Georgia Southern University Athletics

2021 - All-Sun Belt Conference Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
2021 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
2021 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention (Pro Football Focus)
2020 - All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team
2020 - All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team (Pro Football Focus)
2020 - All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team (Phil Steele)
2019-20 - Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll

2021-22: Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt accolades from the conference and Pro Football Focus … Named to Phil Steele’s fourth-team All-Sun Belt squad … Played in and started all 12 games at left guard … Played a team-high 848 total snaps (792 on offense, 56 on special teams) … Played all 86 offensive snaps in the opener against Gardner-Webb … Was on the field for 52 total snaps at Florida Atlantic … Played all 66 offensive snaps at Arkansas … Played all 82 offensive snaps against Louisiana … Was on the field for 73 total plays against Arkansas State … Played 67 snaps on offense at Troy and 70 at South Alabama … Was on for 53 offensive snaps against Georgia State … Played 51 snaps against Coastal Carolina … Played all 69 offensive snaps in the win at Texas State … Was in for all 53 offensive snaps against BYU … Was in for 78 total snaps at App State.

2020-21: Played in and started all 13 games … Saw action on 866 total snaps (798 on offense, 15 on special teams) … A third-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection by the league and Phil Steele … A second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection by Pro Football Focus … Got the start in the opener against Campbell, playing 65 offensive snaps … Played 58 offensive snaps against Louisiana … Played all 61 offensive snaps at ULM … Was on the field for 50 total snaps against UMass … Played 61 offensive snaps against Coastal Carolina and 59 against South Alabama … Played all 74 offensive snaps against Troy … Played all 76 offensive snaps and eight on special teams against Texas State … Played 45 offensive snaps at Army West Point … Played 58 offensive snaps at Georgia State … Played all 71 offensive snaps against Florida Atlantic … Played 58 offensive snaps against App State … Was on the field for 69 offensive snaps against Louisiana Tech in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl … Made the Dean’s List in the spring for posting above a 3.50 GPA … Took advantage of the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility waiver and came back for a sixth year of competition. 

2019-20: Played in and started six games, seeing action on 348 total plays (330 offensive) … Got the start at left guard in the opener at No. 6 LSU, playing 41 offensive snaps … Played all 62 offensive snaps against Maine … Was on the field for 45 offensive snaps at Minnesota … Moved over to center to get the start against Louisiana … Played all 70 snaps in that game, playing both center and guard … Moved back to left guard to get the start at South Alabama, playing all 86 snaps … Played 53 snaps on offense against Coastal Carolina … Suffered a foot injury in the game which forced him to miss the rest of the season … Made the Dean’s List in the spring for making over a 3.50 GPA … Named to the 2019-20 Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.00-3.49 GPA.

2018-19: Played in all 13 games, starting 10 … Was on the field for 674 snaps (606 offensive, 68 special teams) … Started the first three games of the season and the last seven … Got the start in the opener against South Carolina State, playing 42 offensive snaps … Played 61 snaps against UMass … Finished the season by playing all 68 snaps in the win over Eastern Michigan in the Camellia Bowl … Made the Dean’s List in the spring for posting a GPA higher than 3.50.

2017-18: Played one season at Georgia Military Academy … A second-team NJCAA All-American along the offensive line after playing in 10 games … Ranked as the No. 141 JUCO player in the country, the No. 5 JUCO offensive guard in the country and the No. 4 JUCO player in Georgia by 247Sports.

2016-17: Redshirted while at UCF. 

HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Creekside High … Earned four stars from Rivals and three stars by 247Sports and ESPN coming out of high school … Ranked No. 13 in the country at the guard position, No. 21 among all players in the state of Georgia and No. 233 in the nation by Rivals … Listed at No. 25 among guards and No. 45 overall in the state by 247Sports, and No. 35 at the position and No. 49 overall in the state by ESPN … A two-time Georgia Class AAAAA all-state honoree. 

Personal: Born Aaron Tyler Dowdell on June 9 in Atlanta … Son of Ann Whatley and Darvis Dowdell … Has two siblings: Mya and Darren.

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies (graduated); Psychology