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Is There a Place for Kelee Ringo in the Commanders’ Secondary?

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2023 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

By dg28
/ new
NCAA Football: Georgia at Kentucky Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kelee Ringo, CB

School: Georgia | Conference: SEC

College Experience: RS Sophomore | Age: 20

Height / Weight: 6’2” / 207 lbs

Projected Draft Status: 2nd Round

Player Comparison: Byron Maxwell

College Statistics

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2020 Georgia SEC FR DB
*2021 Georgia SEC FR DB 14 26 8 34 1.0 1.0 2 79 39.5 1 8 0 0
*2022 Georgia SEC JR DB 15 37 5 42 2.0 0.0 2 45 22.5 0 7 0 0 0 1
Career Georgia 63 13 76 3.0 1.0 4 124 31.0 1 15 0 0 0 1
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/8/2023.

Player Overview

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Kelee Ringo would move to Scottsdale, Arizona, as a high school sophomore. Until that point, he had only played running back and wide receiver, but his coaches asked him to switch to cornerback because they were thin at the position. Ringo excelled there, eventually becoming an All-American, a five-star recruit, and the top cornerback in the nation. Ringo excelled not only on the field, but on the track where he ran the fastest 100 meter and 200 meter in Arizona in 2018. He would choose to continue his football career at Georgia. He redshirted his first year for the Bulldogs to recover from an offseason surgery for a torn labrum. He would comeback in 2021 and lockdown a starting role on a historically good defense that led the way to Georgia’s national championship. His two picks and eight PBUs earned him a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team. Ringo put up similar numbers and earned All-SEC second-team honors while helping Georgia win another title.

Strengths

  • Top-notch size for the position
  • Straight-line speed is excellent, rarely beaten deep
  • In press, effectively strikes targets to disrupt route timing
  • Has makeup speed to undercut routes
  • Plays with good spatial awareness in zone coverage

Weaknesses

  • Not very fluid with stiff hips
  • Struggles changing direction quickly and staying in phase
  • Slow to close on receivers with the ball in the air
  • Gets grabby when beat, leading to penalties
  • Needs to consistently look for the ball

Let’s see his work

How he fits on the Commanders

While the Commanders have starters in Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste on the outside at corner, they need to both find depth, and prepare for beyond next season. Fuller is set to be a free agent and St-Juste has had numerous injuries in his first two seasons. Kelee Ringo offers size, speed, and physicality on the boundary, elements that will be needed against some of the receivers the Commanders will see often. He can backup Fuller and St-Juste for a year while he improves aspects of his game that will allow him to play more quickly. If he can improve defending against the quickness of receivers, Ringo should be an impact player for years to come. And if he struggles on the outside . . . . kick him inside and let him play buffalo nickel if Kam Curl cannot be retained.

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