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BSB: Ryland Zaborowski Named All-American, Robbie Burnett and Slate Alford to ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region Squad

University of Georgia’s Ryland Zaborowski has been named a 2025 Perfect Game First Team All-American, and he joined teammates Robbie Burnett and Slate Alford on the ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region squad, it was announced Tuesday.

Zaborowski, a 6-5, 250-pound native of Gilbert, Ariz., made the All-America team as the designated hitter. The graduate led the Bulldogs with a .370 batting average, a .788 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. He tallied 17 home runs and 61 RBI in just 45 games.

Burnett, a 5-10, 191-pound senior outfielder/infielder from Franklinton, N.C., posted a team-best 20 home runs, 66 RBI and 17 stolen bases. He batted .307 with a .693 slugging percentage in 56 games. Alford, a 6-3, 212-pound senior third baseman from Madison, Ala., started all 60 games and finished second on the team with 19 home runs, 63 RBI and a .331 batting average.

Zaborowski and Burnett were selected to the Southeast All-Region First Team while Alford made the Second Team as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The Bulldog trio helped Georgia go 43-17 overall and advance to the NCAA Athens Regional as a No. 7 national seed.

First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-Region selections are eligible for All-America honors, which will be announced Friday, June 13. In all divisions, the ABCA/Rawlings National Pitchers and Position Players of the Year will be announced on Monday, June 23. For the awards, the nation is comprised of eight regions.

The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007. Finalists for the Gold Glove team will be announced on X by Rawlings Sporting Goods (@RawlingsSports) on Monday, June 16, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 18.

T&F: Bulldogs Ready for NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.

EUGENE, Ore. — Members of the Bulldog track and field program traveled to Eugene, Ore., this week before the NCAA Outdoor Championships arrive at Hayward Field today through Saturday.

The fourth-ranked Georgia men begin the meet on Wednesday after winning the team national championship at the same facility in 2018.  The top-ranked Lady Bulldogs come to the University of Oregon campus and start competition Thursday after having earned national runner-up honors at that same meet in 2018. 

Leader of the pack 💥

➡️ https://t.co/ZBIBYPHV2e#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/1xk9Ey8axP

— Georgia Track + Field (@UGATrack) June 9, 2025

As usual, the Southeastern Conference has the most combined entries at 166 and boasts a combined 10 teams in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national polls.

Following the 2023 NCAA Championships that were held in Austin, the 2024 meet was in Eugene and the 2025-28 NCAA Outdoor Championships will also be in Oregon’s facility, which underwent a $270 million renovation following the 2018 season.

Georgia qualified 30 individuals in a combined 20 events, including the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter and the 4×400-meter relays, from the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 28-31. 

When Do The Bulldogs Start? A combo of Brody Buffington, Micah Larry, Jehlani Gordon, Will Floyd and Shemar Chambers will start the meet for the men in the 4x100m relay semifinal at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday.  Senior Nikolai van Huyssteen will begin the action in the field events in the men’s pole vault at 7:35 p.m. on day one to mark his second competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

On the women’s side, 2025 SEC champion, 2023 NCAA champion and Georgia graduate transfer Stephanie Ratcliffe will line up in the women’s hammer throw at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.  A quartet picked from Dejanea Oakley, Reign Redmond, Karsen Phillips, Sanaa Frederick and Kaila Jackson will run the 4x100m relay semifinal to open the track events at 7:05 p.m. on day two.

Other than the decathlon running Wednesday-Thursday and the heptathlon going Friday-Saturday, the meet is set up to be a men’s competition on Wednesday and Friday and a women’s competition on Thursday and Saturday.

Where to Catch the NCAAs: ESPN has exclusive rights to broadcast the meet and will feature the Nationals on ESPN2 this week:

Wednesday: 4-7 p.m., ESPN

Thursday: 4-7 p.m., ESPN

Friday: 5-8 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday: 6-9 p.m., ESPN2

Live Results: To check out live results throughout the four-day season finale, please check:

https://gado.gs/da0

Coach Caryl’s Comments: “It seems like time has flown by since our first training sessions of the year back in August,” said head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert.  “The group we have brought Eugene is a wide variety of competitors, but they all have one thing in common: they have put in the work to advance to the last meet of the season and have unified to represent the ‘G’ in its finest fashion.  There was world-class competition at our SEC meet a month ago and this one promises to level up so I am excited to see our crew answer the challenge. GO DAWGS!”

What Bulldogs Are Competing: In addition to Ratcliffe and the 4x100m relay team for the women, junior Kaila Jackson (100m), redshirt freshman Reign Redmond (100m), junior Dejanea Oakley (400m, 4x400m relay), junior Aaliyah Butler (400m, 4x400m relay), freshman Michelle Smith (400m hurdles, 4x400m relay), junior Haley Tate (4x400m relay), sophomore Sydney Harris (4x400m relay), freshman Skylynn Townsend (triple jump), grad transfer Erin McMeniman (javelin), senior Lianna Davidson (javelin), freshman Manuela Rotundo (javelin), senior Kelsie Murrell-Ross (shot put) and senior Elena Kulichenko (high jump) will line up for the Lady Bulldogs. 

On the men’s side, redshirt freshman Brody Buffington (200m), sophomore Micah Larry (long jump), sophomore Jehlani Gordon (100m), sophomore Will Floyd (400m, 4x400m relay), freshman Ervin Pearson (400m, 4x400m relay), freshman Xai Ricks (4x400m relay), senior Shemar Chambers (400m, 4x400m relay), freshman London Costen (4x400m relay), sophomore Jaden Keys (long jump), sophomore Riyon Rankin (high jump), freshman Eddie Kurjak (high jump), grad transfer Alex Kolesnikoff (shot put) and senior Moustafa Alsherif (javelin) are slated to compete alongside the 4x100m relay team and van Huyssteen.

