BREAKING: Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs Land Elite OT Monroe Freeling
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ATHENS - The recruiting fireworks haven’t stopped for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs just yet.
With the 2022 season opener against Oregon just days away, offensive line coach Stacy Searels lands a commitment from his top remaining offensive line target in four-star tackle, Monroe Freeling.
The top-ranked prospect in South Carolina, Freeling is a long, athletic tackle with a very high ceiling due to his frame, toughness, and impressive footwork.
The 6-foot-7 285-pounder didn’t take an official visit to Georgia over the summer, but he did make it to Athens during the final weekend of July for Georgia’s annual “BBQ weekend”.
When that weekend concluded, multiple sources told Dawg Post that Georgia was the team to beat. At the time, we were told Freeling planned to take an official visit at some point during the season, but in the end, it wasn’t needed, although we still expect him to take an official visit at some point this fall.
Searels recruited Freeling back when he was at North Carolina and had the Tar Heels sitting in a great spot in his recruitment. He continued to push hard for Freeling once he got to Athens, and today he was able to finally land his commitment.
“Coach Searels recruited Monroe when he was at UNC”, a close source told Dawg Post. “He encouraged Monroe to come up to a camp in July 2021. From there, Monroe became Coach Searles’ top priority. He was the first Coach to show up at Monroe’s 8am basketball practice following the dead period in January. He continued to recruit Monroe once he moved over to UGA.”
“What I like about Stacy Searels is his commitment to the process of recruitment”, the source continued. “He has continued to build a relationship with him that I believe is genuine and sincere. After talking more in depth with Coach Smart, it is evident that he is confident in what Searels brings with experience and expertise. Lets also not forget Coach Eddie Gordon who has been a huge part of consistently recruiting Monroe.”
Freeling chose Georgia over Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida, South Carolina, among others.
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So what are the Bulldogs getting in Freeling?
They’re getting a physically imposing lineman with sky-high potential. He can overpower most EDGE defenders he goes up against and does a great job of driving them backwards until the whistle is blown. He’s long, athletic, and has the frame to add even more mass and muscle over the years.
Freeling has good footwork, explodes off the ball in the run game, and is a promising pass protector. He plays with balance, he’s strong in the lower body, and consistently dominates his opponent.
He’s the top-ranked prospect in South Carolina for a reason. His film from his junior season is pancake after pancake while opening up giant holes in the run game.
According to the On3 consensus rankings, Freeling is ranked as the No. 6 OT prospect and the No. 64 overall prospect in the country.
He becomes Georgia’s 19th commitment in the 2023 class and the 4th offensive line commitment, joining 4-star OT Bo Hughley, 4-star OG Kelton Smith, and 3-star OG Joshua Miller.