The Dawgs Central staff has entered a commitment prediction for four-star defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell. The team at Dawgs Central is projecting Mitchell to commit to UGA.

Mitchell is a 6’5” 345 pounder out of Oradell, NJ. He is a consensus Top 5 overall player in the state of New Jersey, and possesses ideal size for an SEC interior lineman. Mitchell was double and triple-teamed all year playing on one of the nation’s best high-school football teams at Bergen Catholic. Mitchell’s high-school team went 12-0, winning a New Jersey State Championship and finishing as the 3rd ranked team in the nation. 

There are only a few players with Mitchell’s combination of size, speed and physicality in each recruiting cycle. Of the nation’s top defensive tackles, he may be the largest. These are the players that only a small handful of programs in the country possess, and defensive tackles like Mitchell have the ability to reset the line of scrimmage down after down. Sydir’s offer list includes most recent national title contenders. Most services group all defensive lineman into one group for their rankings. It is hard to compare Mitchell’s skill set to a traditional pass rusher’s role in a defense. Among true DT’s in the 2023 class, Mitchell is one of the top 5-10 players. He should be considered one of the nation’s Top 100-150 overall recruits and likely will be by the end of the cycle. Currently he is underrated due to facing multiple blockers on almost every down. 

Despite facing multiple blockers on almost every down, Mitchell’s tape shows a player with a great nose for the football. Despite his size, he plays with quick feet and his long frame allows him to shed blockers with ease. He’s a prototypical run stopper and can work laterally down the line towards the ball carrier even when engaged with multiple blockers. On some plays he makes a tackle even while being engaged with an opposing offensive lineman. Mitchell plays with a low center of gravity despite his height. 

Sydir is an efficient 0-technique defensive tackle, and possesses the size and instincts to be an excellent fit in a traditional 3-4 alignment in the SEC. His tape also shows him doing plenty of good work as a 3-technique. He is explosive at the snap and displays good ability to twist his hips and jump into gaps. He rarely gets one-on-one blocking matchups on passing downs, but when he does he is able to bull rush his man into the backfield. If he is able to develop a toolbox of pass rush moves he could be a dominant three-down defensive tackle in the SEC. 

He will likely become even more explosive in a college nutrition program designed on strengthening his lower half. On some downs he shows instincts that are rare for a defensive lineman at any level of football. At times, Mitchell will peel off his pass rush and drop into a throwing lane. When he does so, he’s a legitimate threat to pick the ball off. 

The defensive tackle position at UGA has a long legacy of elite players. The tandem of Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt anchored UGA’s historically efficient 2021 defense before becoming first round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jalen Carter might be more talented than either of last year’s starters, and will likely be a top ten overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Mitchell possesses all of the physical tools to become another Bulldog on the interior line that is a high round selection in the NFL Draft.