Georgia
2025 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Georgia IOL Jared Wilson
It’s shaping up to be a trench-heavy draft class for the Cincinnati Bengals—which is just fine, given the physical nature of the AFC North. While the defense needs a lot of work, Cincinnati will undoubtedly look to bolster parts of their offensive line this weekend.
It’s no secret that the Bengals love incoming rookies who played for the Georgia Bulldogs. David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Geno Atkins, A.J. Green, and Amarius Mims are just some of the high picks the club has made with that pedigree—and they may look to the SEC powerhouse again in this year’s draft.
Jared Wilson is a decorated center with a number of high-end athletic traits. The question with Wilson isn’t whether he can be a capable center at the next level, but whether he can also be an effective guard if needed.
Jared Wilson
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 310
- Age: 21
- Year: Redshirt Junior
- Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
- RAS:
Background
Wilson exited high school as a three-star prospect and the No. 20 offensive guard in the nation. He committed to Georgia and was part of the team’s immense success during his first two seasons with the Bulldogs—both National Championship campaigns.
His collegiate career reached the next level when he began starting for Georgia in 2023, culminating in a Second-Team All-SEC selection this past season.
Wilson impressed many during the pre-draft process, particularly with his RAS metrics. He should hear his name called by the end of Night Two of the draft, if not sooner.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Athleticism, quickness, pass protection, and the ability to recover from “losses” are all big pluses with Wilson. They stand out in his athletic profile, and the tape shows a player with quick feet and solid football acumen.
While all of those traits are coveted at the next level, there are questions about his ability to consistently hold up against NFL defensive linemen. Oddly enough, given the title of this subsection, “strength” is a major concern for Wilson.
Some question his ability to gain leverage in the run game at the NFL level, and there are criticisms about his initial “punch” at first contact. His below-average bench press reps in pre-draft workouts didn’t do much to quiet those concerns.
Potential versatility is a lesser concern, but the strength issue also impacts his projected ability to play guard in the NFL. Regardless, Wilson’s experience in the SEC and the daily grind of the notoriously tough Bulldogs practices make him an appealing prospect.
Outlook
When it comes to the Bengals, they often favor players with positional versatility—or those who may lack certain physical traits at a specific spot that worked in college but won’t translate to the same role in the pros. This approach has produced mixed results for Cincinnati at best, but maximizing the roster is key to building a championship-caliber NFL team.
Some believe Wilson is a “center-only” player, which may not endear him to the Bengals’ staff, even with the Georgia connection. New offensive line coach Scott Peters would likely need to be convinced that Wilson can initially play guard before eventually becoming the heir apparent to Ted Karras at center (unless Matt Lee is part of the long-term plan).
The one point that often gets brought up with Tate Ratledge and a potential Bengals connection is the same that could be said for Wilson. If Mims is a future franchise tackle—and he looks every bit the part entering Year Two—the familiarity he would have with a former teammate is worth noting.
Cincinnati needs help on the interior offensive line. Karras is steady but nearing the end of his career, so Wilson could make sense on Night Two if other needs are met. And with the Bengals’ offense being more pass-oriented, an interior pass-protector like Wilson should pique the team’s interest.
Georgia
Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei
ATLANTA – As conflict intensifies between the United States, Israel and Iran, reactions are pouring in across the Atlanta metro area after President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iran’s supreme leader.
The president confirmed on Truth Social that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint strike led by the U.S. and Israel.
What they’re saying:
“I have been waiting to hear this news for the last 20 years,” said Dr. Sasan Tavassoli, an Atlanta-based pastor born in Iran.
“Ayatollah Khamenei has been responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Iranians over the last three decades. He has been a very evil dictator and a very oppressive tyrant.”
Other local Iranians, like Shohreh Mir, expressed a long-standing desire for internal change rather than outside intervention.
“This was an imposed war,” Mir said. “We still very much would like for Iranian people to change the regime by themselves.”
What’s next:
Tavassoli said the Ayatollah’s death now creates a new issue.
“Ayatollah Khamenei never invested in raising a succession after himself,” he said, “so the crisis of the Iranian revolution and the Iranian regime is there is no legitimate successor.”
While the long-term duration of the conflict remains unknown, Iran has already begun launching retaliatory strikes following the attack.
“This is a huge development for day one, but the war is not over,” Tavassoli noted. “There are still many ways that things can become even more bloody and destructive in the coming days and weeks.”
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Rey Llerena speaking with Iranian Americans across Georgia.
Georgia
Body found near Georgia Power dam on Radium Springs Road in Albany
ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – A person was found dead in the 5200 block of Radium Springs Road on Saturday morning, according to Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.
Fowler said the call came in as a water rescue. The body was recovered early Saturday, Feb. 28.
The coroner confirmed the person found was male. His identity and age remain unknown.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
Georgia
Ga. lawmakers propose changes to state’s early voting process
ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – State legislators are considering more changes to Georgia’s voting law, proposing a new bill that would alter the way early voters cast ballots.
State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming, introduced SB 568 this week. The proposal would assign early voters to one precinct in their county. Currently, voters can cast early votes at any precinct in their county.
It would also move early voting to a hand-marked paper ballot system, where voters use a pen to mark their selections, instead of the currently used touchscreen system.
“So that we would not have to print so many permutations at the paper ballots, we would assign voters to an early voting location,” said Dolezal. “Most people are going to vote to the at the early voting location closest to their home anyway.”
The bill was immediately met with backlash from democrats as a barrier to the vote.
“I have no idea how voting on a piece of paper, marking it down with your pencil in any way suppresses the vote,” said Dolezal. “For most counties out of, you know, 140 call it out of 159, they just have one location.”
Dolezal’s proposal would also require local clerks to publicly post their entire voting rolls ahead of elections.
“Making public every single voter who is qualified to vote is to some extent, a little bit of an invasion of privacy for each individual voter,” said state Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta). “We need to have trust in our election officials to run those elections.”
It’s the latest change the legislature has proposed to Georgia’s voting system.
“You have dirty, dirty voting rolls, you’re going to have dirty elections,” Dolezal said.
The bill would also shift responsibility for voter challenges from the counties to the State Elections Board. In addition, it would also move the threshold for an automatic recount in the state from a 1.5% margin to 2%.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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