Unique path, approach lead elite DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye into Georgia’s 2024 class

New Georgia commitment Joseph Jonah-Ajonye isn’t like most recruits. His next football season will be just his fourth and he’ll enter his senior season with at least two months to go before his 17th birthday.

It doesn’t stop there with the Nigerian-born, four-star defender. While many recruits want to see staffs go all out and put in the effort, Jonah-Ajonye wasn’t impacted by the attention. In fact, Georgia offered him in April, got him on campus in the first time in May, hosted him for an official visit in June, and took his commitment in July. That process, in total, lasted less than three months.

It wasn’t about the number of letters in his mailbox or endless phone calls. The chase didn’t appeal to him. Jonah-Ajonye focused on the relationships he could build upon once he got to Athens, especially those with his peers.

“Mostly, the thing that pushed me toward Georgia was just the bonds I built with the players and the recruits and also the coaches,” Jonah-Ajonye told DawgsHQ in a telephone interview. “Over time, after that visit, Dylan (Raiola) introduced me to the other recruits and then I got to meet some of the other players and I built a bond, like kind of a strong bond, with some of the current players and with the recruits. So that really helped in my decision making.

Numerous Georgia coaches were involved in Jonah-Ajonye’s recruitment. Tray Scott made a tremendous first impression when UGA first hosted the elite defensive lineman in May. Jonah-Ajonye told DawgsHQ soon after that visit that a few minute so film study with Scott made him a better player.

Jonah-Ajonye was recruited heavily by Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. He also built a strong bond with Chidera Uzo-Diribe, stating the two have talked almost every day since they’ve gotten to know each other.

The conversations with coaches were important but Jonah-Ajonye just isn’t the type to be swayed by persuasive talk and flattery. He focused more on what things would be like for him off the field. Family is important to him and he wanted to know that he could find brother-like bonds with the players already in Athens and those who might be joining him there.

Jonah-Ajonye impacted by a full weekend in Athens…

When the time came for the four-star prospect to make his way to the Classic City for an all-expense-paid, 48-hour stay, he was excited. He brought his mother and his sister.

As previously stated, Jonah-Ajonye is a family man and what Georgia showed him on that visit paled in comparison to how the most important ladies in his life reacted to their first time at UGA.

“Then on my official visit a couple of weeks ago, my mom went there and my sister and they just had an amazing time,” Jonah-Ajonye said. “I’ve never seen my mom have so much fun before and my sister had a great time. Usually my sister doesn’t like going out and hanging out with people and what not but they really got her out of her shell. It was just fun and seeing those smiles on her face, it made it a very easy decision.”

An atypical reaction…

Many felt Jonah-Ajonye might just go ahead and commit before the left the Classic City, but that didn’t happen. As excited as he was about the prospect of playing his college ball at Georgia, it’s not his style to rush things.

Instead, he declined all interviews and told coaches that he needed time. He thought he knew where he wanted to be and he leaned on his faith for confirmation.

“After that visit, I took a couple days off from talking to coaches and just focused on me and praying and studying my word to make sure this is the right place, making sure my spirit of discernment was strong, making sure I’m not making any mistakes,” he said. “Because I don’t want to have to hit the transfer portal. That’s one thing I don’t want to do in my career. So after three days of prayer — back to back to back — I had my answer. My mind was clear. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to call home for the next four years.”

Jonah-Ajonye takes on a new role…

The nation’s No. 44 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking doesn’t want to make his way to Athens alone. Believe it or not, he’s not the highest-rated prospect on his own team.

That distinction belongs to five-star linebacker Justin Williams, who has an unofficial top two of Georgia and Oregon. The two have visited Athens together twice and with Jonah-Ajonye headed to UGA in January, he’s hoping to have his teammate and confidant in tow,

“Honestly, it would be a dream, a blessing, to be able to play with my linebacker,” Jonah-Ajonye said. ‘He has helped me through this recruiting process. He’s been the one who has helped me most, him and God. They’ve helped me most. My mom wasn’t involved with it. My sister wasn’t involved until the very end. But him, from the start, he has been there. It would be amazing if I could play with him. I’m going to try to get him there but if he doesn’t, that’s his choice. I’m going to be happy for him either way because that’s my brother.”

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