Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. In this edition, we check-in with the prospect that DawgNation feels has been the 1A or 1B priority in the 2018 class for over two years: 5-star offensive guard Jamaree Salyer.
Clemson and Georgia are the two programs that seem to have the best chances to sign 5-star guard Jamaree Salyer.
As far as the in-state program ― Georgia ― the one thing he has maintained all along was that he wanted to see progress. Well, Kirby Smart’s program has put that green emoji check by that one.
Georgia’s first SEC championship since 2005 certainly qualifies as that.
“That is pretty big progress,” Salyer said. “But I guess you have to say that there has been pretty big progress for both programs. Clemson got there last year. Clemson is getting back to where it was last year. Georgia is progressively getting better very fast in Year 2 under Kirby so it is kind of amazing to see where both of those schools are at right now.”
Sayler said he saw glimmers of a big push by Georgia in 2017. He wouldn’t even have raised an eyebrow at a summer prediction that the Bulldogs would win the SEC.
“I could say that I could believe that,” Salyer said. “Putting into everything going into place in my mind that I saw, I could see it happening. Did I think it was going to be very, very hard? Yes. But I could definitely see that team being capable of winning an SEC championship.”
RELATED: Where does Salyer fit on the big board for Georgia in 2018?
Jamaree Salyer got to support two of his former teammates
Salyer was able to attend the SEC Championship Game, and he wanted to be there to see his former Pace Academy (Atlanta) teammates, Trey Blount and Andrew Thomas, compete for the conference crown.
Both Blount and Thomas ended up starting the game for Georgia. Blount got the starting nod because he’s made strides as both a receiver and a blocker this year. He might be the team’s second-fastest receiver, and he was already well-known for his lunch pail efforts as a blocker on Friday nights.
Thomas has started all season at right tackle for the Bulldogs.
“It was fun being in that atmosphere and seeing everything,” Thomas said. “It was fun to see Andrew and Trey get to that point. I saw how hard they worked for it in the offseason. I saw them pretty much progress through high school, and I pretty much saw Andrew progress in middle school, too.
“It was amazing to see one of the big milestones on Saturday night in their football career.”
Salyer actually ended up sitting in the Auburn section during the game, and he drew a lot of odd looks. As far as his decision timeline goes, he sounds very ready to make his decision.
He said he plans to finalize that choice on Dec. 20 on the first day of the early signing period.
“I think it is about that time,” Salyer said. “I am about ready to get it over with. It has been fun. No doubt. But it is not stressful. I have had a lot of fun as a recruit. It is definitely something I have worked hard for.
“This is not the end of anything for me with this decision. It is just a stepping stone. I’ve got a long way to go to get to where I want to be in the future.”
More recruit feedback from the SEC title win
Those responses have kept trickling in after the initial publication. Here are a few more noteworthy thoughts about the Bulldogs breaking through to win the SEC:
Arik Gilbert/4-star ATH/Marietta, Ga./2020 target: “With a team that young, that there’s many more to come! Might even win a natty, too!”
Sheridan Jones/4-star CB/Virginia Beach, Va./2020 target: “They showed why they are the best of the best. (It) made a big impression on me to see another team win the SEC.”
Warren McClendon/4-star OT/Brunswick, Ga./2019 target: “It was a great win for UGA, and I think it gave them a big confidence boost heading into the Rose Bowl.”
Wanya Morris/4-star OT/Loganville, Ga./2019 target: “It was all Dawgs in that one but it is good to see them doing great. Go Dawgs!”
Jadon Haselwood/5-star WR/Ellenwood, Ga./2019 commit: “Just all the Dawg fans who came out and cheered those guys on and that’s a big part of winning games like this.”
Fast and furious Intel
There is a lot going on right now. The SEC title game prep limited the ability of the UGA staff to get out on the road to see their priority targets heading into the early signing period.
That won’t be the case this week.
Look for the staff to get out on the road early and often to build momentum. Smart was even working the phones for recruiting on Sunday during the playoff selection show and prepping for the 2017 Senior Gala.
Here are a few things to keep in mind this week:
- As of now, there are three key official visits on the upcoming agenda. That’s 4-star guard Trey Hill (Houston County/Warner Robins, Ga.), 4-star wide receiver Tommy Bush (Samuel Clemens/Schertz, Texas) and 4-star cornerback Divaad Wilson (Northwestern/Miami) set for this weekend. I would expect there to be more official and unofficial visitors this weekend. There are only two recruiting weekends left prior to the dead period on Dec. 18. The new early signing period will make the December recruiting timeline a lot wilder than it already was. The focus before was on trying to secure those mid-year signees. That is no longer the case with the new early period.
- Wilson, a recent Florida de-commit, is a teammate of current UGA commit Rachad Wildgoose, Jr.
- I expect to see a lot of in-home visits this week. Those images will populate each player’s timeline on social media.
- Four-star ATH Alontae Taylor tells me he has turned his attention away from Wake Forest after an official visit there. His focus now is on three schools: Georgia, Louisville and Tennessee.
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