As G-Day looms, what did the week look like for UGA recruiting?
Have you been keeping up with your UGA recruiting news this week? Or perhaps you have been too focused on G-Day? Did the recent news with Mark Webb make the term “meniscus tear” seem like your favorite words this week?
Need to catch up, hurry-up style? These are the weeks where the semi-regular UGA recruiting snapshot becomes your best friend.
There was some shuffling in the team recruiting rankings over the last seven days. There were big spring-game commitments at Clemson and Oklahoma. Multiple commits. Those rearranged the team recruiting rankings quite a bit. The Bulldogs even fell four spots from No. 3 to No. 7 nationally.
It is just April. Bear that in mind.
Aside from that, these were the major storylines of the week.
- 5-star OLB Owen Pappoe switches up his May 5 decision date
- Owen Pappoe breaks down Auburn and UGA at Charlotte Elite 11 Opening regional
- Nation’s No. 5 CB Andrew Booth talks up Clemson and UGA plus the field
- Check out the G-Day visitors list
- Some elite targets are starting to worry about the UGA depth at key spots
2019 UGA recruiting class timeline
The Bulldogs have seven commitments in the 2019 class. The latest came from 4-star strongside defensive end Bill Norton, who committed on March 18. Norton, the nation’s No. 10 player at his position for 2019, had been pondering committing to UGA for quite some time.
UGA is now seventh nationally in the 247Sports composite team recruiting rankings, but it is worth noting that the Bulldogs have just seven commits for this cycle. Ohio State, which ranks No. 14 nationally, has six commits.The Buckeyes are the only other program that ranks in the national top 15 that has seven or fewer commitments so far.
Oklahoma has 10 pledges and now has the top spot. With its 10 commits, Florida State sits in the No. 2 position.
Quick breakout fact: Georgia has a trio of 5-star commits for this cycle. The Bulldogs are the only program thus far with multiple 5-star commits.
Jadon Haselwood, a 5-star wide receiver (Cedar Grove H.S./Ellenwood, Ga.), rates as the top Georgia commit. He is the No. 2 overall player in the nation, according to the composite.
The Bulldogs also have one commitment for 2020. That’s 4-star defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse. Stackhouse plays for Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Ga. He committed on the day of Georgia’s SEC Championship Game victory against Auburn.
How the 2019 UGA recruiting class has been built:
June 11, 2016: 4-star tackle Luke Griffin (North Murray/Chatsworth, Ga.) commits to UGA
Jan. 29, 2017: 5-star defensive end Nolan Smith (IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.) commits to UGA
Feb. 18, 2017: 4-star DT Rashad Cheney Jr. (Washington High/Atlanta) commits to UGA
March 16, 2017: 5-star WR Jadon Haselwood commits to UGA
July 15, 2017: 4-star linebacker J.D. Bertrand (Blessed Trinity/Roswell, Ga.) commits to UGA
July 16, 2017: 5-star WR Dominick Blaylock (Walton/Marietta, Ga) commits to UGA.
Oct. 30, 2017: 4-star cornerback Jalen Perry (Dacula/Dacula, Ga.) commits to UGA.
Jan. 25, 2018: Rashad Cheney Jr. de-commits from UGA
Feb. 7, 2018: 4-star tight end Ryland Goede (Kennesaw Mountain/Kennesaw, Ga.) commits to UGA.
March 18, 2018: 4-star DE Bill Norton (Christian Brothers/Memphis, Tenn.) commits to UGA.
April 1, 2018: Luke Griffin de-commits from UGA.
UGA recruiting visit preview for the weekend
There are spring games galore around the SEC and the nation, but the focus is on G-Day here. Have you read our G-Day visitors RSVP list yet? It has all the big names.
That has the names of the players coming to Athens, Ga., but where will the other top targets be?
- Alabama spring game: C Clay Webb, T Darnell Wright, RB John Emery, T Amari Kight, K Will Reichard, DE Lloyd Summerall
- LSU spring game: CB Derek Stingley Jr., CB Chester Kimbrough
- Penn State official visit: LB Owen Pappoe
- Tennessee spring game: CB Andrew Booth, CB Warren Burrell, DE/OLB Khris Bogle
- Texas spring game: RB Noah Cain
- No visits planned: DB Quinton Newsome, C Harry Miller
Short-term prediction for 2019 UGA recruiting
Several prospects are getting closer and closer to their decision. G-Day could be a moment for that impulse commitment.
I think that at least one or two UGA targets will make their decision before Owen Pappoe’s big Auburn-or-Georgia-or-the-field decision on May 1.
UGA recruiting by position in 2019
Which positions are the major priorities for 2019? Well, the receiver spot was one, but that has been checked off as nicely as all the downloads for the new J.Cole album.
Here’s the wood left to chop in terms of positional priorities for the class:
- 1. Defensive tackle (3 to 4)
- 2. Inside linebacker (2 more)
- 3. Tackle (2)
- 4. Safety (1 to 2)
- 5. Quarterback (1)
Where the UGA class ranks in the SEC
Georgia’s 2018 class is ranked No. 7 nationally and now No. 4 in the SEC. Ole Miss leads the conference with its 15 commitments for 2019.
It is also worth noting the Bulldogs had zero members — one if we count Adam Anderson, who de-committed and eventually re-committed — of their eventual top-ranked 2018 class on the board at this time a year ago.
Latest news on UGA recruiting
In case you missed anything from this week, here are the latest headlines:
- Check out the G-Day visitors list
- What’s the next real impressive Alabama recruiting feat for UGA to match?
- How much has UGA really swung and missed on elite DTs of late?
- How does the nation’s No. 5 DE Antonio Alfano feel about UGA?
- Derick “Rambo” Hunter will attend G-Day with a recon mission in mind
- In-state DB Jalyn Phillips on UGA offer: “It means the world to me”
- UGA recruiting: 2 tackles might complete the O-line haul for 2019
The 2019 Georgia offers by the numbers
- Reported offers: 234
- 5-star offers: 24
- Florida recruits offered: 51
- In-state recruits offered: 43
- Texas recruits offered: 33
- Mississippi recruits offered: 14
- California recruits offered: 14
- Louisiana recruits offered: 12
- Receivers offered: 31
- Cornerbacks offered: 24
- Tackles offered: 21
- Safeties offered: 19
- Defensive tackles offered: 18
- Quarterbacks offered: 14
- Running backs offered: 11
- Inside linebackers offered: 3
The 2019 UGA recruiting position breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of the number of commits by position and how many are projected to be signed:
- QB: 0/1
- RB: 0/1
- TE: 1/1 (Goede)
- WR: 2/3 (Blaylock, Haselwood)
- OL: 0/2
- DE: 1/2 (Norton)
- DT: 0/3
- ILB: 1/3 (Bertrand)
- OLB: 1/2 (Smith)
- CB: 1/2 (Perry)
- S: 0/2
Totals: 7/22
Geographical UGA recruiting breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of the current UGA commits by state:
- Georgia: 5 (Bertrand, Blaylock, Goede, Haselwood, Perry)
- Florida: 1 (Smith)
- Tennessee: 1 (Norton)