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Darnell Washington explains why Georgia was able to land his 5-star talents

Georgia landed 5-star athlete Darnell Washington.
Connor Riley/DawgNation
Connor Riley
Connor Riley

ORLANDO, Fla., — Darnell Washington is a true unicorn prospect. They simply don’t make many football players that are 6-foot-8 and 265 pounds with ball skills like the Las Vegas athlete. That’s a big reason why he’s the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class and a 5-star prospect.

And Washington is now a Georgia Bulldog after he announced his commitment to the program during the Under Armour All-American Game. Washington becomes the 20th member of the 2020 class and the highest rated as well.

Given his size, movement skills and catching ability, Washington is going to play tight end at Georgia next year. That’s great news for the Bulldogs, given they will be losing seniors Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf.

And Washington is confident he’s going to be able to make a difference early on in his Georgia career.

“I think I can play and help out a lot,” Washington said. “They’re losing two good tight ends and they’re going to gain a great one, so I think I can help out.”

During practices this week at the Under Armour All-American Game, Washington frequently showed why he is going to be a matchup nightmare just given his mammoth size. He was able to outjump multiple defensive backs and use his massive size to high point balls most players wouldn’t be able to come down with.

Washington added that after taking multiple visits to Georgia, he felt like it was the place for him. He also credited Georgia coaches Todd Hartley and Dell McGee for how they handled his recruiting process.

“It came down to how like I got along with the coaches,” he said. “Not only that with the recruiting pitches. I know what’s real and what’s not. It came down just to like the vibe of the schools and the vibe of the coaches. I just want to work. Work hard. I don’t want anything given. I want to earn everything I get.”

Related: 5-star ATH Darnell Washington has made his college decision

Washington announced his commitment on ESPN2 with the help of his young daughter, who was decked out in Georgia gear. That meant a lot to Washington, as he knows he’s playing for her future in his time in Athens.

Shortly after he announced his commitment, Georgia football confirmed that he had signed with the Bulldogs, officially making him a part of the 2020 class. With Washington in tow, Georgia now has the No. 3 recruiting class in the country, and trails only Clemson and Alabama.

After Washington’s announcement, the Georgia coaches let it be known how excited they were to get a player of Washington’s caliber.

A few Georgia commits chimed in as well, with the most interesting response coming from 2020 quarterback Carson Beck. He posted a picture of himself with Washington as well as 5-star prospects Kelee Ringo and Zach Evans. Those last two are prospects that Georgia is waiting to hear on regarding the 2020 class as well.

And a number of Georgia fans were overjoyed with the news of his commitment. He is the first 5-star prospect that will play at tight end that Georgia has signed since the program landed Isaac Nauta back in 2016.

Georgia isn’t done yet in terms of possibly landing 5-star commitments this weekend, as Ringo is set to announce his decision on Saturday at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Georgia is widely considered the favorite to land the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the 2020 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Georgia could also possibly add Evans to its class, as the 5-star prospect is still publicly uncommitted after delaying his announcement once again.

Darnell Washington explains why he ended up signing with Georgia football

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