Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims is No. 22 on Pro Football Network’s NFL Draft Big Board.
The 6’8″, 340-pound lineman towers over his opponents. He graduated college in Dec. 2023 with a 3.6 grade-point average and a Bachelor of Science in Education, Sports Management, and was a Georgia Dean’s List Recipient in Spring 2021.
Before Mims became one of the top offensive lineman prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, he was born and raised in Cochran, Ga. Here’s more information about Mims’ upbringing and parents.
A Look At Amarius Mims’ Parents
Prentice Purnell and Nikki Mims are the father and mother of Amarius.
Purnell met with University of Georgia compliance officers to make sure that his son was eligible to play college football. Purnell and Mims were there for their son on senior night in 2019.
Coming out of Bleckley County High School, Mims was a heavily recruited athlete, and the University of Tennessee got into hot water over improper measures. However, Amarius’ high school head coach Von Lassiter was adamant about the tackle and his family being on the up and up when it came to following the rules for his recruitment.
Lassiter spoke to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal’s Chip Towers on how he never saw anyone break the rules.
“Somebody called me the other day and said they heard Amarius got vehicles,” Lassiter said. “I just laughed. This dude doesn’t have a driver’s license. So, there’s a lot of stuff flying around out there. When you’ve got a keyboard, you can type anything you want and put it on a message board and say you’re an expert on Amarius Mims.
“But I was there. Now I wasn’t on every recruiting trip; I can’t say that. But I was with him throughout most of (his recruitment), and I never saw any wrongdoing whatsoever from anybody.”
Amarius’ parents are natives of Cochran. His father played defensive tackle for the University of West Georgia and was listed at 6’4″, 305 pounds by the school’s website. He went on to play seven years of arena football, beginning in 2007 with the Georgia Force, going on to play for the Columbus Destroyers, Alabama Vipers, Cleveland Gladiators, and the Orlando Predators, concluding his career in 2014.
He finished his career with 50 tackles (nine solo), 8.5 sacks, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and nine fumble recoveries.
Mims’ Bond With His Family
Bleckley County coach Ryan McKenzie was Mims’ positional coach. He spoke about the prospect’s passion for the game and willingness to put it all on the line for his family.
“Every time we talk about that it is he wants to change the stature of his family,” McKenzie said. “It is not changing his life. He wants to change the lives of everyone in his family. He says he wants his talents to open up the whole world for them and take care of them.”
Mims has openly expressed how his passion for the game comes from the idea that he can support his family.
“I have a chance to make a lot of people rich,” he says of his family. “I am not doing this for me. I play football because I told myself I want to make sure my Mom and my Dad are taken care of.”
Does Mims Have Any Siblings?
While it isn’t known whether or not Amarius has siblings, he did refer to former Georgia right tackle Warren McClendon as his “big brother.” Amarius decided not to transfer despite a brief stint in the portal because of his relationship with McClendon and his ability to steer him in the right direction on the field.
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“He’s the most technically sound offensive tackle I’ve ever met in my life,” Amarius told Dawg Nation’s Connor Riley. “I learn so much from him. I may be bigger than him, but I watch his game more than anybody I know. I ask him for tips, like, ‘What can I do to get better?’ Sit down in the film room together.
“I’ve modeled my game after him more. Like that big brother role.”
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