– Class of 2019 TE –
(photo from Luke Deal / Twitter)
Today on Bulldawg Illustrated’s UGA recruiting daily we take a look at Georgia’s tight end recruiting.
With Tommy Tremble’s decision to commit to Notre Dame on Thursday, which was expected, and with UGA have one tight end committed for 2018 already, Marist High School’s John Fitzpatrick, it looks like it is down to Luke Ford as the potential second tight end in the 2018 class. Attention will then turn to 2019.
TODAY’S FEATURED PROSPECTS
If position ranking is noted, unless otherwise stated, it is 247 Sports latest composite ranking of the player.
LUKE FORD
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: No. 2 TE
HT, WT: 6 foot 6, and 250 lbs
SCHOOL: Carterville High School
CITY, STATE: Carterville, IL
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 02/24/2017.
# OFFERS: 31
NEWS & NOTES: Luke Ford was offered by UGA back in February and then committed to Arkansas a month later in March. However, Ford then de-committed from the Razorbacks on June 10th, reopening up his recruitment. Could Ford be the second TE the Bulldogs are looking to get a commitment from for the 2018 class?
I do think he is their No. 1 target left on the board at that position. Alabama was the team to beat here over the summer at the start of the season, but the recent commitment of 2018 QB Justin Fields to the Bulldogs along with Alabama favoring JUCO prospect Dominick Wood-Anderson as well as the job of Shane Beamer’s recruitment of Ford, it looks like it has turned things back to Georgia’s favor. College football is like a marathon roller coaster ride, and Ford’s recruitment is no exception.
Ford did visit the Crimson Tide on Oct. 14th, and then Ford was in Athens for the Bulldogs home game versus South Carolina on Nov. 4th and had a great visit by all accounts. He took an official visit to Texas on Nov. 11th and recently took an official visit to Auburn for Nov. 25th. UGA’s Shane Beamer visited Ford and his family and their home back on Nov. 30th and Ford has also had in-home visits from Texas and Auburn coaches. Georgia gets one of Ford’s remaining three officials, which he has scheduled for Dec. 15th, this weekend. Right now, Bulldawg Bob’s old Magic 8-Ball says there is a 90% chance that Luke Ford ends up committing to and signing with Georgia.
he only got to play in 5 games his senior season for Carterville High School due to breaking his collarbone into the 4th game this fall, but he had a successful recovery and ended up playing for the Lions in their first-round playoff game. Ford will likely not sign during the early signing period from Dec. 20-22. He is not planning on enrolling early either.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR DEFENSIVE (OLB, DE) HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
LUKE DEAL
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: TE
HT, WT: 6 foot 5, and 230 lbs
SCHOOL: Emerald High School
CITY, STATE: Greenwood, SC
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on Dec. 12th.
# OFFERS: 2
NEWS & NOTES: Georgia just offered Emerald High School tight end Luke Deal on Tuesday, Dec. 12th. It was his second FBS offer with NC State being the first program to offer Deal. The talented 6 foot 5, and 230 lbs junior also plays at DE for Emerald High and stepped in at QB in a couple of games. He also plays basketball for the Vikings.
Deal reminds me of current UGA commit, 2018 TE John Fitzpatrick out of Marist High School. Both have similar frames and are athletic for their size. Fitzpatrick may be a step faster than Deal. He is a ferocious blocker and does a really good job of getting out of stance and his hat and hands on a defender, often driving the defender down the field or to the ground on the play. As a receiver, he makes a lot of tough catches over the middle of the field, does a good job of catching the ball with his hands and not letting go into his body.
JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
RYLAND GOEDE
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: No. 5 TE
HT, WT: 6 foot 7, and 235 lbs
SCHOOL: Kennesaw Mt. High School
CITY, STATE: Acworth, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 07/21/2016.
# OFFERS: 18
NEWS & NOTES: Ryland Goede has held an offer from the Bulldogs for over a year, and the Kennesaw Mountain TE has visited Georgia a number of times the past year including this fall for the Mississippi State game back on September 23rd, UGA’s homecoming versus Missouri on October 14th, and the Bulldogs’ game versus South Carolina on Nov. 4th.
He also visited Clemson and Auburn over the summer in June, and has been back to Auburn again a couple of times this fall on Nov. 11th and on Nov. 25th. The Kennesaw Mountain High tight end went up north to visit Michigan back on the weekend of Oct. 7th. One other school he has visited recently is Florida on Nov. 18th. As of right now, Goede is a heavy Georgia lean, but NSD 2019 is a long way off.
2017 JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
GOEDE’S OTHER HUDL HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
KEON ZIPPERER
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: No. 3 TE
HT, WT: 6 foot 3, and 232 lbs
SCHOOL: Lakeland High School
CITY, STATE: Lakeland, FL
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on June 15th.
# OFFERS: 23
NEWS & NOTES: Keon Zipperer camped and visited UGA over the summer on June 15th and received an offer from the Dogs the very same day. Georgia’s offer is one of twenty-three that Keon has received so far as he is considered one of the top tight ends in the 2019 recruiting class. Right now, he is leaning towards a couple of Sunshine State school in the Gators and the Seminoles. Keon has visited FSU, on Oct. 7th, and Clemson, on Nov. 11th, over the fall football season.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
KEON’S OTHER HUDL HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE