Georgia earned a huge victory over Georgia Tech about 4 months before the rivals do battle on the field. The Bulldogs got a commitment from 4-star defensive lineman Anthony Lonon Jr. on Saturday, keeping the Athens product from going to their in-state rival.
Lonon not only represents a big recruiting win because of his talent alone, he also keeps a legacy going in Athens. He is the son of former Georgia player Anthony Lonon Sr. Georgia also once again succeeded in keeping a player from Clarke Central High in Athens from going elsewhere.
The younger Lonon is not only a mammoth talent on the field, he’s a wizard in the classroom, with a current 4.2 grade-point average in high school. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the 292nd-ranked player in the Class of 2026. He is also the 38th-ranked defensive lineman in the class and the 35th-ranked player from the state of Georgia.
Lonon’s commitment on Saturday gives Kirby Smart’s program 29 commits in the Class of 2026. Of that group, Lonon is the fifth defensive lineman who’s committed to Georgia for next fall.
With 1 more high school season still to go this fall, Lonon is looking to build off of a banner junior season during which he compiled 51 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks.
You can see his highlight tape below, via Hudl:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
