Georgia one of the first schools to offer defensive lineman Tatum White

Heard County (GA) defensive lineman Tatum White recently earned the offer of a lifetime.

The Class of 2029 Peach State prospect received an offer from Georgia on Jan. 22.

“A coach from UGA called my coach during the day, and he pulled me out of class,” White told UGASports after the Bulldogs offered. “He told me Georgia had offered, and I was just ecstatic. It was an unbelievable moment.”

White said Georgia had been tracking him for a while. While NCAA rules limit direct contact at his age, he’d stayed on the staff’s radar through social media and repeated visits to Athens during the season.

“I’d been texting with a guy on Twitter and going to games,” White said. “So I knew there was interest, but hearing it like that was crazy.”

For an in-state prospect who grew up surrounded by Georgia football, the offer hit close to home.

“My dad’s a huge Georgia fan. My pop-pop, everybody,” White said. “When I was little, my whole room was Georgia Bulldogs. So this was unreal.”

White made multiple visits to Athens for 2025 season

White attended multiple home games this fall, including matchups against Marshall, Kentucky and Charlotte.

While game-day schedules limited face-to-face conversations with the coaching staff, he said Georgia made him feel welcome each time he visited.

“They took my height and weight, checked on me, asked if I needed anything,” White said. “Everybody was really nice. The campus is awesome.”

At the time of his earlier visits, White measured around 6-foot-3½ and 275 pounds. He’s continued to grow since then.

“I’m about 6-4½ or 6-5 now and around 279,” he said. “I’ve gotten taller and bigger.”

On the field, White has lined up all over the defensive front at Heard County, playing defensive end, defensive tackle, and some nose.

He said that college coaches appear to like his length and movement on the edge.

“I’ve kind of played everywhere,” White said. “But I think most of them see me at (defensive end) because I’ve got long arms and I’m quicker. I can hold the edge and still move.”

During his visits, White said he spent a lot of time watching Georgia’s defensive line and came away impressed with how the Bulldogs played up front.

“They’re huge,” he said. “They made me look tiny. But they’re explosive off the ball and really locked in. You could tell they were ready to play.”

White said he enjoys watching former Bulldogs such as Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, along with current defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, and studies their film to pick up techniques he can work into his own game.

“I like watching how they move and what they do with their hands,” he said. “See if I can add some of that to my bag.”

What’s next for White?

Despite being early in the process, White already knows he’ll be back in Athens soon.

The Buldogs and Liberty are currently the only two schools to have offered White.

He plans to return for more games and camps this year, including a summer camp at Georgia.

“I can’t wait,” White said. “I’m ready to get back up there and show out.”