Second-year surge: Georgia safety Justyn Rhett
Georgia’s 2024 roster is set. The winter and spring transfer portal windows are closed and Kirby Smart now knows what players will be on his roster when preseason camp begins around August 1. The Bulldogs will be ranked by most, if not all, as the No. 1 team in the country going into the coming season.
If they’re going to live up to that hype, some guys are going to have to step up in their second seasons with the team. Below DawgsHQ continues a series discussing each player going into their second year with the program. Next up is a defensive back the Bulldogs worked hard to get in the 2023 class.
S Justyn Rhett
Size: 6-feet 190 pounds
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 354 overall, No. 40 cornerback, No. 3 in Nevada
2023 Stats: Rhett played in just one game in his first year at Georgia and it wasn’t the Orange Bowl. He appeared in the Ball State game, the second of the season, and registered one tackle.
Rhett strengths and weaknesses
The Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) product was labeled as a cornerback coming out of high school but was recruited by Georgia as a safety/STAR from the jump. Rhett is put together really well with a strong lower half and a compact build that is ideal for the safety position.
His back ground at cornerback has allowed him to develop good coverage instincts. Based on his high school film, Rhett drives on the ball really well and has good range. Playing cornerback in high school, however, has put him in a position where he’s raw as a safety. Playing 10 to 15 yards off the ball is still relatively new to Rhett and he needs more reps to develop into that role.
The Buzz…
In recent conversations with persons knowledge to the situation, JaCorey Thomas‘ name came up. We’re told that Rhett is having to do a lot of the same things that Thomas did in his first two years on campus, which is make a big adjustment to a new role. Thomas played STAR/SAM linebacker at the high school level and essentially had to learn a new position. That’s the case with Rhett as well.
At this point he is well behind others who are competing for a starting job at safety but the athletic tools are there. Rhett had a strong preseason camp last year before fizzling a bit.
In 2024…
Unless he really turns it on during camp, Rhett isn’t going to push for the starting strong safety spot this year. It appears as if Dan Jackson, Thomas, and KJ Bolden are definitely ahead of him. Jake Pope is also a step in front due in large part to his knowledge of the scheme. Still, Rhett is likely bound for what could end up being multiple special teams rolls. It looks like 2025 might be the year where the former four-star prospect can make a move.
The post Second-year surge: Georgia safety Justyn Rhett appeared first on On3.
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