Want a daily lap through Georgia football recruiting? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. In this edition, we check in on 3-star Liberty County defensive tackle Tramel Walthour in advance of Georgia’s season opener against Appalachian State.
Tramel Walthour says he grew up with Georgia as his dream school. He told DawgNation this week he will be in Athens for the season opener against Appalachian State. on Saturday
He said this might be his fourth trip to Georgia, maybe more. The Bulldogs remain at the top of a group that also includes Auburn and Tennessee.
The reason why is pretty clear.
“They show the most interest,” Walthour told DawgNation.
What is he looking for out of this unofficial visit?
“Not really much,” he told DawgNation. “Just to enjoy the game and hang out since I’ve already been up there a few times before.”
Walthour would not be able to enroll early as the last prospect that Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.) sent to UGA. Freshman safety Richard LeCounte III should see a lot of playing time at safety in the nickel package on Saturday. Look for him on special teams, too.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive tackle has been a popular choice among fans on the DawgNation.com message board when it comes to the most likely player to commit next in the Class of 2018.
But it doesn’t seem as if he is there yet.
Walthour mentioned Auburn as another school that is pursuing him. He said it was actually “close” in terms of the amount of recruiting attention he receives between Auburn and Georgia.
He said it wasn’t sure if that made the Tigers his No. 2 school behind UGA.
“I can’t decide but I would say Auburn probably,” he said.
Walthour, who said he wants to study sports medicine in college, needs to check out a few more SEC programs.
“I’ll probably visit Tennessee for a game or something like that and Auburn and maybe South Carolina,” he said.
Walthour is a key target for UGA in this cycle. The Bulldogs did not sign a single defensive lineman in 2017 and have yet to secure a prospect for that spot in 2018.
The Tramel Walthour recruiting picture
Liberty County uses Walthour as a 3-technique in their front. That’s where he said he would be most comfortable playing early on at the college level.
Effort level is a big part of his scouting profile.
“I feel like I’m a good team player who doesn’t like to lose and will give it the best I got and will go out and try to play as smart as I can to make as many plays as I can to help the team,” he said.
Walthour said first-year defensive line coach Tray Scott presents a plus for Georgia.
“I think he’s a real cool coach,” Walthour said. “He likes to get after his players to make sure they are pushing themselves to get better each day. He’s one that his players can feel comfortable about going to talk to about anything. I think he’s a great guy.”
How much of a role does LeCounte play in his recruiting?
“We don’t talk much but every time we do he’s just checking up on me and just always tells me to do one thing and that’s to always dominate,” Walthour said.
He rates as the nation’s No. 46 DT prospect for this cycle per the 247Sports composite. Walthour said he plays the game for his family. He aims to “make them proud” and to become the second member of his household to attend college and play football.
Tracy White Jr., his brother, is a freshman cornerback at Old Dominion. White was a 3-star cornerback at Liberty County last year.
Quick note about 5-star commit Jadon Haselwood
Cedar Grove junior receiver Jadon Haselwood will be one of many Georgia commits in Athens on Saturday. I find it funny every time his name comes up with some sort of tug or a connection to Ohio State.
Haselwood always seems so steadfast to Georgia in our interactions that it almost seems silly to check in with him to see if anything has changed.
There’s not much to report there.
“Nothing’s changed,” Haselwood told DawgNation recently.
Would he say he is still strongly committed to Georgia? Haselwood could have used about a half-dozen emojis in his reply.
“Of course,” he texted back. “That’s never going to change.”
The nation’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect for 2019 has gotten off to a strong start this fall.
Miss any Intel? Well, the DawgNation recruiting archive will get you up to Mecole Hardman speed before your tailgate crew can worry anymore about all the freshman offensive linemen who will have to play this fall.