state champion wrestler, going 47-0 in his junior season. The nation’s No. 168 nationally ranked player never wavered on his commitment after deciding to stay in-state back in May.

DB Javon Bullard

A three-star defensive back out of Milledgeville’s Baldwin High, Bullard’s size and skill set reminds some of what the Bulldogs have in Tyrique Stevenson. As such, he’s likely to get his first run at the star position in Athens, and safety will likely be a consideration as well. Bullard brings the versatile athleticism that Kirby Smart and company have prioritized throughout their tenure. He’s spent time on both sides of the ball, delivers big hits when necessary, and is certainly fleet of foot.

DB David Daniel

Rivals250 safety David Daniel is not a name many discuss because he has been committed for nearly 15 months as we enter signing day. The No. 10 nationally rated safety has excellent size at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds and has a chance to develop into one of the better prospects from this class for Kirby Smart and company. Daniel finished his senior season with 36 tackles, two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles while playing both sides of the ball for his Woodstock squad.

LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Dumas-Johnson is rarely brought up, but the four-star prospect has size, speed, and the ability to play either inside or outside linebacker at Georgia. Hailing from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md., Dumas-Johnson was unable to play his senior season due to COVID, but still should be able to add depth to the linebacker unit.

DE Marlin Dean

A longtime Georgia commit, Dean reopened his process for a time and entertained a few other options, notably Nebraska, but the former Elbert County standout ended up finding his way home. After a senior year spent at IMG, Dean may be a bit more ready for the transition to the next level. He’s certainly got elite size at 6-foot-6, 285-pounds and likely slots into the interior of the defensive line upon arrival. He’s called Tray Scott a “father figure”, and the three-star defender should be in good hands under his tutelage.

DB Kamari Lassiter

Lassiter, who is originally from Georgia, is out of the American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and is the first Bulldog signee from Druid City since at least World War II. The real strength of the Rivals250 cornerback, who nearly committed to Auburn, is his versatility. Lassiter is long, athletic, and has speed, and besides cornerback, could easily play the STAR position or free safety in Georgia's defensive scheme. He excelled in high school at all three phases of the game. As a junior in 2019, besides being an all-around playmaker on special teams, he caught 34 passes for 800 yards and 15 touchdowns and intercepted four passes on defense.

WR Jackson Meeks

Three-star wideout Jackson Meeks shot onto the scene in 2020 after suffering a knee injury in 2018 that held him back almost half of his high school career. After his first two games where he tallied 22 receptions for 360 yards and five touchdowns against Hoover (Ala.) and Eufaula (Ala.) the Bulldogs came calling with an offer and landed his commitment soon after. Meeks has an excellent combination of size, strength and speed that will mold well in the Todd Monken offense in Athens. With a stocked receiver core in Athens, Meeks will have the opportunity to come in and learn behind some talented guys like George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock, Jermaine Burton and company.

TE Brock Bowers

Georgia’s lone tight end signee for this class, Bowers, who hails from Napa, California, decided to sign with the Bulldogs because, for one, he desired “not a city environment.” As recently as just over a week ago, he was unsure of his plans for January: finish the year out in high school whereby he could play his senior year during the winter-spring, or early enroll at Georgia. The nation’s No. 118 overall prospect, Bowers can line up with his hand in the dirt, split out wide, or even flex out to the slot position. After no native Californians signed with Georgia for a decade (2010-2019), he’s the third signee for the Bulldogs from the Golden State the last two years (2020-2021).

LB Chaz Chambliss

Georgia continues to stockpile outside linebackers and Chambliss will add depth to an already deep linebacker core. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Chambliss is a natural leader, per his high school football coach, and was a key cog to helping the Carrollton Trojans make it to the elite eight in the playoffs this season.

WR Adonai Mitchell

A four-star receiver from Nashville, Tennessee, Mitchell is one of only two receivers in this Georgia class after the Bulldogs signed five wideouts a year ago. A spring of 2020 graduate of high school, he has not played football since the fall of 2019. An Ole Miss commit for three months, Mitchell spurned the Rebels last July and committed to Georgia. He has a great deal of agility for his large, 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame with the ability to elude defenders in close quarters. Mitchell is a gifted, versatile athlete who has played quarterback besides receiver. He is Georgia’s third signee from Nashville the last seven years.

CB Nyland Green

A late in the cycle pickup, Green brings exceptional length at 6-foot-2 and a half to the cornerback positions, as well as a knack for tracking the ball. He was one of the longest pursued targets of the class, with Clemson and Tennessee making this quite interesting down the stretch. The Bulldogs will hope to see Green flourish like the last cornerback they signed from Covington - Eric Stokes. In fact, the connection between the two was a major contributor to Green’s decision. Green comes to Athens more game ready than Stokes was at the same stage, so that could bode well for the nation’s No. 127 overall player.

QB Brock Vandagriff

Five-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff is coming into an excellent situation in Athens. If JT Daniels does elect to come back in 2021, the No. 1 nationally rated pro-style quarterback will have the opportunity to come in and learn the offense behind a top tier quarterback before competing for the job in year two. Vandagriff has had an excellent senior campaign for Prince Avenue Christian Academy, throwing for 3,638 yards with 41 touchdowns to only six interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback has also run for 390 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Xavian Sorey

One of the top signing day snags for the Dawgs, Sorey’s decision came down to the in-state Gators and the Dawgs, but Kirby Smart was able to lure the nation’s No. 48 player to Athens. Sorey will join a strong group of outside linebackers and could contribute early, as he has the ability to play multiple linebacker positions.

RB Lovasea Carroll

The lineage of great running backs to come through Athens hopes to continue with Carroll. He transferred to IMG Academy for his senior season and showed that he has the speed and agility to compete at the highest level. The nation’s No. 125 overall player could easily put on another twenty pounds and keep his quick feet and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Carroll could use a year to bulk up, build should be able to contribute on special teams immediately.

LB Smael Mondon

Mondon kept things interesting throughout his recruitment, often seeming to lean toward Auburn or Tennessee, but in the end, the nation’s No. 96 overall player decided to stay home. In the 6-foot-3, 210-pound defender, the Bulldogs get a guy who does a little bit of it all for his Paulding County squad. For Georgia, he likely slots into the middle of the defense, and his frame suggests a future that may look like that of Quay Walker’s. While Mondon is coming back from a knee injury that cost him most of his senior year, he should be available upon arrival in Athens. He may need some time to develop, but don’t be surprised to see him make an impact on special teams early.

OT Amarius Mims

Georgia continues to reload on the offensive line with the addition of five-star offensive tackle Amarius Mims. At 6-foot-7, 300-pounds the No. 4 nationally rated prospect has a chance to come in and play early in his career in Athens. Mims has prototypical size and length to be the next great left tackle for the Bulldogs and it would not surprise me at all to see the No. 2 nationally rated offensive tackle compete for a starting role in 2021.

Advertisement