Javon Bullard's Journey to Becoming Georgia's Latest Recruiting Success Story

Georgia's Javon Bullard was not the most coveted prospect coming out of high school, but he has become a recent example of Georgia's success on the recruiting trail.

Jonathan Williams | Feb 25, 2023

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Georgia Bulldogs

When a team becomes as successful as Georgia has under Kirby Smart, it typically all starts with getting the job done on the recruiting trail. The Bulldogs are a household name in the sport which also means they garner a lot of attention from a lot of the nation's top athletes every single recruiting cycle. Georgia's relentless pursuit on the trail is how they have consistently recruited at a top three level.

Over the last three recruiting classes, Georgia has reeled in 14 total five-star prospects. Common sense would say you have to recruit the best players to be the best. However, not all of Georgia's best players come into the program with a top ranking or with five stars. Some come in under the radar and burst onto the scene almost out of nowhere. One of the most recent examples of this storyline is defensive back Javon Bullard.

Coming out of high school, Bullard was ranked as the 634th-best player in the 2021 class, a three-star prospect and the 52nd-ranked player at his position. He held offers from other power-five schools such as South Carolina, Tennessee and NC State but he would eventually commit and sign with Georgia.

Making the transition from high school to college can be a difficult hurdle to overcome for any athlete, no matter the ranking. That was not the case for Bullard though. As a true freshman, he appeared in 14 out of 15 games for the Bulldogs. Yes, the same defense that had eight players taken in the draft later that year.

By the time the 2022 season rolled around, Bullard had earned the role of being a permanent member on the field for the Bulldogs playing the STAR position. One of the most memorable performances of his sophomore season came in the biggest game of the season against TCU in the national championship game as Bullard caught two interceptions and recovered a fumble to earn him "defensive player of the game" honors.

Bullard finished the 2022 season with seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 46 total tackles. The playmakers of all playmakers. In fact, that is the most tackles for loss recorded by a Georgia defensive back since Brandon Boykin in 2011.

In just three years, Bullard has gone from essentially an afterthought on the recruiting trail, at least for the majority of college football programs, to now being one of the most valuable members on the top defense in the sport, and one of the latest examples of a Georgia recruiting success story. Now all eyes are on Bullard to see just how special of a season he will have as a junior in 2023.

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Published Feb 25, 2023

JONATHAN WILLIAMS