Power: Georgia gains elite potential, ideal scheme fit in Joseph Jonah-Ajonye

Georgia’s offensive line class has been red hot of late but Oak Ridge (Conroe, Tex.) defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye stole the show on Thursday night. The nation’s No. 44 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking chose Georgia over the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon, and Georgia Tech, giving the Bulldogs 23 commitments in the 2024 class.

The Bulldogs got a good one according to On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power. Seeing as how Jonah-Ajonye is entering just his fourth year on the gridiron and he’s still four months away from his 17th birthday, Power loves the potential.

“I think you’d start off with just his considerable physical upside — really large frame, close to 6-foot-4, 275 (pounds),” Power told DawgsHQ. “He has put on a good bit of weight over the last year, too. I think he probably played his junior year more around the 250 range. Now he’s at 275 and I could see him having no trouble being a 300-plus pounder once he gets into Georgia’s strength program. In addition to that added mass, he’s very long. His arms are 34 and a quarter (inches), he’s got big hands, he’s just a big developmental athlete.”

There are other defensive linemen who are rated higher. There are some who are better football players at this point in their development. Those players have played the game longer than Jonah-Ajonye and most are a year older.

But according to Power, there’s an oft-used anecdote that truly does apply to UGA”s latest pledge.

“He’s a guy who the arrow is pointing way up,” he said. “We throw around the term ‘just scratching the surface’ but with him, that’s really what it is. He’s just scratching the surface. Seeing him move in the camp setting this spring, he’s really fluid, highly explosive, just a really good athlete at that size.”

Everyone knows at this point how important “fit” is at the next level. Georgia has won back-to-back National Championships due in large part to being selective when it comes to how players might fit into the desired culture. Smart has worked to marry raw talent with dedication in the classroom, character, and competitive nature.

Catch the seven-year head coach in a moment of candor and he’d probably credit that philosophical shift, along with the team’s emphasis on connection, with helping his program get over the hump in 2021. Jonah-Ajonye fits everything the Bulldogs want in that regard but there’s a defensive system in place, too.

As well as Jonah-Ajonye seems to fit into the Georgia culture, Power believes the defensive scheme put together by Smart, Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp is also a great setting for him to grow and then thrive.

“I think he’s going to be able to basically play in that 4i (insider shoulder of the offensive tackle),” Power said. “We’re seeing more guys like that but I think that fits in with his body type. He’s going to bring the size and strength and not just be a block eater. He has the upside to provide a pass rush from there as well. Among those types in this cycle, there’s an argument that can be made that he’s probably the best one based on what I’ve seen so far. At least I feel like I like him the most in terms of upside from guys that you’d recruit to play 4i.”

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