Georgia duo lands on Thorpe Award watch list
Another week of watch list announcements is upon us, and it gets underway with the release of the preseason Paycom Jim Thorpe Award watch list for the nation’s top defensive back. Georgia has two players on the list – Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith – and both are deserving in their own right.
A former five-star out from Tacoma, Wash., Kelee Ringo played his high school football at Saguaro in Arizona. He was the No. 1 cornerback in the Class of 2020 before being forced to sit out all of his first season on campus due to a torn labrum. He returned to action the following season by playing in all 15 games for Georgia, starting the last 12, and earning a spot on the coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team. Ringo finished with 34 total stops, eight pass breakups (second-best on the team) and two interceptions.
Entering 2022, expectations are high for Ringo. There’s a reason he was a five-star and the top-ranked player at his position after all. That kind of talent has many believing that he could be off to the NFL after this coming season. Mel Kiper has Ringo No. 21 on his first big board – No. 3 among cornerbacks behind Alabama’s Eli Ricks and South Carolina’s Cam Smith – for the 2023 NFL Draft and most mock drafts have him coming off the board in the first round. Smith was the top-ranked cornerback in the On3 Impact 300 while Antonio Johnson of Texas A&M was No. 2, just ahead of Ringo.
As for Christopher Smith, he played in 12 games during the 2021 season, starting 11, and finished with 35 total tackles, four pass breakups, three interceptions and two quarterback pressures. He played every defensive snap in three game (Clemson, Tennessee and Alabama) and made an impact in each of those. His pick-six was the only touchdown scored in the season-opener against Clemson and gave Georgia the win while he also came down with an interception in the third quarter of the National Championship Game.
Smith, along with Ringo, will be looked to as a leader in the secondary. Georgia is replacing Derion Kendrick at cornerback and Lewis Cine at safety meaning that Smith and Ringo will not only be important for production purposes, but also leadership and communication.
Full Thorpe Award Watch List
Jordan Anderson, Bowling Green, S.
Jordan Battle, Alabama, Sr.
Cole Bishop, Utah, So.
Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford, Sr.
Julius Brents, Kansas State, Sr.
Davonte Brown, UCF, Jr.
CJ Brown, Northern Illinois, So.
Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State, Sr.
Denzel Burke, Ohio State, So.
Jalen Catalon, Arkansas, Jr.
Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville, Jr.
Xavier Henderson, Michigan State, Sr.
Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State, Jr.
Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh, Jr.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU, Sr.
Dorian Jackson, Western Michigan, Sr.
Quindell Johnson, Memphis, Sr.
Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, Jr.
Steven Jones, Jr., Appalachian State, Sr.
Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame, Jr.
Antavious Lane, Georgia State, Jr.
Kenny Logan, Jr., Kansas, Sr.
Darrell Luter, Jr., South Alabama, Sr.
Riley Moss, Iowa, Sr.
Andrew Mukuba, Clemson, So.
Gervarrius Owens, Houston, Sr.
Clark Phillips III, Utah, So.
Joey Porter, Jr., Penn State, Jr.
Kelee Ringo, Georgia, So.
Jammie Robinson, Florida State, Jr.
JL Skinner, Boise State, Sr.
Cam Smith, South Carolina, Jr.
Christopher Smith, Georgia, Sr.
Evan Williams, Fresno State, Sr.
Rashad Wisdom, UTSA, Sr.
