Monday’s UGA Recruiting Rewind for DawgNation
Want to know what’s going on with the latest in UGA football recruiting? That’s what the Monday Recruiting Rewind for DawgNation is here for. We present the day’s must-read news and also give it just a little bit of analysis for what it means to UGA.
Sit back. Read. Click. Enjoy. And yes there are sorority girls at the end of this morning’s must-reads.
Here are this morning’s must-reads
1. I like this. A lot.
Too much is said and written about this guy and his stars and his ranks. We’re part of that culture, but this page will first and foremost trumpet the high school experience. Always. High school football is a character-delivery device for young men. That has been the chief benefit of the game and always will be.
Prospect camps and combines and highlight tapes have created a way for a talented prospect to circumvent that. There’s a point these days where a young man can “ball out” his sophomore and junior years, earn the SEC offer and even sit out his senior year to just work out or avoid having to deal with his high school coach.
UGA’s offer letter to 2016 recruits prevents that from happening. Check the pic below. Coach Mark Richt spells out two “conditions” within the official scholarship letter. One of them is the recommendation of their high school coach and their obligations to their high school team.
Blessed???? pic.twitter.com/ebLTzm2Xjj
— WOLFPUP ||BSV (@chaunceymanac) August 3, 2015
If you can’t play for your community, then you can’t wear that G. If you can’t play for the coaches who developed you into a prospect, then you can’t play Between the Hedges.

I don’t like that. I love it love it love it.
2. Nation’s No. 4 RB liking UGA
4-star Texan Devwah Whaley told the AJC’s DawgNation on Sunday that UGA and Oklahoma are recruiting him the hardest and even shared his commitment date.
He said his Dawg Night visit ranks up with the very best he’s ever taken to a college campus. There’s a lot of good stuff to take from that interview, including his thoughts about what he would do if or when Woodward Academy’s Elijah Holyfield commits next month.
3. Another 4-star WR puts UGA in his Top 5
You really have to hand it to UGA receivers coach Bryan McClendon. Picture him going down his favorite aisle at Costco and wishing he had brought along TWO of those platform haulers. UGA has four receivers (depends on Charlie Woerner) committed for 2016 and he’s going after at least another four more from a lot that includes Kyle Davis, Demetris Robertson, Tre Nixon and Tyler Simmons.
Well, there’s now a No. 5. California’s Tyler Vaughns is a name to know because he: 1) Rates as the nation’s No. 2 WR; 2) Will take an official visit to UGA; 3) Has an aunt that lives in Athens; 4) Has already given a big thumb-up to that Eason kid who’s also on the Left Coast.
4. Dickerson’s not sold on a UGA official visit yet
North Carolina’s Landon Dickerson is regarded as a priority target for UGA offensive line coach Rob Sale. He’s right up there with John Curits tackle Willie Allen, Dematha Catholic’s Terrance Davis and Archer’s E.J. Price.

The AJC caught up with Dickerson on Sunday and he said he feels like he’s wanted by UGA, but wasn’t sure if he was ready to set an official visit. He has already set up an official visit to both Auburn and Michigan. He’s also not sure when he might make his commitment.
Digest that this morning. But also remember that the young man has already taken two trips to UGA during the span of a month this summer.
5. Elite in-state ATH might not take an official to Bama or UGA
Savannah’s Demetris Robertson has set up three official visits so far. That’s to Georgia Tech, Stanford and Notre Dame. He’s also taking an official visit to Stanford later this month.
What interesting is Robertson feels there’s no priority to take an official visit to either Alabama or UGA. Those are still his co-No. 2s on his leaderboard. He also said to pump the brakes on jumping to conclusions with that information. He’s been going to UGA since he was in the ninth grade and was committed to Alabama for almost a year.
No worries there. That actually makes sense. The other interesting information is that he’s considering big-time programs like Florida, Ohio State, Oregon and Southern California for those final two official visits.
6. 4-star Georgia 2017 OL clears the air
Is Central Gwinnett OT Tony Gray close to making his commitment? Is he all but a shoo-in to UGA?
Those whispers are out there, but Gray pancaked those with the AJC on Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 262-pounder sounds like he still has a lot of thinking and a lot more visits to take before he’s at that point. He also said that he’s not in frequent communication with the coaches at UGA at this time.
7. Miami LB liking UGA
What’s something that UGA likes just about as much as recruiting receivers right now? That’s South Florida speed. Those dudes that come from Broward County has a gear and a tenacity that’s hard to match.
UGA is in prime position to land 2017 OLB De’Andre Wilder ever since his visit to Dawg Night back in July.
8. Another in-state DL is giving UGA a good look
Jackson’s Michail Carter is another top-rated in-state defensive tackle that’s taking a good look at UGA. UGAsports.com’s Trent Smallwood caught up with him over the weekend and recapped his UGA visit.
The Bulldogs already have Tyler Clark and Julian Rochester committed at defensive tackle and are actively trying to reel in Rashan Gary, Derrick Brown and Antwaun Jackson. The shot at Jackson appears to be fading. That might be a reason why UGA is starting to pitch Carter.
9. Give the guy credit for having a goal
Mississippi DB Lamarques Thomas released his Top 6 recently and he had UGA on top. There’s one thing to note with that and its the fact he doesn’t have an UGA offer. Yet.
The Jackson-Clarion Ledger reports that Thomas would commit to UGA if he had an offer, but that hasn’t materialized yet. The safety also said that he has an offer from Ole Miss, but not Mississippi State at this point.
He’s seen as a quality 3-star safety, but lacks top-end speed for the position. Thomas seems to me like a guy to keep on slow burn in case UGA’s hopes for Mecole Hardman and Nigel Warrior do not bear fruit.
End of summer has arrived and I'd like to announce my Top 6 Schools! #Blessed UGA?⚫️ Mizzou? Louisville ? Ole Miss?? MsState?? Memphis ?
— BbyD Worth 8 Figures (@LamarquesThomas) August 5, 2015
10. Atlanta DB: Auburn > South Carolina
South Carolina won a head-to-head recruiting battle with Auburn earlier this summer. That netted Coach Steve Spurrier a commitment from 2016 Grady DB Marlon Character.
Well, Gus Malzahn struck back over the weekend. The Tigers got a commitments from Stephenson DB Carlito Gonzalez this weekend. The still-thriving College Recruiting Blog over at Ajc.com has all the details.
One Mo’ Rep: Alabama knows Recruiting
An Alabama RB got some great camera time recently. We all remember Hillgrove RB Kenyan Drake and wish the best for him in a bounce-back season after a gruesome knee injury. Well, Drake just so happens to appear in a sorority recruiting video.
Not making this up. He runs some sprints and is no doubt smiling because of how well his rehab has gone and for no other reason that that. The video has been up for three days and already has 130,000-plus views.
Just watch below. Drake shows up around the 2:30 mark.
Jeff Sentell covers 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.