Besides working for the Lake Oconee News and The Eatonton Messenger, I’ve been a recruiting reporter for UGASports.com, and I’m heading into my third year. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football, and I’ve fallen in love with it over the last few years. Like this one, it’s a rewarding job.
I thoroughly enjoy following the recruiting trail, breaking news, and sharing the stories of these prospects.
Georgia has been hot on the trail over the last few weeks, landing several high-level recruits.
As of Tuesday morning, when I’m writing this, the Bulldogs aren’t far behind USC in the On3/ Rivals national recruiting rankings at No. 2. They’ve been on an absolute tear and are primed for more. They currently have 26 total prospects committed, which is four fewer than the Trojans.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is on a roll.
From June 22 to 28, the Bulldogs received seven consecutive days of commitments. That’s insane. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been following recruiting since I was in high school.
It started with flipping four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle away from Auburn. Then it continued with a commitment from four-star North Oconee edge rusher Khamari Brooks, whose great-uncle is the famous Horace King, one of the first Black scholarship football players in school history.
The streak resumed the following day with a pledge from three-star Valdosta defensive lineman Corey Howard, and then 24 hours later, four-star Colquitt County running back Jae Lamar joined the class. Georgia didn’t have to wait long, as the next day, four-star Cambridge wideout Craig Dandridge committed, followed by a huge pledge from fourstar defensive back Chace Calicut, who spurned Texas and took less NIL money to be developed in Athens by Smart and his staff. The final commitment of the seven-day streak came from four-star defensive tackle James Johnson.
Then, on June 29, the Bulldogs didn’t receive a commitment, which was unusual. While it was nice not to have my phone on me as much for work this past Sunday, I had a weird feeling in my stomach. However, that emotion quickly changed as Georgia got two more commitments on Monday.
The Bulldogs landed four-star defensive lineman PJ Dean and Preston Carey. Dean, the younger brother of former Georgia starting offensive lineman Jared Wilson, chose Georgia over South Carolina. Carey, then spurned Florida, like Johnson had two days prior, and ultimately picked the Bulldogs.
The remarkable thing is that it’s only July, and Georgia’s class is almost complete. There are still a few players, primarily in-state, with five-star Bowdon tight end Kaiden Prothro and five-star Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson, still on the board. I know things can change more toward Early Signing Day in December, but it seems like Smart and his staff prioritized locking down their guys early.
It’s been a historic run, and I’ve had fun covering it. Let’s see if the Bulldogs can end up with the No. 1 class.