Georgia lands commitment from FCS transfer OL Tyler Catalina

Former Rhode Island offensive lineman Tyler Catalina won’t play for Iowa State after all.

Catalina, a tackle who has been pursuing a graduate transfer for his final season, announced Monday that he is headed to Georgia. Catalina visited the UGA campus last weekend.

Catalina had previously verbally committed to Iowa State and was announced as part of the Cyclones’ 2016 signing class. However, he told the Des Moines Register on National Signing Day that he was still looking at other options. He signed a financial aid agreement with ISU, but unlike a national letter of intent, the financial aid agreement is not a binding document.

Even after giving a verbal to Iowa State in December, Catalina continued to land offers from high-level programs looking for a quick fix on the offensive line. In addition to Georgia, Catalina received offers from Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Penn State, Arizona, Boston College and several Group of 5 programs.

The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Catalina was a three-year starter for Rhode Island and earned second-team all-Colonial Athletic Association honors in 2015 and third-team honors in 2014. He started at left tackle for the last two seasons and also made 12 starts at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2013.

According to UGASports.com, Catalina will arrive in Athens after graduating from URI in May. The Bulldogs lost two offensive line starters from the 2015 season – John Theus and Kolton Houston.

For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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