Tate Ratledge
{{short description|American football player (born 2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Tate Ratledge
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Detroit Lions
| number = 69
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|4|26}}
| birth_place = Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 308
| high_school = Darlington School {{nowrap|(Rome, Georgia)}}
| college = Georgia (2020–2024)
| draftyear = 2025
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 57
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Unsigned draft pick
| highlights =
- 2× CFP national champion (2021, 2022)
- First-team All-American (2024)
- Second-team All-American (2023)
- First-team All-SEC (2023, 2024)
| statseason = 2025
| statweek = 1
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 0
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 0
| pfr = RatlTa00
}}
Tate Collier Ratledge (born April 26, 2001) is an American professional football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was an All-American and a two-time national champion. He was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Ratledge was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and grew up in Rome, Georgia.{{Cite news |last=Riley |first=Connor |date=August 29, 2024 |title=How UGA's mullet-topped, tattooed Tate Ratledge uses humor as part of leadership style |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-bulldogs/how-ugas-mullet-topped-tattooed-tate-ratledge-uses-humor-as-part-of-leadership-style/TVJPQBPZDBFH7O3ITRFBTZZDII/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |issn=1539-7459}} He is the son of Dean Ratledge, a coach for over 40 years.{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Michelle |title=40 years in, coach still going strong |url=https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/40-years-in-coach-still-going-strong/article_d033563a-fd6e-5a9f-b9d1-b696ffd234e7.html |access-date=May 2, 2025 |work=Northwest Georgia News |date=August 30, 2017 |language=en}} He attended Darlington School, where he competed in football, basketball and track and field.{{cite web|url=https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/tate-ratledge/7401|title=Tate Ratledge|publisher=Georgia Bulldogs Athletics|access-date=August 25, 2023}} Coming out of high school Ratledge was ranked the number 39 overall player in the 2020 class, the number five rank at his position and number six in the state of Georgia.{{cite web |last1=Fryburger |first1=Jackson |title=4-star 2020 OT Tate Ratledge commits to Georgia |url=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2019/05/13/4-star-2020-ot-tate-ratledge-commits-to-georgia/ |website=USA Today |date=13 May 2019 |access-date=25 August 2023}} Ratledge committed to play college football at the University of Georgia over Tennessee, whom he grew up rooting for.{{cite web | last=Sentell | first=Jeff | title=Why longtime Tennessee Vols fan Tate Ratledge is now a Georgia Bulldog | website=DawgNation | date=2019-05-13 | url=https://www.dawgnation.com/football/recruiting/why-longtime-tenneesee-volunteer-fan-tate-ratledge-is-now-a-georgia-bulldog/ | access-date=2024-08-08}}
College career
As a freshman in 2020, Ratledge (#51) played in just one game, playing a total of seven snaps.{{cite web |title=TATE RATLEDGE OG GEORGIA |url=https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Tate-Ratledge-OL-Georgia |website=nfldraftbuzz.com |access-date=25 August 2023}} He earned a starting spot as a sophomore ahead of the season opener against Clemson, but suffered a Lisfranc ligament fracture in a foot after just four snaps and missed the rest of the season.{{Cite web |last=Weiszer |first=Marc |date=August 23, 2022 |title=The return of the Mullet man: Tate Ratledge back in the mix for Georgia offensive line |url=https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs-extra/2022/08/23/georgia-football-tate-ratledge-kirby-smart-todd-monken-sedrick-van-pran-darlington-school-oregon/7878168001/ |access-date=25 August 2023 |website=Online Athens}} In the 2022 season, Ratledge started 14 of the team's 15 games, only missing one game against Kentucky. He also got a start in the Bulldogs' two playoffs games, including in the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship.{{Cite magazine |last=Goeckel |first=Christian |date=February 8, 2023 |title=FF Ranks Tate Ratledge Among Nation's Best |url=https://www.si.com/college/georgia/football/pff-ranks-tate-ratledge-among-nations-best |access-date=25 August 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}
Ratledge was ranked the seventh best returning interior offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus ahead of the 2023 season.{{cite web |last1=Shelton |first1=J.C. |title=Georgia OG Tate Ratledge ranked among best returning interior lineman |url=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2023/02/06/georgia-football-guard-tate-ratledge-ranked-among-best-returning-interior-lineman/ |website=USA Today |date=7 February 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023}} Ratledge was named preseason first-team all-SEC.{{cite web |last1=Thombs |first1=Palmer |title=Georgia puts league-leading 14 on Coaches All-SEC squads |url=https://www.on3.com/teams/georgia-bulldogs/news/georgia-puts-league-leading-14-on-coaches-all-sec-squads/ |website=On3.com |date=22 August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023}} Ratledge was also named to the watchlists of multiple awards, such as the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.{{cite web |last1=Thombs |first1=Palmer |title=Trio of Georgia players land spots on Outland Trophy watch list |url=https://www.on3.com/teams/georgia-bulldogs/news/georgia-bulldogs-outland-trophy-watch-list-sedrick-van-pran-nazir-stackhouse-tate-ratledge/ |website=On3.com |date=August 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023}}{{Cite magazine |last=Hall |first=Christopher |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Frazier Named to the Lombardi Award Watch List |url=https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/football/frazier-named-to-the-lombardi-award-watch-list |access-date=25 August 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 6 1/2
| weight = 308
| dash = 4.97
| ten split = 1.72
| twenty split = 2.89
| cone drill = 7.38
| vertical = 32.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 5
| bench = 25
| arm span = 32 1/4
| hand span = 10 3/8
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |last=Zierlein |first=Lance |title=Tate Ratledge Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tate-ratledge/32005241-5452-3002-6068-4c022618d53f |access-date=March 11, 2025 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1044835&DraftYear=2025 |title=Tate Ratledge College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 11, 2025}}
}}
Ratledge was selected in the second round with the 57th overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.{{cite web |title=Lions trade up in 2nd round, pick Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge |website=WXYZ-TV |url=https://www.wxyz.com/sports/lions-trade-up-in-2nd-round-pick-georgia-offensive-guard-tate-ratledge |date=April 25, 2025 |access-date=May 2, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/tate-ratledge/ Detroit Lions bio]
- [https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/tate-ratledge/7401 Georgia Bulldogs bio]
{{Detroit Lions roster navbox}}{{2021 Georgia Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{2022 Georgia Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{Detroit Lions 2025 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratledge, Tate}}
Category:Players of American football from Rome, Georgia
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Darlington School alumni