GOING TO THE DAWGS: Highly recruited SJP safety Aguero picks defending national champs

Jean DePlacido, The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
·4 min read

Jul. 24—DANVERS — Four college caps were displayed on the table in front of St. John's Prep senior Joenel Aguero — Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and Florida, Those were the four football powerhouses the highly sought after safety from Lynn had narrowed his college choices down to after whittling his way through a list of nearly 50 that wanted to land him.

Aguero played for the Eagles as a freshman before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Saturday's occasion was a verbal commitment ceremony in the Mahoney Wellness Center carried live on CBS HQ before a large crowd of family, friends, Prep coaches and teammates.

The announcement was scheduled for 12:30 p.m., and as the crowd silently waited in the stands for the big news to be announced by the number one recruit in the state, he moved the hats to line up perfectly and waited the signal that everything was ready with CBS.

After saying a few words of thanks to parents and coaches for support, he reached for the bright red Georgia hat and put it on his head. Auguero, a four star recruit at safety rated the number one prospect at his position by ESPN and No. 2 by 247Sports. Rivals.com. He's No. 21 by ESPN and 20 by 247Sports of all recruits nationwide.

Someone in the crowd yelled out "Where are you going Joenel?' and his three year old brother Joemani answered "Georgia." That turned out to be the correct answer but was not heard by the majority of the crowd.

St. John's head coach Brian St. Pierre brought his 11-year old son Kyle to the ceremony. He was wearing an Orioles T-shirt, the team he plays baseball for, but as soon as the announcement was made he removed it to reveal a red Georgia shirt.

"We had to cover it up and not spoil the secret," said coach St. Pierre. "It's been Georgia from the beginning, and I've known for a while that was his choice."

Augero had a long list that he narrowed methodically, deciding which Power 5 conference school was the best fit for him and one that would enhance his dream of playing in the NFL one day. The Bulldogs left no doubt they really wanted to land him, and Miami coaches put a late push on trying to sway him.

"Georgia is the best team for me," he said at a question and answer session following the announcement. "I made my decision about a month ago, but at times it was hard to wrap my head around it. I wanted the hardest football conference, and you can't beat SEC football. I've wanted to play in the SEC for a long time, and right away I fell in love with Georgia.

"I'm confident they can bring me along and get me ready for the NFL. It's been a long,, difficult month, and I have to admit I had my doubts at times but never changed my mind. All the schools have great programs and great coaches so I felt really comfortable choosing any one. I see myself playing a bunch of different positions because I'm an athlete. I pray to God I made the best decision for me, but any time I visited Georgia it felt like home, and i didn't want to leave. I loved it from the first visit."

Aguero said he was glad he transferred to IMG Academy, and said it was a great experience. He learned a lot, but wanted to come back home to play his senior year in front of family and friends.

"I missed my family, and wanted them to be able to come to all my games senior year," he said. "Once I'm in college the trip will be much longer. The IMG coaches there taught me a lot, but I wanted to put my home state on the map."

The reigning national champion Bulldogs recruited Augero heavily right from the start. The 6 foot, 215 pound four star recruit runs the 40 yard dash in 4.6 and broad jumps 4-feet-4-inches. The elite safety prospect is extremely athletic, physical, and aggressive. Last year he played free safety and some wide receiver for the Ascenders, who were ranked No. 2 in the country and No. 1 in Florida. He has also been successful playing cornerback. One of the things that pointed him Georgia's way was their strong defense and success coach Kirby Smart has had.

"I can play different positions because I'm an athlete," Aguero said. "Georgia has a very strong defense, and I've had a lot of talks with Lewis Cine (former Everett High and Bulldog safety, who was drafted in the first round by the Vikings). He's has been a mentor.

"I want to thank my family and coaches for their help and support. Having everybody here today is great."

Contact Jean DePlacido @JeanDePlacidoSN