INDIANAPOLIS – “Man, it brought back memories.”
Kenny McIntosh was nostalgic at his return to Lucas Oil Stadium, the site where his Georgia Bulldogs won the 2022 national championship. He wasn’t alone, as he marked one of a dozen former Bulldogs working out for scouts in Indianapolis over the weekend.
Not counted in that list is Tyrique Stevenson, who didn’t stick around in Athens to see those national championship runs. Stevenson finished his college career with the Hurricanes and was one of a plethora of former Bulldog defensive backs who spoke on Friday. Stevenson made the switch following 2020’s COVID season, heading back to South Beach, where he starred in high school. While Stevenson, as a transfer, is far from a novelty in today’s college football climate, the all-ACC corner believes the move makes him more appealing to prospective NFL franchises.
“It just gave me the opportunity to get the full look-around at everything,” Stevenson said. He later added that teams drafting him are “going to get an all-around dog.”
Stevenson believes that his experience with the SEC’s vaunted air attack, as well as the ground-heavy ACC offenses, gave him the best possible opportunity to showcase his talents for scouts. The redshirt junior also went out of his way to mention that he was happy for his former teammates, some of whom won back-to-back national championships in Athens.
“It just gave me the opportunity to get the full look-around at everything,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson didn’t stick around in Athens to see the national championship victories. He says he is still close with all of those guys, and it’s really not hard to see why when videos like this come out of the Bulldog locker room.
It’s no surprise that the two time defending champions have lots of players in Indianapolis, but the Bulldog defense put up historic numbers over the past couple seasons. Georgia has also been all over the headlines in Indianapolis, for better or for worse. Yesterday, it was Bulldogs edge rusher Nolan Smith that stole the show, with a sub-4.40 40-yard dash from that position. The locker room was, obviously, ecstatic.
“It’s a brotherhood,” said tight end Darnell Washington. “Once upon the time, I was in that locker room recording when Travon Walker ran his 40. It’s a tradition.”
It’s quite the tradition, too. Georgia had 24 players selected in the past two drafts, including a record 15 this past season. Washington figures to be selected within the first couple days of the NFL draft this year, and a plethora of his teammates (and some ex-teammates) will be joining him.
One of those former teammates is Kelee Ringo. It wasn’t the easiest year for Ringo, who saw his draft stock fall from a projected top-10 pick to fighting to stay in the first round. Ringo, however, said that he is still developing as a player, and that he is confident that his youth will give him the ability to grow as a player.
Players with Ringo’s athletic ability are few and far between in the NFL. Listed at 6’2” and 210 pounds, Ringo told the media that he was aiming to run a sub-4.35 40-yard dash. A high school track star, Ringo holds some of Arizona’s all-time records in the 100 meter dash, with a personal best of 10.43 seconds. Both Florida wide receiver Justin Shorter and Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman explicitly name dropped Ringo when asked who the toughest corners they faced in the SEC were.
Ringo, Stevenson and safety Christopher Smith III, all ran at the Combine Friday.
Ringo needed a great score in the 40 to make up for the fact that his explosion grades graded out incredibly subpar. The good news for Ringo? He did that. He ran a 4.36, good for fifth among the cornerbacks. While he didn’t stand out in the positional drills, he absolutely didn’t hurt his stock during them.
In a draft class full of interesting evaluations, Kelee Ringo is near the top of that list. His size and straight line speed is fantastic, but his explosiveness does leave a little bit to be desired. It’s hard to deny the endorsements of some of the SEC’s best receivers.
Stevenson ran a 4.45, a really good time for him. Stevenson didn’t have a bad day by any means, but he wasn’t one of the handful of cornerbacks that stood out at Lucas Oil Friday. It’s hard to see a path for Stevenson to be a first round pick in April, but Stevenson is talented enough that it seems pretty safe to say he will be a day two selection.
As for Smith, it wasn’t the best day. There wasn’t anyone in Indianapolis that exactly expected Smith to run well, but none of his athletic numbers, besides his ten-yard split, came back at a passable mark. Smith is an incredibly instinctive safety, but it’s hard to twist his on-field performance at the combine into a positive.
Georgia has been all over the headlines since the college football season began. The high of a second consecutive national championship was quickly clouded by the arrests of quarterback Stetson Bennett and defensive lineman Jalen Carter. Their locker room, however, will not be deterred.
After all, McIntosh said it best.
“It’s a brotherhood, man. You want to see each other succeed in whatever we do. I miss my brothers back there at home.”