For the first preview in our 2026 incoming transfer series, we take an in-depth look at Georgia’s top-rated portal addition: Penn State guard Freddie Dilione V.

A former top-50, 4-star prospect, Dilione began his career at Tennessee before a partial plantar fascia tear early in his freshman season stalled his momentum in a crowded, veteran backcourt. He revived his production after transferring to Penn State, developing into the Nittany Lions’ primary scoring engine and leading the team in scoring during Big Ten play last season.

Now returning to the SEC under Mike White, Dilione brings a unique, downhill guard style with an old-school mid-range feel. Let’s dive into the stats, tape, and film breakdown for Freddie Dilione V.

Mid Range Maestro

Dilione will bring a much-needed downhill scoring punch to this Georgia backcourt, with over 62% of his field goal attempts coming from layups and mid-range jump shots. While mid-range jumpers are often looked down upon in modern shot-quality analytics, having a guard who is elite at pulling up from the mid-post remains an invaluable bail-out asset late in shot clocks.

Dilione took 35.6% of his overall shots from the mid-range last season, and only 6 of his 65 mid-range field goals (9.2%) were assisted. Despite generating these looks almost entirely off unassisted self-creation, he hit a solid 48.5% on two-point jumpers. At 6’5″, he consistently gets to his spots on his own terms and elevates over perimeter defenders.

Let’s take a look at a few video clips of him in action:

In this clip against a physical Michigan State defense, Dilione operates in isolation, handles into his spot, rises up, and sinks a contested pull-up jumper. Operating as Penn State’s lead creator, he frequently had to manufacture low-clock offense without reliance on set plays.

Here against Washington, he recognizes drop coverage out of the pick-and-roll, steps directly into the soft spot of the defense, and buries a fluid mid-range jumper. Georgia didn’t rely heavily on mid-range shot volume last season, but expect Mike White and his coaching staff to lean into Dilione’s mid-range touch in secondary break and pick-and-roll action.

Improvements from Last Season

When analyzing transfer prospects, evaluate their developmental trajectory. Dilione’s statistical profile took significant strides in almost every category from his sophomore to junior campaign.

Here is a breakdown of his development across his two seasons in Happy Valley:

As the metrics show, he made substantial efficiency gains across multiple key areas. Most impressive is his field goal percentage growth on layups and two-point jumpers. A +10% jump in these areas is significant; he leverages his 6’5″ frame and wingspan exceptional well to seal trailing defenders on his hip while driving downhill.

His 63.2% finishing rate on layups is a massive positive indicator, proving he takes high-percentage finishing angles rather than flinging uncalibrated attempts at the rim. For context, Jeremiah Wilkinson finished at 48% on layups last season—a mark that occasionally surrendered leak-out transition chances for opposing defenses. By contrast, Blue Cain and Smurf Millender both finished above 58% at the rim. Adding Dilione gives Georgia three perimeter primary options capable of converting high-value looks at the glass.

What to Expect at Georgia

Dilione projects as a versatile, offensive shot-creator who can punish defenses that sink into deep drop coverage or play underneath screens. Beyond his scoring punch, he also posted 1.2 steals per game on the defensive end, fitting right into Mike White’s aggressive guard pressure schemes.

While he may project as a high-impact 6th Man to begin the season, don’t be surprised to see White lean heavily on closing lineups featuring Smurf Millender, Blue Cain, and Freddie Dilione V together on the perimeter. That three-guard look would give Georgia three distinct ball-handlers capable of breaking down defense off the bounce and creating late-clock offense when games are on the line.

Up Next: We will look at transfer James Scott and look what the big man will bring to the team this season.