A Georgia native who once dreamed of playing for Georgia, is stepping away from football before ever getting a chance to suit up for a game. According to a statement released by Georgia on Wednesday afternoon, incoming freshman tight end Hunter Atkinson has decided to step away from football. No reason for his decision has been given, but he does so with Mark Richt sending along his best wishes.
“We will miss Hunter in our freshman class but understand his decision and wish him nothing but the best in achieving his career objectives,” said Richt in a statement released by the school.
Atkinson, a Georgia native, was a three-star tight end recruit according to Rivals.com. He chose Georgia after receiving a late offer in the recruiting process. Before Georgia offered, Atkinson was ready to join Cincinnati. Atkinson also held offers from Illinois, Georgia State and a handful of FCS programs.
“Georgia is a great school with both athletic and academic opportunities and I want to thank Coach Richt and the other coaches for their interest and all they have done for me over the past few months,” said Atkinson. “I realized I have other career goals and want to pursue those interests.”
Georgia has five tight ends on the roster (four on scholarship), so the depth is taking a hit, but this does not appear to be a severely detrimental roster change for the Bulldogs just yet.