Georgia finished first in the recruiting rankings in the 2018 class. Expect UGA recruiting to be at the top in 2019, too. DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell will answer a Recruiting Question of the Day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can ask him your questions on Twitter or the DawgNation Message board forum. Previous QODs can be found on our question of the day archives page.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Variations of the following question have popped on the DawgNation message board forum of late: Which prospects has UGA targeted for the D-line in the class of 2019?
This question has come up often, but it appears to be very timely. That’s because Mountain View (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 4-star defensive tackle prospect Jaelin Humphries shared the news of his public commitment to Florida on Tuesday. That came after his first official visit to Florida over the weekend.
That intersects with a tweet from 4-star North Carolina DT C.J. Clark. Clark, the nation’s No. 17 DT prospect for 2019, per the 247Sports composite, also shared word via Twitter that he plans to make his college choice known on June 18.
Clark has made many trips to UGA this year and has stated in several reports that the Bulldogs are his leader. He’s fresh off of a couple of recent visits to UGA.
Georgia also offered another defensive line prospect on Tuesday, Zion Logue, a 3-star recruit from Lebanon, Tenn.
That was intriguing because Logue has burst onto the scene of late with a revamped body. He’s now 6-foot-6 and around 285 pounds. That’s a stark contrast from the 255-pound number that appears on his Hudl highlight tape.
Summer camp season is usually the final piece in an evaluation when an offer is finally extended across the table. Georgia is hosting a series of camps on campus this month. It will be a busy time.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bulldogs wind up with at least a couple of new commits this month.
Let’s use this Question of the Day to share an estimation of what the D-line board looks like right now.
Taking a look at the remaining D-line targets for 2019
We shared a forum post about this earlier in the day on the DawgNation message board, and it makes sense to also post it here.
According to 247Sports, the Bulldogs have offered approximately 61 prospects who could show up at either defensive end or along the defensive line in Athens. Which ones stand the best chance of winding up in Athens at this time?
- Travon Walker/5-star DT (Upson Lee High/Thomaston, Ga.): Travon Walker is as big of a target that remains for UGA in the 2019 class. He rates as the nation’s No. 3 prospect at DT and as the No. 25 prospect overall for 2019.
- Jermaine Johnson/4-star DE (Independence Community College/Independence, Kan.): Jermaine Johnson will measure in around 6-6 and 240 pounds. He rates as the nation’s No. 2 weakside DE and the No. 4 JUCO prospect overall, per 247Sports.
- Nathan Pickering/4-star DE (Seminary HS/Seminary, Miss.): The nearly 6-4 Nathan Pickering has placed UGA in his top 10. The 285-pound standout ranks as the nation’s No. 4 strongside DE and at No. 48 overall for 2019.
- Justin Eboigbe/4-star DE (Forest Park HS/Forest Park, Ga.): An Under Armour All-American, Justin Eboigbe likely will take a long time with his choice. The nation’s No. 106 overall prospect has a long list of suitors. He also rates as the nation’s No. 8 DE.
- Byron Young/4-star DE (West Jones/Laurel, Miss.): Byron Young has an interest in UGA, but Alabama is also a team that will loom large in his decision. The 6-4, 285-pound senior rates as the No. 12 strongside DE prospect and at No. 144 overall in 2019.
- Four-star defensive tackle target C.J. Clark announced his decision date on Tuesday afternoon. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation) Josh Pakola/4-star DE (St. Francis/ Moutain View, Calif.): Josh Pakola might be seen as a surprise on this list to many, but the California resident has been to check out the campus. He was even in town for at least one game last season. The 6-3, 257-pound standout checks in as the No. 179 overall prospect in this cycle.
- Derick “Rambo” Hunter/4-star DE (Dunbar HS/Fort Myers, Fla.): Derick Hunter is at UGA this week for a long visit. His on-again and off-again flirtations with Florida and UGA have been well-chronicled, but he seems to have taken a more mature approach to his decision. He rates as the nation’s No. 13 strongside DE and at No. 185 overall.
- Quashon Fuller/4-star DE (Lehigh Senior/Fort Myers, Fla.): The Florida State commit has been to UGA two times in the last 10 days. But there are several reasons to think that this will be a tough flip. He rates as the nation’s No. 20 strongside defensive end prospect. That’s good for No. 254 overall this year.
- Josh Harris/4-star DT (Person HS/Roxboro, N.C.): Josh Harris has UGA in his recently named top 5. The 6-3, 315-pound senior rates as the nation’s No. 15 DT prospect for 2019. That places him at No. 265 overall in this class.
- C.J. Clark/4-star DT (North Stanly HS/New London, N.C.): The state of North Carolina has been awfully good to the Bulldogs of late. C.J. Clark ranks as the nation’s No. 17 defensive tackle prospect for this class and at No. 272 overall. He has UGA in his final group.
Georgia already has a commitment from 4-star DE Bill Norton for 2019. He’s the No. 139 overall prospect. I’d look for the Bulldogs to try to sign maybe four or five of the players on this list.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER: 4-star DT Tymon Mitchell; 3-star DL J.J. Weaver
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