Ad Disclosure
New Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who will coordinate Alabama’s defense for the final time in tonight’s National Championship game, has inherited an excellent class, which can get better, and he has already made an impact by keeping several major prospects in the fold and adding new ones like five-star tight end Isaac Nauta, who committed to the Bulldogs during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Georgia hasn’t been winning at a championship level because Georgia hasn’t been Georgia personnel-wise at a number of positions- particularly on defense- really since the 2012 season when the Bulldogs were a play away from beating the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game and advancing to play for the national title against Notre Dame. Don’t get me wrong, UGA has had good, even great players at certain positions, but obviously quarterback, the interior of the defensive line and the secondary hasn’t had the talent depth that the Dawgs have had when they have not just been merely good, but great.
That is changing when you consider that the 2015 class addressed a lot of those needs and the 2016 class has taken it a step further.
Current rank: No. 2 SEC, No. 5 Nationally (247Sports Composite rankings)
Top commit: Jacob Eason, QB, Lake Stevens (Wash.). The 6-foot-5 Eason has all of the tools you want in a big-time, franchise-type quarterback, plus he’s set to enroll at UGA this semester, so he will have the advantage of going through spring practice as it relates to competing for the starting quarterback job right away in Athens. Eason not only is an outstanding prospect, he’s an outstanding scheme fit for what new Bulldogs offensive coordinator Jim Chaney likes to do. If you remember Chaney’s time at Tennessee, he was able to develop Jonathan Crompton and Tyler Bray into above average (and at times excellent) in the passing game and neither had the raw skill set Eason does nor the personnel around them that Eason will have. Georgia held on to Eason’s commitment through three offensive coordinator changes and a head coaching change, so he wants to be a Dawg and should make big things happen throughout his career in Athens.
Sleeper: Tyriqe McGee, CB, Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County. The 5-foot-11 McGee may not draw the high rankings of some of the better cornerbacks in this class, but the kid has feet, speed and coverage ability. Each and every cycle, it seems that there are players out of this part (south central) Georgia that totally out-play their hype coming out of high school, and the bet here is that McGee is the next one.
Quick take: This is an outstanding class and would have been even had things remained status quo on the coaching front at Georgia, so the fact that it’s sitting in the top five and challenging for “top national class” status at this point is a testament to the strength of the Georgia brand, as well as the combined work of the previous and current staff. You add the talent in this class with the talent in the 2015 class, particularly on defense, and all of a sudden Georgia has upgraded its roster and if things go well with the transition to Smart, then it’s very realistic, at least from a talent standpoint, that the Bulldogs are back in the hunt for a national title (and a playoff berth) in the very near future. So much does indeed depend on the quarterback position (Eason) and that may take more than one season, but the talent is rising.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
