Mecole Hardman, Jr. is one of UGA’s five-star signees for the Class of 2016.
The Elbert County athlete would like to see the program add another to this year’s class. This weekend will play an important role in that quest as five-star receiver Demetris Robertson (Savannah Christian/Savannah, Ga.) is in town for a highly-anticipated official visit.
If UGA signs Robertson, that increases the program’s 2016 five-star haul to four players.
Robertson is the nation’s No. 1 receiver for 2016. He has yet to sign a letter-of-intent. What he has signed are financial aid agreements to Cal and Georgia Tech. Those are non-binding but do allow the schools unlimited contact for the duration of his recruitment.
Hardman considers Robertson a priority to fill out the class and will make every opportunity to join him in Athens for his official visit. What kind of chance does UGA have?
The prospect who made late night calls to help flip Tyler Simmons from Alabama to UGA can only offer his opinion.
“I think in his heart D-Rob wants to come to Georgia,” Hardman said.
Hardman doesn’t want to speculate about the reasons, but it seems to him Robertson is being pulled in different directions. Hardman was with UGA’s other five-star signees (Jacob Eason, Isaac Nauta) on the East team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game plus three other recruits who eventually signed with Kirby Smart’s new team.
The East squad had a heavy-UGA flavor to it.
“When we were all together for the (U.S. Army All-American Game) he was really feeling Georgia,” Hardman said. “That was where it seemed he wanted to go. He wanted to play with us because we were closest to him, but I feel like his dream school is Stanford. But he needs the scores to get into there. If he doesn’t get those scores, I feel he is more of a Notre Dame guy.”
What is his prediction? Hardman feels Robertson will eventually sign with the Fighting Irish.
“I feel like Notre Dame is going to be that program that will put that academics and degree first on him and he is going to be a star and will still go to the league from there,” Hardman said. “But I sure would love to play with him at Georgia. But it seems like we can’t get our hopes about him right now. It seems like he still has to make up his mind.”
The nation’s No. 1 athlete made it very clear he’d love to be wrong, but that was his honest opinion.
“I sure wish he would come to Athens and really be a part of something special,” he said.
Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.
