Georgia redshirt junior left guard Solomon Kindley, who was lightly regarded in recruiting but is anything but light in stature, announced Tuesday that he would be leaving the Bulldogs for the NFL draft.
The 6-foot-4, 335-pounder from Jacksonville, Florida, revealed his decision via Instagram.
"The state of Georgia and Athens will always have a special place in my heart," Kindley said. "With that being said and after discussing it over with my family, I'll be forgoing my senior season and will enter the 2020 NFL draft."
Kindley is Georgia's third offensive lineman with eligibility remaining to declare for the draft, with junior left tackle Andrew Thomas and redshirt sophomore right tackle Isaiah Wilson deciding last month to bypass the Sugar Bowl as well. Kindley played in New Orleans, helping the Bulldogs cap a 12-2 season with a 26-14 dumping of Baylor.
A fourth Georgia lineman, redshirt junior right guard Ben Cleveland, did not make the trip to the Sugar Bowl reportedly as a result of being academically ineligible.
Kindley is among six Georgia players ranked by CBS among the top 100 draft-eligible prospects. Thomas tops the list at No. 5, with junior running back D'Andre Swift 16th, Wilson 52nd, junior quarterback Jake Fromm 55th, senior safety J.R. Reed 87th and Kindley 93rd.
Swift declared for the NFL draft late last week, while Fromm has yet to announce his decision.
Kindley was the nation's No. 89 tackle and the No. 1,051 prospect overall in the 2016 signing class. He redshirted his first season in Athens before making seven starts at right guard for the 2017 Southeastern Conference champions.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Kindley started all 14 games at left guard, and he finished this season playing every offensive snap during the stretch run against Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M, and again in the Sugar Bowl.
According to the draft critique from Pro Football Network, Kindley "plays with good power, which allows him to move defenders with ease. One area of concern will be Kindley's weight. His weight has fluctuated between 330 and 350 pounds, so it will be paramount that he focuses on his conditioning."
Reese in portal
Georgia reserve safety Otis Reese, the No. 87 national prospect in the 2018 signing class according to 247Sports.com, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
The 6-3, 210-pound sophomore from Leesburg, Georgia, played in all 14 games this season but tallied only three tackles. He played in 11 games as a freshman and had 13 tackles and even started in the 27-10 win over Auburn.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.