Georgia freshman defender impressing KJ Bolden: ‘He reminds me of me a lot’
ATHENS — When Tyriq Green committed to the Georgia football program in July, he wasn’t viewed as someone who could make a huge, immediate impact.
He was a 4-star recruit, ranked No. 151 overall in the cycle, when he picked Georgia over an Auburn program still led by Hugh Freeze and a Miami team that had not yet made a College Football Playoff run.
Green wasn’t even viewed as the most meaningful commitment Georgia added that day, as the Bulldogs landed Kaiden Prothro earlier in the afternoon. Prothro was a 5-star recruit at the time and finished as the No. 38 player in the class.
Despite being overshadowed as a prospect, Green hit the ground running in Athens. Those who got to watch Georgia’s first scrimmage Saturday noted the safety came away with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
That score was shared by Georgia’s media team, offering a glimpse of why Green perfectly fits the type of player the Bulldogs now want to recruit.
At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Green is not an imposing physical marvel. Georgia has signed better athletes in the defensive backfield, which is in part why Green’s recruiting ranking wasn’t higher.
But what the recruiting rankings, regardless of which service you prefer, don’t always accurately measure one’s ability to play football. The ranking services prioritize traits over football ability.
That helps illustrate why the quarterback position, especially in recruiting, is such a crapshoot. Of the 17 QBs taken in the first round of the last five NFL drafts, only six were 5-star prospects.
Green is better positioned than most recruits to handle the massive jump in competition at Georgia because he played for one of the best high school programs in one of the best talent-producing states. Green propelled Buford High School to a state championship in Georgia’s highest classification last season.
On a field that featured four future Bulldogs and numerous other college prospects, Green delivered the best performance. He had 184 rushing yards on 11 carries, including the game-winning, 82-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes.
Green did it all for Buford last season, scoring touchdowns as a running back, pass catcher, return specialist and defensive player.
“He’s doing whatever Coach (Kirby Smart) asks him to do. He’s a great guy. You know, he came from Buford, man,” current Georgia Bulldog and former Buford standout KJ Bolden said of Green earlier this spring. “That’s a great program over there. So, you know, Coach (Buford coach Bryant Appling) did a great job with him and having him ready for right now. I feel like he’ll be able to do a great job here.”
Bolden was a 5-star prospect. The Bulldogs beat out Florida State and Auburn to land his services in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
In the not-so-distant past, Georgia was accustomed to winning recruitments like Bolden. Not all of them — as Georgia fans can name the likes of Caleb Downs, Justice Haynes and Travis Hunter as 5-star Georgia prospects who went elsewhere — but enough to consistently sign the best classes in the country.
Green’s recruiting class marked a change in that regard.
Georgia finished with Smart’s lowest-rated class (sixth) since he became the program’s head coach a decade ago. The biggest reason for the slip was the lack of high-end talent. The Bulldogs signed only two top-50 prospects per the 247Sports Composite rankings, the fewest in a Smart recruiting class.
It’s impossible to ignore the impact that name, image and likeness licensing has had on the way Georgia goes about recruiting. Georgia wants players who are going to stay and develop instead of chasing the top dollar every offseason.
So, the Bulldogs have had to adapt as far as what they’re looking for in terms of prospects and players.
Green fits that new model perfectly.
“That’s my guy, man. He reminds me of me a lot,” Bolden said of Green. “Ty got great ball skills. He’s willing to work. Ty don’t complain at all. He’s just willing to work, man.”
Bolden was in attendance to cheer on and support Green as Buford won a state championship. While the two never played together there, Georgia’s roster is loaded with former high school teammates.
Georgia has teammates from Georgia high schools scattered across the state, including North Oconee, Carrollton, Langston Hughes, Milton and Camden County. There are also multiple sets of brothers on the roster, including the Bobos, Luckies and Ogbokos.
It helps Green that Georgia has immediate needs to fill in the secondary. Bolden and Ellis Robinson entered spring as the only sure bets as far as starting. So much of which freshmen play right away comes down to the opportunity in front of them on the depth chart.
Green has always been an opportunistic player, doing whatever he can to help his team achieve success.
Simply put, he’s a winning football player. His time in high school proved that, and Georgia is confident that trait will carry over to his college career.
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
