Entering the early signing period, Georgia’s biggest need was at the outside linebacker position. In the event that Nolan Smith declares for the 2022 NFL Draft, the Bulldogs could find themselves dangerously thin at the position, even with the Bulldogs holding commitments from 4-star prospects Darris Smith and CJ Madden.

That fact makes the commitment and signing of Marvin Jones Jr. all the more celebrated. Jones is the No. 22 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. The Bulldogs went into Florida to land the talented pass rusher, beating out Alabama, USC and Florida State to land the 6-foot-4 edge rusher.

Jones’ commitment had most of social media buzzing on Saturday, led by fellow 5-star signee Mykel Williams.

Jones was one of five 5-star signees for Georgia, with all of them coming on the defensive side of the ball. Given all Georgia will lose from its generationally great 2021 defense, the Bulldogs should be well-stocked with talent going forward.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs were able to add another talented quarterback in Gunner Stockton. Georgia earned Stockton’s commitment back in January, and the quarterback from Tiger, Ga., proved to be a key part of the 2022 signing class.

Stockton is the No. 7 ranked quarterback prospect and the No. 67 player overall in the class. Stockton earned high praise from head coach Kirby Smart on Wednesday.

“Tremendous athlete, tremendous character, I don’t know you could raise a finer young man in today’s day and age of all the attention-seeking people,” Smart said. “He’s never done that. He’s stuck to his guns that he loves UGA. He wants to be here, and certainly, a major part of our class.”

The highest-ranked signee in Georgia’s class is 5-star athlete Malaki Starks. He is the No. 14 overall prospect and hails from Jefferson, Ga. Starks is one of the most athletic players in the country and is poised to start his career in Georgia’s defensive backfield.

It would not come as a surprise to see Starks push for early playing time at Georgia.

“I think Malaki has a bright future. He’s fast,” Smart said. “Number one, he’s very intelligent. He’s high-character and you’re going to hear me repeat that over and over because that matters way more than what reputation they’re coming in with.”

While Smart didn’t touch on every prospect on Wednesday, a number of Georgia coaches and staffers took to social media to discuss their new signees. In all, 23 of Georgia’s 26 commitments signed with the program on Wednesday. The remaining three — Darris Smith, 4-star running back Jordan James and 3-star wide receiver Dillon Bell — are all expected to sign with Georgia in February.

“It’s really a well-rounded class in terms of multiple-sport athletes, high academic achievers, top-ranked guys, which I don’t really care about what they’re ranked,” Smart said. “I care a whole lot more about how they play, and we’ve seen evidence of the guys that have played a big role on our team, some of those guys were not the guys we talked about on this day during their career and I think we know a lot about those guys. It’s a lot more about what’s inside you that matters the most.”

The Bulldogs currently have the No. 3 ranked recruiting class for the 2022 cycle and are not done yet. Two of Georgia’s top remaining targets — 4-star offensive lineman Earnest Greene and 4-star defensive tackle Christen Miller — have yet to announce their plans. The Bulldogs also made the top 3 for 5-star edge rusher Shemar Stewart. The Bulldogs will battle Texas A&M and Miami for his services.

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