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. The budget for Wednesday calls for a look at the future of Alabama commit Stephon Wynn Jr.
DawgNation caught up with perhaps Georgia’s biggest 2018 miss on the recruiting trail recently: IMG Academy senior defensive lineman Stephon Wynn Jr., who chose Alabama over the Bulldogs.
Georgia had some momentum in that decision, but all of that changed after a trip to Alabama when Wynn was assured he had a committable offer from the Crimson Tide.
Bulldogs fans will find it intriguing to know that the program still hasn’t given up in its pursuit of Wynn. The Georgia staff has not conceded him to Alabama.
Wynn made the following points very clear.
- He’s committed to Alabama.
- The nation’s No. 5 strongside defensive end for the 2018 cycle is looking forward to playing for the Tide.
- He still hears from UGA daily.
- The Bulldogs are the only school with a chance to flip him from Tuscaloosa.
That seems like the appropriate way to set the table for a discussion about Wynn. Is there a real shot? Can he still be one of the pieces of the defensive line puzzle for the Class of 2018 for Georgia?
UGA is the only school that could flip Stephon Wynn Jr.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound prospect plays on a stacked line at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He doesn’t start but flows along in a rotation that includes a trio of 5-star prospects.
Junior DE Nolan Smith, a UGA commit, is on one side of the defense. Senior Xavier Thomas, the 5-star prospect bound for Clemson, plays the other bookend on that front.
Ohio State 5-star commit Taron Vincent mans the middle, along with 4-star Georgia Tech commit TK Chimedza.
Wynn is talented and gets his share of playing time, too.
Georgia calling
Wynn said he welcomes hearing from Georgia every day. Why? Relationships.
“I talk to Georgia daily,” he said. “Outside of football, I have built relationships with those coaches. Those guys are just like mentors outside of football. Those are relationships with those guys that I don’t really want to lose.”
Wynn has scheduled just one official visit at this time. That will be his Oct. 15 trip to Tuscaloosa for the Arkansas game.
He said he intends to enroll early in January so he doesn’t have that much time to change his mind. He was asked to describe his commitment level to Alabama.
His words seem very genuine. Very straight and to the point. He also said that it wasn’t the tradition or the stacks of No. 1 recruiting classes that matter for him with Alabama.
How could Georgia improve its chances?
Wynn is approaching his college decision the right way. As he stated, he’s not looking at the wins or losses.
“I don’t really look into that stuff like jumping on the bandwagon,” he said. “I’m going to a school where I can get developed and have a great three to four years. I want that school to make me into the best football player and the best man I can be coming out of college. That’s how I will look at all that.”
If the Bulldogs start out 12-0 and win the SEC East, that’s not going to matter a great deal to him.
“It is not really about the season,” Wynn said. “Right now, I have a great opportunity to play at Alabama with that program. They don’t have a lot of defensive linemen returning. They don’t have a lot of depth coming back right now.”
Georgia’s window quite possibly would only open with staff changes at Alabama.
That said, he has noticed what Georgia has done so far. That is both on the field and on the recruiting trail.
4-star commit Chris Smith II will take an official visit
Chris Smith committed to UGA on May 1. He’s been a strong commit since but he will do something this weekend that he has maintained since the summer that he would do.
He will take his official visits. At least a few.
Smith told DawgNation earlier this week that nothing has changed with his affection for Georgia. He’s already had some great unofficial visits, he said.
Smith said he also had a great chat with Kirby Smart over the phone this week.
But he will visit Jim Harbaugh and Michigan this weekend. That was a school that Smith almost committed to during his decision process.
He was about to, but his mother had yet to see Ann Arbor, Mich. She squashed that.
Shandra Smith has a good head on her shoulders. She could probably make a decent living selling her system for helping elite prospects choose between big-time offers to others.
Chris Smith has looked very strong so far along his senior season.
Everyone knew he could shadow his man, but he also has delivered some punishing blows from his cornerback spot on toss sweeps to his side this year.
Miss any Intel? The DawgNation recruiting archive will get you up to speed faster than Georgia All-American candidate Roquan Smith can find the football after the snap.