– Class of 2018 DB, LB –
Lee County High School
(Photo by Matthew Hall)
Today on Bulldawg Illustrated’s UGA Recruiting Daily, we take a look at some linebacker prospects for 2018 and 2019.
Currently, Georgia has one inside linebacker, Spring Valley High School’s Channing Tindall, committed and signed for 2018 along with one outside linebacker, Rome High School’s Adam Anderson. Marietta’s Azeez Ojulari could be also considered a hybrid OLB/WDE at 6 foot 4 and 235 lbs. On the 2018 table are undeclared prospect Solomon Tuliaupupu out of Mater Dei High School in California, and then, there is the potential to flip OLB Quay Walker from Alabama or LB Otis Reese from Michigan.
If the Georgia coaching staff doesn’t sign another linebacker in the 2018 recruiting class, they could always look to the 2019 class. The Bulldogs have Blessed Trinity High School linebacker J.D. Bertrand already committed and are in a good position with Grayson phenom Owen Pappoe, who looks like he could be the next incarnation of Roquan Smith. Clinch County 6 foot 1 and 236 lbs athlete Trezmen Marshall released his top three schools which included Georgia along with Alabama and Clemson. Marshall plays at RB and MLB in high school and likely will play at ILB at the collegiate level. Also, keep your eye on Pappoe’s teammate at Grayson, linebacker Kevin Harris.
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TODAY’S FEATURED PROSPECTS
If position ranking is noted, unless otherwise stated, it is 247 Sports latest composite ranking of the player.
OTIS REESE
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: LB – No. 5 OLB
HT, WT: 6 foot 4, and 206 lbs
SCHOOL: Lee County High School
CITY, STATE: Leesburg, GA
STATUS: Committed to Michigan
UGA OFFER: Yes, UGA offered on 12/07/2016
# OFFERS: 17
NEWS & NOTES: The talented Lee County football player is very much in the mold of current UGA linebacker Roquan Smith and former backers/safeties, Thomas Davis and Alec Ogletree. Otis Reese was offered back in December of 2016 by UGA. Reese has been committed to Michigan for over a year, since 06/18/2016, but he is a prospect that has been on flip watch for a number of months now.
If you are following the visits, he was at Georgia during the fall for the Bulldogs’ season opener vs. Appalachian State on Sept. 2nd and was back in Athens again for Georgia’s homecoming game versus Missouri on Oct. 14th. Reese also made a third trip back to The Classic City during the fall on Nov. 4th for UGA’s game versus South Carolina.
And Reese is coming off several official visits during the month of January. He visited Central Michigan on Jan. 12th, Michigan on Jan. 19th, and also took an official to Georgia over the weekend on Jan. 26th.
Otis Reese did not sign during the early signing period and will likely wait till Wednesday, Feb. 7 to put his name on the dotted line of his LOI. Reese will be a normal enrollee; so, this is not a surprise. Until he signs his LOI or enrolls, UGA has a shot of flipping Reese as long as there is still a spot left to flip him too in the 2018 class.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
SOLOMON TULIAUPUPU
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: LB – No. 3 ILB
HT, WT: 6 foot 2.5, and 230 lbs
SCHOOL: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, CA
CITY, STATE: Santa Ana, CA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, UGA offered on 04/26/2017.
# OFFERS: 32
NEWS & NOTES: Solomon Tuliaupupu didn’t commit or sign during the early signing period, and he decided not to announce his decision during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 6th; so, it looks like he will be a Feb. 7th decision. This would be a big recruiting coup for the Georgia coaching staff, but it is likely a long shot for the Bulldogs to pull him across the country to Athens.
Tuliaupupu is a big lean towards Southern Cal at the moment, but keep your eye on Oklahoma as the coaching staff have made several in-home visits with Tuliaupupu since December. He also took an official to Notre dame on Oct. 21st, UCLA on Jan. 12th, and will also take an official to Southern Cal on this coming weekend on Feb. 2nd.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
QUAY WALKER
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: LB – No. 2 OLB
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 224 lbs
SCHOOL: Crisp County High School
CITY, STATE: Cordele, GA
STATUS: Committed to Alabama
UGA OFFER: Yes.
# OFFERS: 18
NEWS & NOTES: Quay Walker has been committed to Alabama since June of last summer, and he has been a solid verbal to the Crimson Side since announcing his decision. However, with defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt leaving Bama to take over as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, Walker looks to have reopened up his recruitment, even though he still standing firm on his verbal to the Tide.
Like Lee County’s Otis Reese who is currently committed to Michigan, Walker has been on flip watch for a few months now; so, is this still the case. Does Georgia have a shot at taking Walker?
Yes. The Georgia coaching staff have stayed in communication with Walker, and he took an unofficial visit to UGA during the fall on Nov. 18th. But Auburn and South Carolina could also be likely candidates for Walker to flip his commitment to, and he has also taken unofficial visits to both programs this past fall. Walker could also follow Pruitt to Tennessee. He’ll finalize his decision and sign his National Letter of Intent on Feb. 7th.
If you are following his officials, he was at Tennessee on Jan. 12th, Alabama on Jan. 19th, and Auburn on Jan. 26th. The Kirby copter was at Walker’s high school on Jan. 24th.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
SHAMMOND COOPER
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: LB – No. 5 ILB
HT, WT: 6 foot 2, and 190 lbs
SCHOOL: Trinity Catholic High School
CITY, STATE: St. Louis, MO
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, UGA offered on Jan. 18th.
# OFFERS: 31
NEWS & NOTES: Georgia offered Shammond Cooper on Thursday, Jan. 18th, and the junior out of Trinity Catholic High School from St. Louis, Missouri has already piled up 31 scholarship offers to his name. The Oklahoma Sooners are considered an early favorite here, but Cooper is one of the top five linebacker prospects in the 2019 recruiting class; so, expect this recruiting battle to not be over early.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
TREZMEN MARSHALL
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: No. 4 Athlete – MLB, RB
HT, WT: 6 foot 1, and 236 lbs
SCHOOL: Clinch County High School
CITY, STATE: Homerville, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 06/11/2016.
# OFFERS: 12
NEWS & NOTES: Georgia offered Trezmen Marshall last June. The talented Clinch County athlete visited the Bulldogs during the fall for Georgia’s homecoming game versus Missouri. Marshall released a top-three on Dec. 30 that included Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. The Bulldogs are considered a leader at the moment; although, it is a long way off until NSD 2019.
So what position will Trezmen play in college? While he is a talented running back, he looks to be a playmaker on defense at linebacker and seems to be a natural fit in the middle of the defense at ILB or MLB.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
OWEN PAPPOE
strong>CLASS: 2019
POSITION: LB – No. 1 OLB
HT, WT: 6 foot 1, and 207 lbs
SCHOOL: Grayson High School
CITY, STATE: Loganville, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 06/05/2015.
# OFFERS: 41
NEWS & NOTES: Owen Pappoe has held an offer from UGA for over years now. The Peach State 2019 OLB phenom has also visited Athens a number of times and back last spring on May 4th, he released a top 10 that included UGA, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, FSU, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Tennessee. This past fall, he narrowed those 10 down to three which include Clemson, Georgia, and Nebraska.
Pappoe was able to visit Georgia during the fall as well and was in Athens for the Sept. 23rd game against Mississippi State and their Oct. 14th homecoming game against Missouri. Georgia has impressed Pappoe this year and should be considered to be the front-runner here. He did recently take an unofficial visit to Tennessee on Jan. 13th.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2018 FOOTBALL COMMITS
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2019 FOOTBALL COMMITS