Think UGA is done recruiting for a while? No, not by a long shot.
There’s the huge official visit this weekend from a potential starter at offensive tackle with Rhode Island fifth-year graduate transfer Tyler Catlina as the most pressing need. The UGA faithful will also be plugged in to the moves made by five-star receiver Demetris Robertson over the next month.
Yet this weekend also begins a trend of several “Junior Days” for UGA to start building relationships with the Class of 2017.
That’s the class where UGA is poised to make its biggest mark. The impending visit of four-star cornerback William Poole looms as one of the most important this weekend. Poole has told DawgNation that his decision will come sooner rather than later and that UGA and Florida would be two schools he would look very closely at.
Poole has voiced some strong opinions about how he thinks Kirby Smart will do at UGA in the past. Smart told Poole in January that he was a priority when he used his first recruiting trip on the road once he was solely working for UGA.
This is an important trip where the program can really cement itself as the favorite to land Poole over the next couple of months. Poole is rated as the nation’s No. 10 cornerback and No. 80 overall prospect for the Class of 2017.
He was named as one of UGA’s top targets in the new recruiting cycle. This weekend also sets up as a platform for a huge push by the new staff for several of the state’s top junior offensive tackles like D’antne Demery, Tony Gray and Andrew Thomas. That spot — even if Catalina eventually signs with the program — would still be the most important recruiting need with the 2017 class.
DawgNation has been able to confirm all the names below on the list, but it is by no means official. There are some names — like five-star cornerback DeAngelo Gibbs — who aren’t sure whether or not they’ll be able to make the trip yet.
Class of 2016
Graduate transfer OT Tyler Catalina (Rhode Island/ Holden, Mass.)
Class of 2017
3-star CB Jacobe Clement (South Mecklenberg High/Charlotte, NC)
3-star ATH Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing High/Montgomery, Ala.)
4-star OT D’antne Demery (Brunswick High/Brunswick, Ga.)
4-star ATH Deejay Dallas (Glynn Academy/Brunswick, Ga.)
4-star LB Breon Dixon (Grayson High/Loganville, Ga.) — UGA commit
Unranked WR Xavier Jenkins (Lowndes High/Valdosta, Ga.)
4-star OT Tony Gray (Central Gwinnett, Lawrenceville, Ga.)
4-star OG Netori Johnson (Cedar Grove High/Ellenwood, Ga.)
4-star DB Xavier McKinney (Roswell High/ Roswell, Ga.) — Alabama commit
4-star CB William Poole (Hapeville Charter/Atlanta, Ga.)
3-star OG Justin Shaffer (Cedar Grove High/Ellenwood, Ga. — Louisville commit
4-star OT Andrew Thomas (Pace Academy/Atlanta, Ga.)
Class of 2018
Unranked OT Tank Jenkins (Park Crossing/Montgomery, Ala.)
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.