AJ Lonon Jr.

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-2, 275 lbs. Taller than 14% and heavier than 41% of 2026 Defensive Line prospects in the SEC Scouts database (227 with a listed size).

Play Style

An effort-first penetrator who plays with good pad level and uses short-area burst to shoot gaps and chase from the back side. He moved all over Clarke Central's front, from inside shade to wide edge alignments, and did his best work reacting quickly and pursuing sideline to sideline rather than overpowering blockers. His junior numbers (13 TFL, 8 sacks) show a player who lives in the backfield. Because of his body type, his pass rush will likely come from quickness and leverage, not length.

Strengths

• Scheme versatility: evaluators credit him with playing everything from the 3-technique out to the 9-technique, so he gives Tray Scott a movable piece across the front
• Short-area quickness and pursuit: he closes on plays 10-15 yards from where he starts, a motor trait that shows up in his junior production (51 tackles, 13 TFL, 8 sacks)
• Explosive lower half: discus sectional qualifier with a low center of gravity, a good base for winning leverage battles inside
• Makeup and football IQ: 4.2+ GPA, a legacy with a former Georgia player in the house, and he stayed involved with the team while hurt. These traits tend to predict a smooth adjustment to a complex defensive system

Areas to Improve

• Knee recovery and durability: he missed most of his senior season after meniscus surgery, so his film is mostly from his junior year. He needs a full offseason of strength work before he can be judged against SEC interior linemen
• Mass and anchor: at about 265-275 he needs to reach 290-300 to hold up against double teams at the 3-technique without losing the quickness that makes him effective
• Hand technique and pass-rush plan: he is a late riser with limited camp exposure, and his production came more from effort and quickness than refined hands. He needs a go-to move and a counter
• Choosing a position: playing 3-tech through 9-tech helped in high school, but at Georgia he has to settle into one role to avoid being a tweener

College Projection

Almost certainly a redshirt candidate for 2026. He is coming off meniscus surgery, needs to add weight, and Georgia's defensive line room is deep (seven DL signees in the 2026 class alone). Realistically he adds weight and works on technique in 2026-27 while using the four-game redshirt allowance. By 2027-28 he could compete for rotation snaps as a 3-technique or big 5-technique. His ceiling is a multi-year starter or high-end rotation player, most likely as a junior or redshirt sophomore, if the knee holds up and he gets to about 295.

NFL Outlook

Borderline mid-to-late round projection as of now. Interior linemen at 6-2 with quickness can be drafted (short, twitchy 3-techniques are a known archetype), but he needs to add mass without losing burst and stay healthy. If he becomes a regular in Georgia's rotation, the pipeline's exposure and testing numbers (explosiveness suggested by the discus) could get him onto Day 3 draft boards. Day 2 would require clear pass-rush production as an upperclassman.

Best Fit

A multiple front, even or odd, that asks interior linemen to penetrate and move rather than two-gap, with a patient strength program. Georgia is close to ideal: Tray Scott's DL development, a deep room that allows a real redshirt, and hometown support. Among other schemes, an attacking 4-3 under at the 3-technique would suit him best. A 3-4 that needs two-gap nose or 4i play would expose his size and length limits.