Elite OL Monroe Freeling will enroll early at Georgia
Georgia’s early enrollee group seems to be getting bigger by the day. The Bulldog faithful got confirmation that elite offensive lineman Monroe Freeling will be joining the team very soon. His mother, Brandy, tweeted that today is the four-star tackle’s last day of high school.
Freeling joins at least 10 other 2023 signees as early enrollees. DawgsHQ has confirmed that nine of those players will join the team for practice on Monday. Four-star tight end Pearce Spurlin, four-star safety Joenel Aguero and five-star edge Samuel M’Pemba are enrolling early but they aren’t on that list. Confirmation that Freeling will be enrolling in January brings the confirmed total to 13 and there will be more.
At over 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, Freeling is the nation’s No. 57 overall prospect and No. 6 offensive tackle per the On3 Consensus, which takes into account the rankings for three other outlets. He’s the top player in South Carolina.
The On3 in-house rankings, however, have him ranked higher. There he is the No. 27 overall prospect and No. 4 offensive tackle.
“Physically-gifted offensive tackle prospect who pairs an elite frame with high-end athleticism. Has grown to around 6-foot-7, 285 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length to go with the stature, checking in with a 7-foot wing-span. Also a top athlete at the position. A fluid, flexible mover on the field. Moves as well as any top offensive lineman in the cycle. Tests very well in the combine setting and is a dunker on the hardwood. At his best as a second level run blocker at this stage. Still developing from a technical standpoint. Needs to improve his pass set technique and functional play strength. Physical traits and continued growth potential point to a high ceiling.” — On3 Recruiting
Freeling is one of three offensive tackles Georgia has committed in the current class. He joins four-star prospects Bo Hughley and Jamal Meriweather at the position. The Bulldogs also have a pair of offensive guards committed in Joshua Miller and Kelton Smith.
The Bulldogs could need Freeling to be ready sooner rather than later. They could lose both starting offensive tackles at seasons’ end. Warren McClendon is wrapping up his fourth season at UGA and will graduate this weekend. Broderick Jones is a third-year player and many are projecting him as a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has just one season as a starter under his belt.
The only offensive tackle with experience that will certainly be around next season is Amarius Mims. He entered the transfer portal during the 2022 offseason but decided to return to UGA. Georgia’s class is currently ranked No. 2 nationally. It has an outside shot at No. 1 but will need things to go almost perfectly for that to happen.
