| Georgia NT Kwame Geathers is going pro. (US Presswire) |
Another Georgia Bulldogs defender has decided to skip his senior season and turn pro.
Junior nose tackle Kwame Geathers told Dawgs247.com on Wednesday of his decision to declare for April's NFL Draft. Geathers, a 6-foot-6, 355-pound mountain of a man, started four times for the Bulldogs this past fall and notched 40 tackles, including five behind the line and one sack.
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Georgia hoped Geathers would take over as a full-time starter at nose tackle next season, so his departure is a blow to a defense already decimated by graduation and early entries. The Bulldogs have just four starters returning from last season: defensive end Garrison Smith, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera and cornerback Damian Swann
While the NFL draft advisory projected him to go somewhere between the third and sixth rounds, it wasn't that big of a shock that Geathers chose to leave early:
Geathers' family has a history of leaving early: His older brothers Robert and Clifton both left Georgia and South Carolina, respectively, a year early. Robert Geathers is a starting defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals.
It looks like Georgia will have to turn to junior Mike Thornton, freshman John Taylor or perhaps an incoming recruit to take Geathers' place in 2013.