The Georgia-to-Syracuse pipeline continues. After head coach Fran Brown moved from UGA to SU, several players followed last year–and that trend appears to be continuing this offseason.
Cornerback Chris Peal has announced his commitment to Syracuse after limited playing time in his last two seasons with Georgia. The freshman had one tackle in a blowout victory over Florida State in the 2023 Orange Bowl. Peal redshirted and logged one tackle after another dominant win over Tennessee Tech this past September in his redshirt freshman year.
The Charlotte native stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 195 pounds. Peal has three years of eligibility left after his redshirt freshman season with the Bulldogs. According to 247Sports, Peal went into Georgia as the 8th overall player in North Carolina’s 2023 recruiting class.
Brown was UGA’s defensive backs coach when Peal joined the Bulldogs. Now, the two reconnect after a year removed.
This situation is reminiscent of what happened with wide receiver Jackson Meeks. The former Georgia product switched to Syracuse with Brown and emerged with a breakout 1,000-yard season. Recently, the NFL’s Lions signed him as an undrafted free agent.
As far as the defensive back unit is concerned, Syracuse has taken a hit which could give Peal a plethora of playing time, possibly even in the starting unit, this season.
Alijah Clark, Clarence Lewis, Marcellus Barnes Jr, Jaeden Gould, and Jayden Bellamy have all gone to the NFL or the transfer portal.
That leaves Peal with an opportunity to build his way up through the program. Also, two-way freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. will have a good chance to display his unique skills.
Despite many key defensive departures heading into summer camp, Coach Brown continues to find ways to bring younger players into the equation who have an opportunity to showcase their potential. Add Peal to that list.