Honors Begin To Roll In: While the most important meet of the outdoor season is still to come, three SEC honors have already rolled in.  Smith Gilbert was named the SEC Women’s Coach of the Year; Key was named the SEC Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year; and Smith was named the SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year.

In addition, sophomore Conner Rutherford and senior Kieley Gayle were included on the SEC Community Service Team for their dedication to volunteering in order to help others.

FLASHBACK – 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships: Georgia returned to Oregon in 2024 following the 2023 meet being in Austin and finished ninth (25 points) on the men’s side and tied for 10^th (25 pts.) on the women’s side.  Kulichenko highlighted the meet for the women by tying for the national crown in the high jump while Marc Minichello completed his career with his second title in the men’s javelin.  In addition, Christopher Morales Williams punctuated his sophomore campaign with an NCAA championship in the men’s 400m before turning pro.

A Glimpse From The Dogs’ Last Action: The Bulldogs continued their 2025 postseason at the NCAA East Prelims on the University of North Florida’s campus on May 28-31.

Here are the Bulldog highlights from the meet:

WOMEN

Reign Redmond – The redshirt freshman clocked the fifth-best time in school history in the 100m (11.24) to register the 12^th and final spot from the Prelims quarterfinal.

Aaliyah Butler/Dejanea Oakley  – After Oakley and Butler went 1-2 respectively in the Prelims first round, Butler topped her teammate to go 1-2 in reverse order in the quarters to both cruise into Nationals.

Butler/Oakley/Smith/Harris – The Bulldog quartet won the quarterfinal round with their second fastest 4x400m relay team of the year (43.11).

Davidson/Rotundo/McMeniman – Georgia put three javelin throwers through in the 5^th-3^rd-6^th spots, respectively, as the Bulldogs aim for big points from the throwing event in their pursuit of the team national title.

MEN

Floyd, Pearson, Chambers – Already part of the 4x100m relay and/or 4x400m relay at Nationals, Georgia had a trio of 400m runners punch their tickets to Eugene, highlighted by Chambers’ personal record 45.29 in the first round.

Kurjak – The senior transfer collected a massive season-best clearance of 2.18m/7-1.75 to earn an invite to Nationals in the high jump alongside his SEC champion teammate Riyon Rankin.

Georgia’s Outside Linebacker Depth in 2025: Rebuilding with Youth and Potential

Georgia’s outside linebacker (OLB) position is undergoing a significant transformation in 2025. Following key departures to the NFL and via the transfer portal, the Bulldogs are relying on a promising yet youthful core, supported by new additions at edge and versatile defensive backs.

Key Departures from 2024

The 2024 offseason saw the exit of elite edge talent that previously anchored Georgia’s front seven:

• Chaz Chambliss departed for the NFL, leaving a significant void.
• Jalon Walker, a versatile player who excelled in both off-ball and edge roles, also moved on.
• Additional depth was lost through transfers, further thinning a group that once boasted considerable experience.

These departures have created a need for rapid development among the underclassmen to fill the leadership and production gaps.

2025 Outside Linebackers & Edge Candidates

Georgia enters the 2025 season with three scholarship OLBs and several hybrid options from the defensive back and defensive end positions who can contribute in various schemes.

Core OLB Room

• Gabe Harris Jr. (Junior, 6-4, 260 lbs): As the presumed leader, Harris possesses SEC-level size and two years within the system. He flashed potential in 2024 and is expected to step into a starting role this fall.
• Quintavius Johnson (Sophomore, 6-4, 255 lbs): Johnson offers raw physical traits and ideal edge size. After a developmental freshman campaign, he’s poised for heavy rotation in 2025.
• Darren Ikinnagbon (Freshman, 6-5, 255 lbs): This long, twitchy edge rusher from New Jersey is one of Georgia’s most intriguing young defenders. While he’ll likely be eased into action, his upside is considerable.

Hybrid Support from DEs and DBs

Georgia’s multiple-front system allows for several players to supplement the OLB room:

• Isaiah Gibson (DE, Fr., 6-4, 255 lbs) could be utilized as a JACK linebacker in specific pass-rush packages.
• Maurice Hayes (CB, RFr., 6-1, 180 lbs) and Joenel Aguero (DB, Jr., 5-11, 205 lbs) are athletic enough to play the STAR position and be deployed in nickel blitz schemes.

Analysis: Depth, Development, and Scheme Versatility

While the 2025 OLB group is light on experience, it boasts impressive physical attributes and versatility.

• Every scholarship OLB is at least 6-3 and 225+ lbs, fitting the prototypical Kirby Smart edge rusher mold.
• Harris and Johnson are the only returning contributors with significant playing time in the system.
• Freshman additions, particularly Ikinnagbon, bring elite wingspans and high ceilings, indicating future potential.
• Concerns about depth may lead Georgia to leverage its strong safety and defensive back rooms for hybrid looks and rotational pressure.

Outlook for 2025

Georgia’s outside linebacker unit enters 2025 as one of its most unproven but physically imposing groups. The success of this transition hinges on several factors:

• Rapid development from both Johnson and Ikinnagbon.
• Consistent durability and production from Harris.
• Flexibility in defensive packages, especially the strategic use of defensive backs and ends to cover snaps.

If this young group matures quickly, it could quietly become a significant strength by midseason. However, until then, Georgia will likely rely on scheme diversity and the overall depth of its defensive line to compensate for the departure of 2024’s NFL-caliber talent.

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