Georgia defensive back Derion Kendrick announces 2022 plans

Georgia defensive back Derion Kendrick just made a big announcement, revealing his plans for the 2022 season. Kendrick, who also played and won a national title at Clemson prior to joining the Bulldogs, will be moving on and will not return next season.

“When I committed to the University of Georgia I was focused, determined and ready to WIN and that’s exactly what we did,” Kendrick said. “I would like to thank Dawg Nation for welcoming me and supporting us throughout the season. Playing in Sanford Stadium was an incredible experience. It was an honor to wear red and black every Saturday.

“I would also like to thank Coach Swinney and the great fans of Clemson. It was a privilege to play for you all, and I cherish every moment we had together. I have been so blessed to have been able to win a National Championship with two of the most prestigious programs in the country.

“To my mom, I love you more than words can describe and am thankful for the sacrifices you made for our family. To my family and friends, I appreciate all the love and support over these last 4 years. To my teammates and coaches from both universities, thank you for pushing me to be better every day.”

Kendrick captioned his post by saying, “It’s been real. 1:11 out.”

Kendrick had a good lone season at Georgia after three years with Clemson

As part of the 2018 recruiting class, Kendrick began his collegiate career in the ACC as a Clemson Tiger. He played in 43 games at Clemson, totaling 63 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, 11 passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and two touchdowns.

Kendrick was a highly touted recruit in 2018. He was rated as a five-star prospect and a top 25 national recruit, in addition to being the third overall cornerback and top player out of South Carolina, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

This season, Kendrick played a major role in Georgia’s secondary. In 15 games, he totaled 41 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions, and three passes defended. Two of his interceptions this season came in Georgia’s College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Michigan.

With Georgia’s national title this season and Clemson’s in 2018, Kendrick has been a part of two championship-winning programs in his collegiate career, which will give him great experience as he begins the next steps in his career.