Georgia piques interest of 2027 in-state OL Jonathan Toney
West Laurens (GA) offensive lineman Jonathan Toney is a player to watch in the 2027 class.
Toney is an up-and-coming prospect with offers from App State, Coastal Carolina, and East Carolina. However, the 6-foot-6, 275-pound prospect has begun receiving Power 4 interest from SEC and ACC programs.
“Recruitment-wise, I’ve been going to a lot of colleges on Saturdays,” Toney said. “I’ve been to FSU, Alabama, Georgia, Duke, and North Carolina. I really love all this attention in the recruiting process. I really love it.”
Toney was in Athens to see Georgia host Charlotte on Nov. 22 and enjoyed the Bulldogs’ dominant win over the 49ers. The Peach State native has been to many Georgia games, but this was his first as a recruit.
“I’ve been to a lot of Georgia games,” Toney said. “I came back and met with the coaches, talked to them a little bit more, and had a good time in Athens. I spent time with the offensive line coach (Stacey Searels) and one of the assistants (Edmund Kugblia). I’ve actually talked with both of them before, back in the summer.”
Toney attended a camp in Athens over the summer with his high school team. Returning to campus last month and having more in-depth conversations with the staff gave him a sense of where he stands.
Tony has yet to receive an offer from the Bulldogs, but both parties are interested.
“During my most recent visit, I got to talk with them about how my team’s season was going, because we were 12-0, and when I spoke with them, we were dominating every game,” the Class of 2027 prospect said. “They talked to me about being really aggressive and just playing hard, giving a 110 percent effort on every single play.”
Toney mentioned that the Georgia coaches project him to play tackle at the next level. He respects the number of players at his position that the Bulldogs have sent to the NFL, and said it would be the right place for him.
“I feel like they see me as a tackle because I have great length. I’m also pretty athletic for an offensive lineman,” Toney said. “So, I feel like they see me as a tackle that they can build on and develop. … The end goal for me would be to go to the NFL and be part of a team and coaching staff that would develop me. Georgia develops their offensive linemen. They do a good job of it. You see offensive linemen (across the NFL), regardless of whether it’s a tackle, guard, or center, some are from Georgia. They get picked every year.”
What would an offer mean?
Toney thinks highly of the Bulldogs, who recruited and signed Nasir Johnson, a fellow Dublin, Georgia, native.
Toney hopes that after the Georgia coaching staff watches his junior film, an offer will come his way.
“It would mean a lot to me. I would love it because it’s right down the road, it’s really close, and they’re a really great program. They’re a really winning program,” Toney said. “They really develop people. They send guys to the NFL every year, and it would be great to have an offer from a school like that.”
Toney hasn’t talked with Johnson since he arrived in Athens, but knows Kirby Smart coaches his players hard. He respects what Smart has built at Georgia and hopes to play for a coach like him at the next level.
“I haven’t gotten a chance to meet him, but I’ve got the sense that he’s a great coach,” Toney said. “He’s continuing to build a great culture at Georgia because they’re playing for an SEC championship (almost every year).”
What’s next?
Toney will keep going through the recruiting process, and he hopes to return to Athens for a Junior Day visit.
Ultimately, Toney wants to keep his head down and get back to the grind, hoping an offer from Georgia comes soon. He feels he would be a perfect fit in Athens, playing for Smart, because he loves physicality over NIL.
“I like the fact that you get paid a lot to play, but for me, it’s just like about playing more than money,” Toney said. “I just like to play football, have fun, and dominate.”