Assessing Georgia’s 2016 recruiting class entering January

Once five-star QB Jacob Eason — Georgia’s highest-ranked quarterback recruit since Matthew Stafford — reaffirmed his commitment to the program now coached by Kirby Smart, Bulldog Nation had a collective exhale. Smart also solidified commitments from OL Ben Cleveland, DB Chad Clay and DL Julian Rochester.

Soon after Smart was hired, five-star LB recruits Ben Davis and Mack Wilson each said Georgia had jumped up their list of potential schools. Smart’s challenge is to ink one of those players or in-state stars DT Derrick Brown or ATH Mecole Hardman, who formed a tight relationship with departed defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Brown and Hardman could vault Georgia’s class into elite territory. No. 1 TE recruit, Isaac Nauta has included Georgia among his top schools after Smart’s hire.

Before the season, Georgia lost four-star RB B.J. Emmons, but picked up four-star RB Elijah Holyfield.

Smart could improve Georgia’s recruiting success in Alabama and Louisiana.

ASSESSING GEORGIA’S 2016 CLASS

Current commits or enrollees: 14 (avg. star 3.7; last year: 3.6)
Current big-name targets: DT Derrick Brown, ATH Mecole Hardman Jr., TE Isaac Nauta, LB Ben Davis, ATH Demetris Robertson
Biggest positions of need: QB, OL, LB
National/SEC rank: 13/6

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Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.