As a group, the Georgia football six-player offensive line class for 2024 already stood out for its size and stature.

Then came a July 4 addition that stood taller than the rest and made it seven strong.

On the Bulldogs' updated roster, Jahzare Jackson is listed at 6-foot-10 and 348 pounds.

So why did Kirby Smart and offensive line coach Stacy Searels add yet another big body to the group, a guy that was known for playing basketball at Overtime Elite in Atlanta?

“He was a kid that we had in camp, and he was a unique situation where he was eligible right now,” Smart said before Jackson took the field for his first practice last week. “He was a tremendous athlete, raw, hadn't played football since eighth grade. You recruit size. You recruit athleticism.”

Oh, yeah, the 20-year-old Jackson certainly has that.

The San Diego native averaged 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds last season for Overtime Elite and played on the AAU circuit with North Coast Blue Chips. One of his teammates was Bronny James.

Fifth-year senior offensive guard Tate Ratledge, a 6-foot-6, 320-pounder who himself played basketball at Darlington School, isn’t in a hurry to mix it up with Jackson on the hardwood.

“I don’t know if I’m going to step on the court with him,” Ratledge said. “If I am, he’s on my team.”

Ratledge said Jackson fit in well with the other linemen going back to his recruiting visit and he said overall the freshmen offensive linemen are eager to learn.

The seven linemen now average 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds.

Five of the six December signees enrolled early and three re-shaped their bodies.

Daniel Calhoun from Walton High in Marietta, who may be the most ready to play of the group, went from being listed at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds in the spring to 325 now. Nyier Daniels, a 6-foot-8 Newark, N.J., product, went from 365 to 345, but Smart said in the spring he dropped 40 to 50 pounds. Marques Easley, who is 6-5 and hails from Peoria, Ill., went from 335 to 325. Two are still listed the same: Michael Uini from Kempner, Texas, at 6-7 and 325 and Malachi Toliver from Cartersville at 6-5, 320. Summer enrollee Marcus Harrison from Buffalo is 6-8 and 330.

“The largest jump in all of sports to me is to go from a high school offensive lineman to a college offensive lineman,” Smart said in the spring.

Jackson wasn’t even a high school offensive lineman, so the learning curve figures to be greater, but Georgia signed him to get him up to speed on playing the position.

“We have an expectation of he has to grow, get better and develop,” Smart said. “We saw that as a kid that has the ability to be a good football player if he has toughness and all the qualities it takes to play offensive line.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Why Georgia football added 6-10 basketball player Jahzare Jackson