The last time a UGA target announced that he had made a secret commitment to a school, it turned out to be good news for the Bulldogs.
That was running back Elijah Holyfield, who is now two weeks into his public commitment. This time around, we know UGA has gained a silent commitment on the offensive line, but we just don’t know who.
So what led up to the news of UGA picking up an offensive line commit? A father of a 3-star prospect told the AJC’s DawgNation.com what led to his son canceling an official visit to UGA this weekend.
Today’s must-reads
1. Father of UGA target spills the beans
Tremayne Anchrum, a 3-star offensive lineman from McEachern, was supposed to take an official visit to UGA for the South Carolina game, but that changed when his father found out that UGA gained an offensive line commit on Tuesday.
“Somebody committed (Tuesday) morning,” Anchrum, Sr. told the AJC’s DawgNation.com. “They still wanted us to come down for a visit, but the numbers didn’t work.”
So who could the mystery man be? More on that right now…
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2. Place your bets on this offensive lineman
When I first heard the news that UGA gained an offensive line commit, my first thought was 4-star Willie Allen from John Curtis (La.) High School.
My reasoning for why Allen would be the choice is because for the longest time, UGA was his only official visit that he was sure of. He recently shut down from social media use and interview requests.
What’s the best way to make sure your silent commitment remains silent? Don’t talk to the media.
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3. UGA now competing with Georgia Tech for wide receiver target
UGA currently has four wide receiver commits for 2016, but it could potentially add two more. One of those guys is McEachern wide receiver Tyler Simmons.
Simmons, a 4-star prospect, told the AJC that he is now considering UGA, Alabama and Georgia Tech as his top schools.
The speedster recently visited Tech for its game against Tulane, and apparently the Yellow Jackets made a huge impression. Since early summer, Simmons has told DawgNation that UGA, Alabama and Texas A&M were his favorite schools.
Is it possible that Georgia Tech steals one away from UGA?
4. UGA RB target has a bit of Herschel and a dash of Isaiah Crowell in his story
DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell traveled to Taylor County on Wednesday to meet Lyn-J Dixon, UGA’s newest target. Dixon picked up an offer from the Bulldogs on Tuesday.
Dixon has an interesting story of how he became his high school’s first prospect to receive an SEC football scholarship offer.
The 2018 running back used to be a “fat kid” back in sixth grade. That’s when he decided to look up to none other than UGA legend Herschel Walker. Dixon heard about Walker’s workout regimen that included doing sit-ups and push-ups every day. When Dixon got to seventh grade, he could already dunk a basketball.
Dr. Gary S. Gibson, who was the system athletic director for Muscogee County Schools in Columbus when former UGA phenom Isaiah Crowell played for Carver-Columbus, compares Dixon to Crowell.
“They are about on track the same,” Gibson said. “Lyn-J is taller. Isaiah was thicker and he had a different body at this age than Lyn-J. But player wise they are really similar. Isaiah had better agility, but Lyn-J has better speed. I’d say they are very comparable players at this age.”
So what does Dixon think about his UGA offer? Find out here.
5. Top prospects expected in Athens this Saturday
DawgNation contacted every UGA target on Wednesday and confirmed that 27 prospects will be in Athens this weekend for the South Carolina game.
The biggest prospect that will be in attendance is Dexter Lawrence, the nation’s No. 3 player. It’s unclear how strongly he is considering UGA right now, but anything can change on an official visit.
Check out the entire list here.
6. Mark Richt discusses Jacob Eason
Now that 5-star UGA quarterback commit Jacob Eason has signed his financial aid papers, Mark Richt can publicly discuss his future signal-caller.
While he didn’t say much during his press conference, Richt did say that he was looking forward to his arrival in January, which is when Eason will enroll.
Richt also said he read about Eason’s “perfect game” last Friday night. Perhaps coach watched DawgNation’s highlights of the game. You, too, can watch them right here.