Georgia Freshmen Faces: Get to Know Nyland Green
Georgia wasted no time prioritizing the defensive back position in 2021. Safety David Daniel was their very first commit in the class, and the cherry on the top towards the end of the cycle was Newton High School cornerback Nyland Green.
Green recently climbed inside the SI99, Sports Illustrated's Top 99 players in the class of 2021. At No. 99, Green has one of the highest ceilings for any defensive back on the list.
According to sources, Green measured in at 6-foot-3, 186 pounds when he arrived on campus. He's extremely long and fluid as a prospect. Though the most impressive thing about Green are his ball skills, he also has tremendous range and exceptionally soft hands. He's strictly working at corner for now. Georgia's defensive playbook is complex for young players, so though Green may have positional versatility in the future, for now he's playing corner only.
Here's what our SI All-American staff had to say about Green:
Frame: Long and athletic with plus size for a corner. Will be able to hold 15-20 pounds easily upon arrival at a Power-5 program.
Athleticism: What doesn’t he do for Newton High School? He’s the best receiver on the field, the best corner, the best safety, and is somehow still quick and explosive considering the length. Great ball skills as well. All translating well into college.
Instincts: Redirects exceptionally well, and clearly shows the ability to be multidimensional in terms of position, indicating the football knowledge is supreme. Looks best as a centerfield safety, but is determined to play corner. Both at big-time Power-5 caliber.
Polish: Backpedal looks effortless, but prefers to jam and keep opponents at the line of scrimmage. Could be over-aggressive at this stage. Will likely get even bigger in the coming years, which is frightening but the foot speed is there to remain at corner, if he so chooses.
Bottom Line: At last glance, on a trip to Newton High School for a morning workout last spring there were two players that were 100 percent about their business and Green was the leader. He’s a no-nonsense type of player with a glowing personality who can impact a secondary sooner rather than later, at cornerback, safety or a combination of the two.
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