Georgia checks all the boxes for elite offensive tackle Monroe Freeling

Georgia has landed a commitment from elite offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. The 6-foot-7.5, 285-pound four-star out of Mount Pleasant (S.C.) Oceanside Collegiate Academy picked the Bulldogs over Alabama, Clemson, Florida, and Miami.

The four-star ranks as the No. 35 prospect in the On300 and the No. 5 offensive tackle in the country.

He visited Athens for the third time late in July, which was when he started thinking about making his commitment. Entering that visit, Freeling was expecting to take his recruitment into the fall.

“I always said, when I know, I’ll know,” Freeling told On3. “My feelings at Georgia were different. I waited a week or two to see if the feelings were the same, and they were. The feelings I had for Georgia never changed and I knew then that I had found the school.”

He ended up giving Kirby Smart, Stacy Searels, and the Georgia coaching staff the news over a week ago. It was clear in the end that he wanted to be in Athens.

“I always wanted to make a logical decision, not one based on emotions. My feelings about different schools transitioned as I took different visits,” Freeling said.

“With Georgia, after the last visit, the feelings stayed strong. I talked about it with my parents, thought about it more, and decided it was Georgia.

“Georgia checked all the boxes for me. They have elite talent. They have the academics I am looking for. The environment and the feel in Athens are for me. Then, it is playing in the SEC and there is nothing like it.

“Georgia is a great school in the south that plays in the SEC, and that is where I want to be.”

Stacy Searels played a big role in Georgia landing Monroe Freeling

Searels offered Freeling early while he was still coaching at North Carolina. As soon as he joined Smart’s staff in Athens, Freeling became a priority for the Bulldogs.

That relationship is what put Georgia in this race.

“Since Coach Searels got to Georgia, the recruitment was heavy with them,” Freeling said. “As soon as he got the job, he called me. He told Coach Smart that Georgia needed me. I felt right away that I was the No. 1 priority for him.

“He showed great loyalty and my relationship with Coach Searels was very important. It changed things with me and Georgia and I gave them a totally different look. I have a lot of respect for Coach Searels, I like how he recruited me, and he was a big factor.”

Searels did a great job of connecting with Freeling as a recruit. The relationship aspect is important for the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, but so is the part on the field.

“With Coach Searels, he has the balance I am looking for. The relationship off the field is great and he is fun to be around, but he is different on the field. I am a firm believer in working hard and know he will push me as a football player.

“I love the balance. He is hard on the field, then caring off the field. That is what I was looking for.”

The competition at Georgia excites Monroe Freeling

Freeling is all about having fun. Athens is a college town he loves. But he knows being a football player at Georgia will be demanding, tough, and that he will need to put in a lot of work in to compete.

“I love competition,” Freeling said. “There is nothing like it. The high competition makes you better as a player. At Georgia, I will go up against future NFL first-rounders every day in practice and that is going to push me and make me better.

“With all the talent at Georgia, we will make each other better every day. It is essential to be around talent and have high competition to become a better player. That excites me about Georgia.”

Freeling is known for competing. His coaches compliment his attitude and his work ethic. He can’t wait to battle with teammates in Athens, but it is the overall fit that excited him the most.

“At Georgia, I love the environment and how I get along with the players. They have a great time competing and playing football. I am a believer in having fun, but also working hard. I bonded with the players at Georgia, the coaches are great, and it has what I am looking for. It is a great balance for me at Georgia.”