Identifying the Georgia freshmen that could make immediate impact in 2024
It’s always going to be tougher at a place like Athens, but the Georgia Bulldogs have some talented freshman who could see the field in 2024.
Jake Rowe of DawgsHQ joined Andy Staples On3 on YouTube, where he and Staples spoke about which freshman could break through the glass ceiling and play a major role for the Bulldogs in 2024, right off the bat.
“This was a big line-of-scrimmage recruiting class. Who among those freshman might get to see the field?” Staples prefaced. “Obviously, it’s Georgia, so it’s a little bit harder to get on the field as a freshman, but who this spring has shown signs that they might be able to pull it off?”
One name in particular stood out to Rowe, and that’s offensive lineman Daniel Calhoun, who was a four-star recruit and the No. 115 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the industry’s most advanced, complete and unbiased measurement.
“Offensively, you’ve got Daniel Calhoun, who’s working at guard,” Rowe responded, relenting that while Georgia is talented on their offensive line, Calhoun has made an impact. “… Daniel Calhoun, with all of that going on, has still be able to generate some buzz. He’s been able to get some second team work. Mammoth human being. 6-6, he reported at like 370 pounds. He’s already into the 330s, 340s.
“I know Georgia feels really good about those offensive lineman. So many of them needed to come to campus and drop weight, and all of them did. That was very important.”
As for the defensive side of the ball, Rowe stated that it’s tougher to figure that side out for freshman, but he believes defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye will be the one to stand out.
“When you look over to the defensive side of the ball, that’s alway tougher,” Rowe added. “I feel like defensively, the closer you are to the football … the harder it is to make an impact on day one. But Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, he’s gotten a lot of reps this spring. … So you’re talking about a freshman, who on the hoof, looks the part.
“… He doesn’t even turn 18 until November, so he’s a young guy. He’s going to play his first college game at 17 years old. But there’s a lot of excitement about him.”
Jonah-Ajonye was a five-star recruit and the No. 29 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the industry’s most advanced, complete and unbiased measurement.
Alas, Georgia has a ton of talent throughout, but Jake Rowe believes there’s some freshman who can make some noise. We’ll see if Daniel Calhoun and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye are able to make an impact in 2024.