Georgia football is adding some international flavor to its roster with the 2025 recruiting class.
Jayden-Jamal “JJ” Hanne, a rising senior in California who is originally from Berlin, Germany, has committed to the Bulldogs.
The 6-foot-4 ½, 281-pound defensive lineman is beginning his third season at Santa Margarita Catholic in Rancho Santa Margarita, which is approximately midway between San Diego and Los Angeles.
He did not start playing football until he arrived in the United States, where he attended Santa Margarita Catholic.
“Even though he was a developmental guy, he’s taking huge strides and has gotten so much better,” his high school coach, Anthony Rouzier, told the Athens Banner-Herald. “He’s got an amazing mentality.”
Hanne made his choice on Monday afternoon via On3’s Hayes Fawcett’s X account.
It happened two days after Hanne committed to Georgia as the class’s 22nd pledge.
The three-star prospect chose the Bulldogs over Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M.
Rouzier shared a room at UMass with Brandon Collier, the founder of PPI Recruits, a company that helps place foreign football players in college teams. Rouzier coached at Hamburg, Germany, in 2017.
Before switching to football, Hanne played soccer. He worked out for Collier in the hopes of traveling to the United States to play and attend school.
Collier goes on an annual summer trip with international prospects to predominantly Eastern colleges.
Hanne paid a visit to Georgia on May 30, and after working out with defensive line coach Tray Scott, the school offered him a scholarship.
I am in California watching @JaydenHanne practice , a kid I placed from Germany 2 years ago and the kid is really impressive. This kid should be on EVERY school radar. I would be ok telling every DL Coach in the country to come see him live! pic.twitter.com/C8WRMqOUfl
— Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) April 23, 2024
Hanne returned to Georgia on Thursday, and Rouzier was present in Athens on Saturday when Hanne committed.
He will join fellow German natives who played defensive line at Santa Margarita Catholic in college, such Hero Kanu (Ohio State) and Maurice Heims (Washington).
Georgia also pursued Kanu. They have now landed Hanne.
