Ladd McConkey was an On3 Consensus three-star prospect coming out of Chatsworth (Georgia) North Murray in the 2020 recruiting class. After his senior year in high school, he was a first-team all-state selection as an athlete by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and additionally the first-team quarterback by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. Despite his success, McConkey wasn’t heavily recruited, and his high school said he would have likely ended up UT Chattanooga if UGA didn’t extend an offer late in the process. McConkey rewarded UGA for its belief in him. After redshirting in 2020, McConkey was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC team in 2021, finishing with 31 catches for 447 yards. He also had a 32-yard touchdown catch and run against Alabama in the SEC Championship game. He bettered those numbers in 2022, earning second-team All-SEC honors. McConkey had a big performance against LSU in the SEC championship game with five receptions and a touchdown grab. He also had a key catch on a two-point conversion in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State. “He’s fast, he’s athletic, and he’s got really good hands,” UGA coach Kirby Smart said. “He comes to work every day. He competes. He blocks. He's a lot more physical than you would expect a guy his size to be, and he's gotten bigger since he got here.”