UGA recruiting: How have commits, top targets tested at Nike Opening regionals?
Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. The play sheet today calls for a look at how the commits and top targets for UGA recruiting have fared so far this year in testing for the Nike Opening.
Welcome to the thick of camp and prospect-evaluation season. A lot of Georgia’s top targets for 2019 have already tested, either in Florida or during the last weekend in March at The Opening Atlanta regional.
How have the program’s 2019 commits fared thus far? What about the top targets for this cycle and beyond? Check out those posted numbers below.
2019 commits
| Nolan Smith | 2019 | OLB | 6-3 | 234 | 4.51 | 39.6 | 4.15 | 44.5 | 141.18* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominick Blaylock | 2019 | WR | 6-0.5 | 187 | 4.68 | 35.7 | 4.0 | 38 | 114.90 |
| Jadon Haselwood | 2019 | WR | 6-2.5 | 189 | 4.57 | 31.7 | 4.25 | 39 | 104.04 |
*-Ranks No. 1 nationally in all Nike Opening Sparq testing
2019 and 2020 targets
| Zachary Evans | 2020 | RB | 5-11 | 196 | 4.51 | 34.0 | 3.91 | 36.0 | 117.42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keon Zipperer | 2019 | TE | 6-2.5 | 242 | 4.61 | 33.6 | 4.55 | 46.5 | 116.70 |
| Ainias Smith | 2019 | WR | 5-9.5 | 176 | 4.51 | 36.4 | 4.00 | 35.6 | 114.12 |
| Nakobe Dean | 2019 | ILB | 6-0 | 216 | 4.75 | 39.0 | 4.32 | 38.5 | 113.13 |
| Kyle Hamilton | 2019 | S | 6-3.5 | 188 | 4.79 | 35.2 | 4.25 | 42 | 109.74 |
| Arik Gilbert | 2020 | TE | 6-6 | 248 | 4.91 | 30.3 | 4.38 | 45 | 106.11 |
| Kaiir Elam | 2019 | DB | 6-0.5 | 182 | 4.51 | 31.4 | 4.54 | 44 | 103.68 |
| Noah Cain | 2019 | RB | 5-10.5 | 209 | 4.65 | 34.4 | 4.40 | 37 | 100.32 |
| Travon Walker | 2019 | DT | 6-5 | 263 | 4.98 | 28.1 | 4.54 | 41.5 | 99.24 |
| DJ Turner | 2019 | CB | 6-0 | 165 | 4.63 | 34.9 | 4.34 | 39 | 98.10 |
| Max Johnson | 2020 | QB | 6-4.5 | 213 | 4.84 | 30.2 | 4.57 | 41 | 93.54 |
| Warren Burrell | 2019 | CB | 6-0 | 166 | 4.72 | 36.9 | 4.58 | 39 | 90.96 |
| Khris Bogle | 2019 | OLB | 6-3.5 | 200 | 4.82 | 34.4 | 4.38 | 36 | 90.69 |
| Evan Neal | 2019 | OT | 6-7.5 | 391 | 5.6 | 22.7 | 5.5 | 47.5 | 89.55 |
| Kenneth Jefferson | 2019 | QB | 6-3 | 211 | 4.69 | 28 | 4.51 | 37 | 89.37 |
| Myles Murphy | 2020 | DT | 6-5 | 253 | 4.82 | 31.5 | 4.76 | 36 | 88.02 |
| BJ Ojulari | 2020 | OLB | 6-2.5 | 209 | 5.09 | 37.2 | 4.41 | 33 | 83.55 |
| Kardell Thomas | 2019 | OL | 6-3 | 356 | 5.61 | 19.3 | 5.34 | 40.5 | 83.46 |
| Jayln Phillips | 2019 | DB | 6-0 | 198 | 4.59 | 30.6 | 4.43 | 31.5 | 83.16 |
| Derrick McLendon II | 2019 | OLB | 6-3 | 228 | 5.17 | 32.7 | 4.57 | 36.5 | 81.15 |
| Jaylen McCollough | 2019 | DB | 6-0 | 194 | 4.71 | 33.4 | 4.59 | 32 | 78.69 |
| Harry Miller | 2019 | OL | 6-4 | 317 | 5.66 | 23.9 | 5.09 | 38 | 76.62 |
| Ryan Hilinski | 2019 | QB | 6-4 | 222 | 4.99 | 28.9 | 4.76 | 37.5 | 75.33 |
| Harrison Bailey | 2020 | QB | 6-5 | 229 | 5.07 | 28.4 | 4.62 | 32.5 | 68.31 |
| George Pickens | 2019 | WR | 6-3.5 | 188 | 4.74 | 28.1 | 4.47 | 30 | 68.13 |
| Clay Webb | 2019 | OL | 6-3 | 289 | 5.37 | 24.9 | 4.83 | 32.5 | 66.33 |
April should also be a busy month for camps. There will be Elite 11 events in Charlotte, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn., which will attract a few more UGA commits and other top targets in the 2019 and ’20 cycles.
Do you know about Before the Hedges yet?
DawgNation has a weekly studio recruiting show which airs every Monday evening on our Facebook page.
Hannah Chalker anchors the show and some fella who likes more vegetables on his pizza than most serves as the other talking head on DawgNation’s Before the Hedges show each week sponsored by Kroger.
Some of our readers and viewers have shared feedback that they are not on Facebook so each week I will effort to make sure the weekly show is embedded in the Intel blog.
The show this week touched on:
- 5-star prospect Nolan Smith’s April Fool’s ruse
- Why Smith still should be seen as a solid commitment at this time
- The latest news with Ryan Hilinski and John Emery Jr.
- The long-and-winding backstory for UGA sophomore DT Devonte Wyatt
Remember the name Zachary Evans
Zachary Evans is already rated as the nation’s No. 1 RB for 2020 by 247Sports. But he’s a back that everyone should pay a lot of attention to going forward.
2020 4star RB Zachary Evans is what they’re supposed to look like pic.twitter.com/anYeHgtARr
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) February 25, 2018
Looking for the next Zamir White or James Cook to restock the Georgia backfield and its vast RBU tradition in the 2020 class? That name to think about very well could be Evans. He’s already visited UGA and really enjoyed that trip and interaction.
#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/8murscc6km
— 3Era🌹 (@Runzekerun01) March 4, 2018
Great Time In Athens 🔴⚫️ @DellMcGee #GoDoggz pic.twitter.com/vOUfMuB1x4
— 3Era🌹 (@Runzekerun01) March 4, 2018
The 5-foot-11, 196-pounder is also very skilled. Evans still has the nation’s fastest shuttle drill out of all The Opening participants so far. Evans clocked 3.91 seconds in the event. Dominick Blaylock has the nation’s third-fastest shuttle at 4.0 seconds.
Is he a lock to play for UGA? Of course not. But he’s a name for those to believe that the Bulldogs should be in contention for the nation’s truly elite backs (D’Andre Swift, White and Cook) every recruiting cycle going forward because of running backs coach Dell McGee and the way the program now attracts elite offensive line talent.
The Houston native plays for North Shore and just produced a stellar sophomore season.
Check out the film below.
Miss any Intel? The DawgNation recruiting archive will get you up to speed just as fast as former Georgia All-American LB Roquan Smith found the ball after the snap.
