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Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs earned the commitment of Anthony "AJ" Lonon, who is a defensive lineman from Clarke Central High School in Athens.
The four-star prospect announced his decision on Saturday in a ceremony held in his high school’s weight room. Choosing Georgia over Georgia Tech, he also had offers from NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Appalachian State, Harvard, Dartmouth and Cornell.
"This is what an athlete thinks about as a kid," Lonon said, via Athens Banner-Herald. "Where they're going to commit, who's going to come out to support them, where they chose the hat and put it on. ... I'd like to give all thanks to God. I truly believe that my talent is God-given, and it was my job to capitalize off that."
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Listed at 6-foot-1.5 and 265 pounds, Anthony "AJ" Lonon is rated the No. 28 defensive lineman in the class of 2026, according to Rivals. In his junior season, he totaled 51 tackles, 33 of which were solo, along with 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott made Lonon a priority, and if he enrolls, he will join a stacked defensive line group in the 2026 class. The unit includes four-star prospects PJ Dean, Valdin Sone, Carter Luckie and Seven Cloud, along with three-star Preston Carey.
Anthony "AJ" Lonon’s plan at Georgia
A few months ago, Anthony "AJ" Lonon had no offers. According to On3, he emailed his highlight film to over 100 schools, and Georgia’s coaches were among those impressed, leading to heavy recruitment over the summer.
“They envision me as a first down, second down tackle, and they like the fact that I can move, and then on third down, they like me as an end,” Lonon told DawgsHQ’s Jeremy Johnson. “I’m excited to see how that looks. I played everything in high school.
"I feel like I have a very strong pass rush, and I’m elusive on the defensive line. I’m grateful for the coaches for letting me explore and for how they’ve helped me progress as a player.”
Lonon is the 31st commitment in Georgia’s 2026 class and the seventh defensive lineman.
