Brookwood star Waldrop signs with Georgia State
Apr. 23—THOMASVILLE — If you asked Brookwood star quarterback Rodge Waldrop how he felt after signing with Georgia State, his first word would be "relief." After a long and difficult recruitment process Waldrop has found a home with the Georgia State Panthers.
Warriors head football coach Shane Boggs was quick to say how proud he is of Waldrop, seeing him go on to play at the next level in a Georgia State system that he called "a perfect fit" for the big Brookwood QB.
Boggs has been coaching Waldrop since he first started playing football for Brookwood in fifth grade. He has watched and coached Waldrop in o becoming the phenomenal quarterback he is now.
Asked what the Panthers are getting in a guy like Waldrop, Boggs said, "They know they're getting a big 6-5 kid who can throw the football". Boggs went on to describe Waldrop as hungry, a statement that Waldrop made clear.
When asked about his own freshmen goals, Waldrop was quick to talk about earning the starting job. According to Waldrop, the Georgia State coaching staff has told him that he will have a chance to compete for the starting job.
Boggs commented that Waldrop can't wait to start, citing May 30 as the first day that Waldrop can get to work with the Panthers. Waldrop does have a solid chance at the starter's spot. Currently, there are four quarterbacks listed on the Panthers roster. Zach Gibson out of Alpharetta and a Georgia Tech transfer, is the only upperclassman in the quarterback room, listed as a redshirt senior. The other three are redshirt freshmen.
Waldrop is heading into a Georgia State program rife with opportunity.
In 2024, Waldrop will get a chance to see, and potentially play against, two power five schools in the SEC's Vanderbilt and the ACC's Georgia Tech. Georgia State also competes in the Sun Belt Conference, home to two of the best G5 programs in the country in Appalachian State and James Madison. The Panthers will face them in weeks seven and nine, with UConn in the middle.
Waldrop could also have an opportunity at a bowl game. In 2023 Georgia State were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they beat Utah State 45-22.
