Recruiting Rewind: UGA’s stock way up with 5-star LB
Good Tuesday morning, everybody! My name is William McFadden and I have been tasked with providing you the most important UGA recruiting news around. This, dear reader, is a role I do not take lightly, but one that should be entertaining for all parties involved. For those worried about a drop in quality, consider this: Nick Chubb handled the starting duties pretty well when he was given the job, despite losing two yards on his first career carry. Now, I’m not saying I’m going to be as good as Chubb, but I’m not saying I won’t be as good as he is either.
Let’s dive on in.
Today’s must-reads
1. 5-star linebacker says UGA’s stock “went up a lot” after visit
Ben Davis, a 5-star linebacker from Alabama, got back home Sunday night from a visit to UGA over the weekend. So how did his visit go? Well, to hear Davis tell it, his stay in Athens was practically perfect.
In an interview with Jeff Sentell of DawgNation, Davis said “Georgia’s stock went up a lot.” The nation’s No. 1 inside linebacker also said that he would rate the visit as a five on a one-to-five scale and that they have earned a spot among his top three.
This is big news for UGA. Davis said defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt revealed his vision for the 6-foot-4, 235-pound linebacker during his visit and likened him to former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain.
A word of caution though before I get everyone’s hopes a little too high: Davis is the son of Wayne Davis who still holds the school record for career tackles at Alabama. Many feel that his father’s legacy may play a factor in Davis’ decision.
Still, judging by his weekend visit, UGA is right where it wants to be with the 5-star prospect.
Really enjoyed myself with the boss man @MarkRicht and the Georgia family this weekend. ⚫️?⚪️? #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/dAQLl6lAf3
— Mr. UNO™〽️ (@bendavis_1) October 19, 2015
Athens I will be back ❗️❗️?
— Mr. UNO™〽️ (@bendavis_1) October 19, 2015
2. UGA’s support of Devon Gales leaves big impression on 4-star
There has been an overwhelming amount of support for Devon Gales, the Southern University player who injured his spine on a kickoff return against UGA, and one top recruit has noticed.
The outpouring of love from the UGA community has left an impression on Willie Allen, a 4-star offensive tackle from Louisiana who is high on UGA’s recruiting board. Allen spoke with DawgNation’s Chris Kirschner on Monday about the impact UGA’s support of Gales has had on his feelings for the school.
“It sharpened up my opinion a lot,” Allen said. “Because knowing if that was me on the opposing team or on Georgia’s team, I know they would have my back.”
The 6-foot-7, 300-pounder will take an official visit to UGA in December, as well as LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss and a fifth school that has yet to be announced. UGA fans will be happy to know that Allen speaks to his good friends Jacob Eason and Ben Cleveland often. Eason and Cleveland, the first two UGA commits in this recruiting class, have been working hard to get Allen to join them in Athens.
3. 4-star commit explains his missed official visit
Chauncey Manac, the nation’s No. 7 weak-side defensive end for 2016, committed to UGA in September of 2014. The senior was planning to take his official visit to UGA for the Missouri game, but was not able to make it. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder did not give much detail, but did offer a reason for missing Saturday’s game.

Fans shouldn’t be too worried. Although Manac told DawgNation last month he would probably take official visits to Kentucky, South Carolina and maybe Florida, he wears a red UGA bracelet on his wrist at all times. He’s even gone so far as to say his lead recruiter, Kevin Sherrer, is basically like a father figure to him.
Manac’s absence is nothing to sweat as only Cleveland and Eason are the only two 2016 commitments with more tenure.
4. UGA makes impression on 4-star RB from Alabama
UGA has not had a problem recruiting running backs in recent years and has caught the eye of a 4-star in Alabama’s backyard. Brian Robinson, a junior from Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and the nation’s No. 18 running back for 2017, has some big offers but had a noticeable reaction when he found out UGA had offered him.
“His eyes went wide when he found out he had the Georgia offer,” Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa coach Sam Adams said.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder was not shy about his thoughts on UGA, either. See what Robinson had to say about UGA, including its recent success at running back, here.
So what are UGA’s chances on landing Robinson? Right now I would have to say not too bad. Alabama has two running backs in its 2017 class who are similar in size to Robinson but rated slightly higher. It’s never a bad thing to have a leg up on Alabama in recruiting.
5. 4-star OL is tired of talking about his teammate
The recruitment of E.J. Price, a 4-star offensive lineman out of Archer High School (Ga.), has been well documented. The one-time UGA commit said recently that Auburn and UGA are still his co-leaders.
It’s not unusual for Price to get asked often about his recruitment, but on Monday the 6-foot-6, 311-pound prospect tweeted about receiving questions on his 5-star teammate’s recruitment. Archer wide receiver Kyle Davis, a UGA target, is the nation’s No. 1 receiver for 2016 and is planning on announcing his commitment Friday. With the announcement drawing near, people have been asking Price about Davis.
Sounds like he’s already hit his limit.
Please stop asking me where @KDSZN is committing to Friday IDK and if I did I wouldn't tell y'all ???
— Ej Price (@Ej_Price77) October 20, 2015
Literally at least 20 text today about it ?
— Ej Price (@Ej_Price77) October 20, 2015
6. State’s No. 1 prospect reveals what’s next
Derrick Brown is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Georgia. The highly-coveted 5-star defensive tackle had good news for UGA fans when he announced his Top 5 schools a few days ago.

The Lanier High School standout sat down for a video interview with Scout.com’s Chad Simmons on Monday to discuss what was next with his recruitment.
Although he has announced which five schools will receive official visits, Brown has yet to set a time for his visits. UGA would love to have the state’s No. 1 prospect in Athens next fall, and seems to be in good shape after Brown’s recent visit for the Missouri game.
7. Nation’s top recruit explains why he was a no-show for UGA-Alabama game
The name Dylan Moses may sound familiar to UGA fans. The nation’s No. 1 prospect for 2017 recently re-opened his recruitment after de-committing from LSU. Moses was supposed to be in attendance for UGA’s showdown against Alabama, but failed to show.
What gives?
In a recent interview with SECCountry’s Chris Kirschner, the 5-star prospect explained why he couldn’t make the game and his recent communication with the UGA coaching staff.
8. Kyle Davis prediction
UGA commit Chad Clay has made his prediction for Kyle Davis, the state’s No. 1 receiver from Archer High School who will decide on Friday among Tennessee, Auburn and the Bulldogs, among others. “I think Kyle is committing to Georgia … I spoke to him this morning, and I feel confident that is where he is going,” Clay told 247sports.com’s Rusty Mansell.
William McFadden covers UGA recruiting for DawgNation and is an SEC multimedia reporter for SECCountry. Give him a follow on Twitter for news and opinions on the latest sports news.
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