Buccaneers officially sign Georgia punter Jake Camarda after NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the official signing of former Georgia punter Jake Camarda on Thursday. Camarda was the last of a record-setting 15 former Bulldogs selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Buccaneers took him off the board early in the fourth round, picking him No. 133 overall. After playing a pivotal role throughout his time in Athens, the Bucs expect him to do the same in his NFL career.

Camarda, the second of two fourth-round picks by the Buccaneers, received a standard four-year rookie deal. The final figure on the deal is still unknown, however, he is the sixth of eight new Bucs to sign.

“It’s very exciting — it’s truly is a dream come true,” Camarda said after the draft. “Something that I will, I’ll certainly cherish this forever.”

Camarda moves on after successful Georgia career

Over his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Camarda was essential to the Georgia special teams unit. Last season, he realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, Camarda helped Georgia play complementary football in their title-securing victory, punting five times for 223 yards against the Crimson Tide.

Most importantly to the Buccaneers, Camarda possesses talent that makes an intriguing punting prospect in the NFL. His consistency and experience with the Bulldogs make him a near sure-thing at a position with a high turnover rate.

A former three-star recruit in the class of 2018, Camarda was the No. 1 punter in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The former Georgia star played his high school football at Norcross in Norcross, Georgia. Additionally, Camarda was the No. 127 ranked recruit in Georgia coming out of high school, and the No. 1222 overall recruit in the nation, according to On3’s 2018 Consensus Top Football Recruits.