Want a daily lap through Georgia football recruiting? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. We’ll cover the news and which way this 4-star Caleb Tannor or a 5-star like Justin Fields might lean, plus add some perspective to help fans figure out what it all means.
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The Intel is back. Rested. Recharged.
It seems like a good day to cannonball back into the big pool of UGA recruiting. While the Matt Corral-and-what-this-means-stuff seems like a layup idea for an easy post, that’s not the most imminent topic at hand.
The decision that will be announced Monday by 4-star prospect Caleb Tannor of Miller Grove High (Ga.) should be what is on everyone’s mind.
The nation’s No. 15 weakside defensive end for the Class of 2018, per the 247Sports composite, is very athletic. He’s also rated as the nation’s No. 308 overall prospect.
Tannor went to Auburn and stayed overnight last weekend.
He visited Georgia the weekend before that. He told SEC Country’s Benjamin Wolk that the decision between the two teams is very close. Tannor also took his extended family with him on that visit.
Here’s what I know right now:
- There will not be a ceremony of any type at the school.
- Tannor will release a commitment video.
- He did not have a favorite on Saturday night and hoped to make his decision after going to church on Sunday.
It seemed that Auburn wasn’t sure for a time who it wanted to play the Buck position in this class, but that has been settled now. The Tigers made that clear to Tannor on that visit. Georgia views him as that Lorenzo Carter-type who fits in at outside linebacker in an odd front.
Caleb Tannor on Auburn vs. Georgia
What does he like about Auburn?
“Great facilities, great coaches,” Tannor told SEC Country. “It’s a real good connection. It feels just like Georgia, and that’s what’s making that race so close. Great coaching. Both of them are providing the same things for me, so we’re just gonna have to see.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound player said he still plans to take visits after his decision. He does not plan to enroll early. I can’t see a scenario where Tannor is not a take for UGA here. He’s simply that good coming off the edge.
He commanded the attention of the staff at a Sanford Stadium workout at the Kirby Smart Camp in early June. What he did clearly fit the “priority” label in my eyes.
Want to know a lot more about Tannor? Here’s an extended profile on the multi-year team captain at Miller Grove.
My thoughts? I think that UGA has had an edge for Tannor for a few months. It will be interesting to see what his decision will be Monday.
He’s a priority defensive target for UGA in this class. Adam Anderson and Azeez Ojulari also seem like the main uncommitted players the Bulldogs want at OLB for 2018.
A few rapid-fire items of interest to DawgNation
- Big-time defensive tackle target Rick Sandidge just completed a back-to-back set of weekends at SEC rivals Georgia and South Carolina. He told SEC Country’s Hale McGranahan that the visits have done little to shape his decision. They only make his choice harder. McGranahan spoke to the 4-star DT after his time in Columbia. McGranahan also chatted with Sandidge’s mother. It seems as if Mom has the Gamecocks out in front at this time.
- Aaron Brule’ is a new name to watch on the UGA recruiting front. The Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.) standout safety/linebacker had a strong visit to Georgia this month, but there’s some momentum there to watch with him now. Brule’, a 3-star prospect, picked up a few 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions to Georgia over the weekend and that was related to the Ja’Marr Chase news. Brule’ had been trending toward attending TCU with Chase, his high school teammate. That was until Chase, a wide receiver, committed to Florida after a weekend visit that landed several other targets. It is interesting to note that Brule’ does not have an offer from in-state LSU.
- Dutchtown (Hampton, Ga.) safety Trey Dean, a 4-star prospect, has hit the pause button on his anticipated decision yet again. It was reported across the UGA recruiting beat over the weekend that Dean no longer will decide on July 31. He confirmed that with me Sunday night. This might cause some to roll their eyes, but I actually find it refreshing. There’s really no rush to make these decisions, and Dean clearly would rather continue to postpone his decision window rather than make an iffy impulse decision and have to de-commit later. Why might this be happening? It seems very likely that a lot of the delay here has to do with teams changing up where they might feel Dean sits on their board. Public commitments and silent commitments could very well have a lot to do with that. So could players such as Brule’ surging up the board, too.
The question on everyone’s mind
Matt Corral’s decision to choose Florida on Saturday night definitely caught everyone’s attention. The nation’s No. 3 QB prospect had set unofficial visit dates to Florida and UGA for this month.
The Californian with 77-yard passes in his arm is now all about the Gators. He told 247Sports he will not making that trip to Athens, which was set for Wednesday. What does this mean for Georgia?
Corral’s choice seems as if there is some clear behind-the-scenes work at hand. At The Opening in Oregon, he seemed very pro-Georgia. He wore the UGA wristband that he said used to belong to Jacob Eason. Corral even spotted a young fan at Nike’s world headquarters by his UGA hat. He held an extended, genuine conversation with that boy and his family for about 10 minutes. That said, Corral is now off the board for Georgia.
Florida, which has had some trouble landing elite QBs of late, secured Corral with his first visit. That is a very interesting shift in momentum.
I felt after The Opening that UGA would wind up with either Corral or 5-star Justin Fields as its prized QB prospect in 2018. I’m not backing off that.
My perception is the chase for Fields is down to two teams: Georgia and Florida State. There are just far too many threads between Fields and UGA at this time to think anything else.