Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Georgia

Darnell Washington addresses if leaving Georgia has been an option

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery04/08/22
On3 image
(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The competition in the 2022 Georgia tight end room is going to be incredibly fierce. That’s just life for a national championship caliber college football program. The Bulldogs already have one of the most gifted tight ends in America in Brock Bowers. Then, they’ve got Arik Gilbert, who head coach Kirby Smart just recently noted switched from wide receiver to tight end.

There’s also Oscar Delp, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound specimen that was ranked as the No. 2 tight end in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings for the 2022 class. Looking at that logjam for playing time, it would be understandable if sophomore tight end Darnell Washington decided to hit the transfer portal in search of more opportunities elsewhere. After all, big-time college football is essentially free agency now with the evolving rules surrounding the portal and NIL.

Washington was asked about whether or not he’s thought about leaving the Bulldogs. He told reporters Thursday he hasn’t given any thought to it.

“Not really. I try not to think about that. I just think about coming here,” he said.

While Bowers is a rare talent at the tight end position, Washington’s tantalizing potential simply drips off the tape when watching his high school highlights.

According to the On3 Consensus Rankings for the 2020 class, Washington was ranked as the No. 2 tight end prospect in the nation. Standing at 6-foot-7, 265-pounds, he was also rated as the No. 19 overall prospect and earned a lofty five-star ranking from the On3 Consensus. Washington was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Game coming out of high school, too.

Last year, he had to deal with an injury from preseason camp which kept him sidelined for Georgia’s first four games of the season. Washington started in six games, pulling in 10 catches for 154 receiving yards (15.4 avg.). In 2020, his season-long catch came in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win against Cincinnati–a 38-yard catch.

It’ll be interesting to watch Washington’s development as a tight end prospect in the next few years. He’s got some exciting tools to work with. The Georgia spring game is set for Saturday, April 16th in Sanford Stadium.