Georgia OL speaks on growing up a Tennessee fan ahead of game against Vols

On Tuesday, Ratledge, who is in his fourth year at Georgia, was asked about growing up as a Tennessee fan. 

"Growing up, dad's side of the family were diehard Tennessee fans," said Ratledge. "So it's kind of what I was raised as. [Growing up], went to a couple of spring games here and there. And that was always the team of choice around the house." 

"Finally, when it got to the time that I started getting recruited, my dad was like, 'you need to put all that behind you, you need to make your own decision, I'm not going to live my life through you, I'm a huge Tennessee fan, but you're not going to hurt my feelings if you don't go there'," continued Ratledge. "And then it just came down to picking what was best for me." 

Ratledge, a former four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class, is a player that Tennessee definitely wanted to land. But at the time, the Vols' program was pretty far behind Georgia's program. 

While I'm sure it's tough for Vols fans to see Ratledge in a Georgia jersey, it's impossible to say that he made the wrong decision. He has two national championship rings and he could add a third in the next two months. 

Ratledge, by the way, is still friends with some of the players on Tennessee's roster, including Vols center Cooper Mays. 

"I talk to Tate a good bit, throughout my whole college career," said Mays on Tuesday. "Me and Tate were really close buds during recruiting and everything."