It’s been quite an offseason for the Georgia Bulldogs. They took care of business in a Belk Bowl win against Louisville, but rumors were swirling that Mark Richt would be stepping down after the game. Not long after, rumors surfaced that Texas A&M was going to offer defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt an unprecedented amount of money to make a lateral move. Then, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo became a hot commodity on the head coaching carousel and it was rumored that he would take some key pieces of the coaching staff with him wherever he went.
With just seven days until National Signing Day, Georgia has its coaching staff in place and is looking to close their recruiting push strongly. Even after losing Bobo to Colorado State, along with coveted offensive line coach Will Friend, the Dawgs were able to make a big hire out of the NFL, bringing former St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to Athens. Georgia also was able to retain running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, Bryan McClendon.
Georgia’s 2015 recruiting class has been ranked in the Top 5 for months leading up to National Signing Day, and is currently ranked No. 2 by Scout.com. Over the past couple weeks, the Dawgs have seen their fair share of turmoil, seeing 4-star wide receiver Van Jefferson and 3-star wide receiver Shaquery Wilson de-commit and choose other schools. They also lost out on five-star cornerback Donte Jackson to LSU, though that was not a huge surprise.
That still doesn’t answer the question: where does UGA stand heading into National Signing Day?
Those who follow recruiting closely know how fluid the entire process is – a player can commit and de-commit from the same school multiple times (like Arden Key, a 4-star defensive end and UGA target who has committed and de-committed from South Carolina twice). Remember, these are teenagers whose minds we’re trying to read. Surprises happen. Remember Isaiah McKenzie last year? He was committed to Notre Dame, and UGA offered him two days before National Signing Day. He surprisingly chose UGA, following his high school teammate and friend Sony Michel. Or how about Gilbert Johnson? He was offered at the Mark Richt Camp in 2013 and committed on the spot. Johnson never made it to UGA, however, due to academic ineligibility.
Eight players in Georgia’s 2015 recruiting class enrolled early, including big pickups on the defensive side in 4-star defensive tackle Jonathan Ledbetter, 4-star outside linebacker Michael Barnett and UAB transfer Jake Ganus, who has one year of eligibility left after UAB cut its football program. They also have a big 4-star tight end, Jackson Harris, on the offensive side of the ball. That’s a good start.
Georgia also holds 17 commitments from other players, but those will not be official until they sign their letter of intent on National Signing Day. Here’s a look at some of the top targets UGA needs to lock up over the next week:
5-star wide receiver Terry Godwin
There has been no indication that Godwin will end up anywhere but UGA. He has said numerous times over the last week that he is still 100% committed to the Dawgs. That being said, Alabama and Auburn both pose significant threats. Godwin took official visits to both schools recently and he is said to be meeting at his home with Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn this weekend. He may still make another unofficial visit to Athens, and Mark Richt will likely make a hard push for Godwin to pick UGA, but the fear is real here for Georgia. Godwin will make his final decision on National Signing Day, and he says “everybody is still in it”.
4-star wide receiver Darius Slayton
Is Georgia trying to stockpile wide receivers? It might seem that way with them trying to secure Godwin, Slayton and 4-star Michael Chigbu. But this truly is a position of need after the losses of Chris Conley and Michael Bennett, as well as the de-commitment of Jefferson. Slayton seemed to be a lock for UGA until earlier this weekend when he took a surprise visit to Auburn, sending shock waves through Athens. Georgia sent a majority of its coaching staff to Slayton’s high school on Monday, and though they feel the visit went well, they are still going to be sweating bullets until Slayton makes it official with the Dawgs.
3-star offensive lineman Sam Madden
No, the Dawgs do not need much on the offensive line this season with a majority of the line intact from last season. But they will next year, and Sam Madden could be huge at the college level. Madden, a former Wisconsin commit, is listed at 6’7 and 345 pounds (yes, you read that right) and could be a major factor on the offensive line with some coaching from new offensive line coach Rob Sale. He might be a little tall for an offensive lineman, but with the proper conditioning and coaching, he would be a major get for Georgia if they can hold on to him on National Signing Day.
3-star cornerback Deandre Baker
Deandre Baker committed to Georgia back in June, and Georgia likes him because of his speed and athleticism. Coming out of the state of Florida, it would be expected that UGA’s main competition would come from an SEC school, like Florida, but that’s not the case. Baker took an official visit to Texas last weekend and met with members of the Longhorn’s coaching staff yesterday. Texas is making a big push to flip him, and after the trip, Baker said “it’s pretty close” between the two schools. Only time will tell if UGA can hold on to him.
Now, take a look at some of the top targets, either uncommitted or committed to other schools, that UGA is after:
4-star cornerback Rico McGraw
Rico McGraw is currently committed to Alabama, so one would think his recruitment is over. Saban wins. Remember, McGraw was verbally committed to UGA, but he flipped to Alabama before last season. Georgia, however, has made a strong push of late, and it appears that McGraw has not ruled out UGA, as he may potentially take an official visit to Athens prior to National Signing Day. It’s likely McGraw ends up at Alabama, but Georgia will fight to the very end in hopes of stealing him back.
UPDATE (1:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, 2015):
According to numerous reports, Rico McGraw has de-committed from Alabama. This is excellent news for UGA, who now is likely leading the way to land the 4-star cornerback.
4-star middle linebacker Roquan Smith
Thought of as one of the top middle linebackers in the 2015 recruiting class, the one thing Georgia has going for it with Roquan Smith is the fact that he is from Georgia. He is a huge priority for the Dawgs, but is also considering offers from Michigan, UCLA, Florida and Texas A&M. Richt visited with Smith at his high school yesterday, and the coveted linebacker has an official visit scheduled to UCLA for this weekend. We’ll know more on National Signing Day, but it’s very likely that Georgia wins the battle for Smith. He would be a major pickup for Pruitt’s defense.
4-star outside linebacker Arden Key
As you read earlier, Arden Key has been quite the story this year after de-committing from South Carolina for a second time. He is currently considering offers from South Carolina, LSU, Auburn and Georgia and is planning to commit on live television on Monday during FOX Sports South’s Next Class 2015 show. South Carolina is still seen as the leader in the clubhouse, and Key said in an interview after the Under Armour All-America Game back in December that he was “not going to Georgia”. Still, most experts think that Georgia is very much still in the running heading into Monday’s decision.
Recruiting is always an interesting art heading into National Signing Day, but based on where Georgia is right now with its recruiting class, they should have one the top classes in the country this year. Yes, there is still plenty of work to be done in the next seven days, but all signs point to a very happy Georgia fan base come Wednesday night.
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