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Georgia football: Who’s left on UGA’s recruiting board?

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs signed six 5-star prospects and 20 recruits in total during the early signing period.
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Cy Brown
Cy Brown

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Who’s left on Georgia’s recruiting board for 2018?

The first-ever early signing period was one for Georgia fans to remember as Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs signed six 5-star prospects and 20 recruits in total. With that haul, Georgia is in contention for every major recruiting publication’s No. 1 recruiting class in college football, but there is still work to be done.

The next signing day will happen in its traditional spot on Wednesday, Feb. 7, but space is tight in this class. Most estimates peg UGA to bring in 24 or 25 players in this class. Between the 20 already signed and four commits who remain unsigned, the class is right at capacity. Considering there are still plenty of top players Georgia is in the running for, and the remaining unsigned players are the lowest-rated in the class, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the other current commits give way to a few top-ranked, uncommitted targets.

But who are those top targets left on Georgia’s big board. Jeff Sentell of DawgNation gave a rundown on five to keep an eye on.

5-star CB Tyson Campbell: Alabama, Miami and Ohio State will challenge Georgia. Campbell’s recruiting and his commitment will be won in January. That’s when he will take all of his visits.

5-star CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart: Look for Alabama, Texas A&M and Southern California to be the major contenders. That last reports from his hometown of San Diego indicated he planned to take an official visit to UGA in January.

4-star WR Tommy Bush Jr: He took an official visit to UGA last weekend and DawgNation covered his visit extensively here and here.

4-star OLB Otis Reese: He’s a Michigan commit who has made many visits to Athens. Let’s see what happens. It does not seem he plans to play for Michigan.

4-star LB Quay Walker: This was a hot name to watch at UGA this time a year ago. Much has changed since then. Could his recruitment come full circle, back to UGA? He is a true three-down linebacker, but he is also still committed to Alabama.

Natrez Patrick won’t play in Rose Bowl

It seems we’ve finally reached a conclusion to the Natrez Patrick situation. Or at least the beginning to a conclusion.

According to Patrick’s lawyer, Billy Healan, the junior linebacker resolved a probation violation which resulted from a drug arrest by entering a treatment program, although Healan did not indicate what Patrick is in treatment for. Patrick will not play in the Rose Bowl. From Seth Emerson of DawgNation:

“Natrez is receiving treatment for his personal issues and we look forward to the completion of that treatment so he can put this behind him,” Healan said. “This resolves all his legal matters.”

UGA released a statement from Ron Courson, the senior associate athletics director and director of sports medicine.

“Due to confidentiality requirements, we can’t comment, other than to say we continue to follow policies, and we have no higher priority than the well-being of our student-athletes,” Courson said.

Georgia footballs adds 4-star TE

If you didn’t pay attention to Georgia recruiting news Thursday thinking the early signing period was wrapped up, you missed one last bit of fireworks. In an unexpected move, 4-star TE Luke Ford, the No. 2 tight end recruit in the country, signed with Georgia Thursday to give it 20 signees so far in the class of 2018.

UGA hoops lands 5-star PG

Georgia’s recruiting momentum didn’t stop with football. Mark Fox and Georgia basketball got in on the action Thursday by nabbing the pledge of 5-star 2019 point guard Ashton Hagans of Convington, Ga. If and when Hagans signs with Georgia, he will be the highest-rated recruit Fox has landed since arriving in Athens. From Jake Reuse of UGASports.com:

“I went to the football game and talked to the coaches. They just told me how they love my game and would love for me to stay home for college and be a Bulldog,” Hagans said following a visit in September. “When I was little, my cousin Trey Thompkins played there so I have always known Coach [Jonas] Hayes and Coach [Mark] Fox.”

Odds and ends

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NEXT Georgia receives commitment from 5-star PG Ashton Hagans
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