Thomas Paulsell, the No. 5-ranked prospect in the nation according to tennisrecrutiing.net, has signed a national letter of intent with the University of Georgia men’s tennis team, head coach Manny Diaz announced on Thursday. 

“We are very much looking forward to Thomas joining our squad this coming January,” Diaz said. “Thomas is a great kid that wants to get better and help us win championships. We can’t wait to get to work with him right away. He is one of the top American juniors and has a fantastic upside.”

The Seattle, Washington native is the first signee of Georgia’s 2021 class. In addition to being a top-5 prospect, he is also the No. 1 player from the Pacific Northwest and the state of Washington according to tennisrecruiting.net. 

Paulsell earned a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the boys 16 and under USTA rankings and No. 4 in the boys 18 and under rankings. The 6-foot-3 right-hander most recently won the 2020 San Antonio L2 doubles titles and won the singles and doubles championship at the 2019 Hawaii L2 event. He also earned a doubles bronze ball at Kalamazoo in 2019. 

“I am so excited to officially be a Bulldog,” Paulsell said. “I have been a UGA fan for a long time, and I am excited to join the rich tradition of Georgia tennis and play for Coach Diaz and Coach Hunt. There is nothing like the atmosphere in Athens from the guys, to the fans and everyone involved. I can’t wait to start! Go dawgs!”