How a 5-foot-8 walk-on landed at Georgia, ended up being a cult

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN

  • Senior Citizen WriterSep 15, 2023, 07:15 AM ET Close Senior college football writer
  • Author of 7 books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

ATHENS, Ga.– Previous Central Gwinnett High School football coach Jason Thompson can’t remember the specific variety of college coaches who weren’t interested in recruiting his star player, Mekhi Mews, in 2021.

Whether the coaches were from FBS, FCS, Department II, Division III or even NAIA programs, nearly each of them told Thompson the exact same thing: Mews is too small.

“Everybody was stressed over how brief he was,” stated Thompson, now the defensive coordinator at Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia. “I indicate, that’s difficult. You can’t fudge that. You understand what I suggest? It is what it is.”

Mekhi Mews has actually scored two long touchdowns to start the season. Todd Kirkland/Getty Images In 2 games for two-time defending FBS nationwide champ Georgia this season, Mews has actually proved height isn’t everything. On a team chock full of four- and first-class employees, the 5-foot-8 walk-on has been perhaps the No. 1 Bulldogs’ most explosive player.In Georgia

‘s 48-7 success over FCS challenger UT Martin in the opener, Mews had a 54-yard touchdown catch. In last week’s 45-3 win over Ball State, he returned a punt 69 lawns for a goal. It was Georgia’s very first punt return for a score in almost 5 years. Through two games, Mews also leads the team in getting yards.Going into Saturday’s SEC opener versus South Carolina at Sanford Arena, Mews ranks No. 2 in the FBS in punt returns with a 26-yard average on five returns. He would rank fifth in the FBS in kickoff returns with a 39-yard average if he had sufficient returns.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated” We saw him in high school, and he was high on our preferred walk-on list, and he earned it,”Georgia coach Kirby Smart stated.”He came out and actually contended and did a fantastic task. I believe everyone on the team will inform you he’s earned what he has actually gotten with the method he practices. “Mews’early success isn’t unexpected to his teammates, who have actually been raving about him because last season. He made such an impact on the scout-team

offense that offending organizer Mike Bobo dubbed him”Waffle Home” due to the fact that he was constantly open in practice. On numerous days, Mews scattered and diced Georgia’s extremely concerned defense, which struggled to smother and cover him.” I have actually seen it every day considering that he was available in here, “receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said.”Him being on scout teams, just going out there versus the ones [

. and] offering everyone the blues. Every day he makes plays– that’s all he does. Those little runs, that’s what he does on a daily basis. “Mews made his share of explosive plays during his final two seasons at Central Gwinnett High School in rural Atlanta. As a senior, he was named

All-Gwinnett County and all-state as a receiver. While using a group that finished with a 1-9 record, he was also called his region’s player of the year and the county’s pass receiver of the year after catching 76 passes for 1,065 lawns and 8 goals.” He was our punt returner, kick returner, and, actually, he would’ve been our best defensive back,” Thompson said.”I just couldn’t play him all the dang time since you only got numerous snaps

on a Friday night that they can precede they fall out. But when we required someone to cover, he was our man that played. “That’s why it was so bewildering to Thompson and former Black Knights hiring coordinator Chaz Ferdinand that college football programs, even those at the sport’s lower levels, weren’t going to offer Mews a scholarship.Top stories of the week from Get special access to thousands of premium articles a year from leading writers. – NFL draft risers

, sleepers, nuggets” – Which groups can win a World Series?”- Ranking 133 CFB groups post-Week 2″More ESPN+material””A great deal of

smaller schools, I resemble, ‘This kid is dominant on tape, dominant. Who cares if he’s 5-foot-8?'”said Ferdinand, now an assistant coach
at Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia.
“We weren’t striving the stars at the time. I was attempting to get schools like Samford and Furman to provide him, and they were like,’He’s too brief, Coach. We simply do not know. There’s a taller kid we can take.’ “When Ferdinand pushed back and argued that other players weren’t as productive as Mews in high school, the coaches countered that they were taller and predicted better in college.”One school stated, ‘Coach, we just don’t know if he has big-play capability,'”

