Georgia lands FCS transfer linebacker with over 100 tackles in 2019
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Georgia added to its defensive ranks on Friday, as Samford linebacker John Staton IV announced his transfer to the program. Staton posted the news to his Twitter account.
Staton, an Atlanta native, is coming off a career season in 2019. He recorded 116 tackles—the 16th-highest total in FCS—including a 22-tackle performance against Mercer, en route to being named a 1st-team all-Southern Conference selection. Before attending Samford, he played at the Lovett School in Atlanta, where he saw time at both running back and wide receiver.
Samford has not played since a 52-0 loss at Auburn to close out the 2019 season, as its 2020 campaign, as well as all other fall sports at the university, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Days later, Staton entered his name into the transfer portal.
Georgia was not the only SEC program interested in adding Staton to its ranks. On Wednesday, South Carolina offered the 6-foot-1-, 215-pounder.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