Ferdinand said.” That was the dumbest thing I had actually ever heard. Me and you clearly aren’t seeing the same tape. The first play on his tape, he breaks 16 deals with

on a kickoff return and takes it 100 lawns to your home.” Mekhi Mews didn’t have any FBS scholarship offers out of high school. Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports Mews ‘size wasn’t the only thing that caused college recruiters to pass on using him a scholarship. He played his very first 2 seasons at Grayson High School, a powerhouse program in suburban Atlanta, however appeared in just a handful of games as a sophomore because of a torn hamstring. In his junior season at Central Gwinnett in 2020, he broke his collarbone and missed out on a number of games. Besides games from Mews’senior season, college recruiters didn’t have much tape to evaluate.There were also less scholarships readily available in 2020-21 due to the fact that the NCAA gave college student-athletes a sixth year of eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes to the NCAA’s transfer rules likewise didn’t help. According to Ferdinand, FCS and Division II coaches were more inclined

to take an FBS transfer than a smaller sized, unproven high school recruit.In completion, Olivet Nazarene University, an NAIA program in Bourbonnais, Illinois, was the only group that offered Mews a full scholarship. FCS program Savannah State was willing to provide him a partial scholarship; Mews stated it would have cost him about$ 8,000 annually to attend the school. HBCUs Morehouse College, in Atlanta

, and Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, also provided him partial scholarships. FCS program Tennessee Tech extended him a full ride however withdrew it after another player devoted.” I was just sending out groups my film just anywhere, honestly, simply to get an appearance,” Mews stated.”Some teams would react, but nobody would ever pull the trigger, if that makes sense, like actually use me. They ‘d resemble,’Oh, yeah, we’ll let you know. ‘Or they ‘d have me send out transcripts and stuff, but then I ‘d never ever hear back from them.

“Mews sent his tape to Georgia in December 2020. About a week later, then-receivers coach Cortez Hankton replied and requested kick return highlights. The next month, Hankton called Ferdinand and stated the Bulldogs desired Mews to join their group as a favored walk-on. He ‘d have a spot on the roster but would not receive a scholarship. Because of his grades, much of Mews ‘instructional costs would be covered by the state’s HOPE Scholarship program.Follow the CFB season – Full schedule”|Standings “- Allstate Playoff Predictor”- Daily lines “| Futures” – Football Power Index “More CFB coverage”Mews and his mother went to Georgia’s school.

A few of Mews ‘buddies told him

he would never ever see the field with the Bulldogs and need to go elsewhere where he might play. Mews asked Ferdinand what to do. “
What’s the worst that’s going
to occur? “

Ferdinand informed him.”If it doesn’t work out, then you transfer in two years to a school that you would’ve ended up at anyhow. Or perhaps even something bigger than what you’ve got now because you’re going to be in the website and after that the website is going to state that you came from Georgia. It’s not going to state, ‘Walk-on from Georgia.'” Mews wound up committing to the Bulldogs. He didn’t have to look far for inspiration. Quarterback Stetson Bennett, a previous walk-on, helped lead Georgia to its first championship game in 40 years in 2021 and after that won it again the next season. Walk-on safety Dan Jackson was

a starter on the 2021 defense that had actually five starters selected in the preliminary of the NFL draft the next spring. “First off, Mekhi works his tail off every day, which’s really all it boils down to,”Jackson informed press reporters after the Ball State game. “If you reveal you can play and you show you have that work ethic, Coach Smart really values that. When you have that type of athleticism, they are going to discover an area for you.

And after that the hard work is simply an extra.”Mews doesn’t yet have a scholarship at Georgia. He does have name, image and similarity offers that assist cover his real estate costs and other costs. Bennett made more than $1 million in NIL agreements as a senior in 2015. “I seem like it gives hope to other walk-ons on our group and enables them to know,’ Hey, there’s a possibility

I could play if I simply give it my all,'”Mews said. “I seem like a lot of guys on the team, they’re cheering for me. A great deal of walk-ons on the group that remained in the same position as me, it resembles I’m paving a path. Since every time

you see a walk-on that is able to play or contribute, it provides the other walk-ons more confidence that they can do it.”