Dawg Night 2015 (Randy Schafer/Special to the AJC)
Jacob Mathis, the 4-star tight end out of Tampa, is a wanted man at UGA.
UGA QB comit Jacob Eason knows who he is. So does Chauncey Manac, one of the top defenders who is pledged to the Bulldogs.
Jacob Mathis (StudentSports.com)
“Chauncey Manac and Jacob Eason are guys I talk to a lot,” Mathis said.
Those two UGA commitments have been sweet-talking Mathis for a while now.
Mathis is rated the No.9 prospect in the nation for 2016 at his position. He gave his visit to UGA’s “Dawg Night” this weekend that “perfect 10” that recruiting staffs pine for.
“Coach (Brian) Schottenheimer and Coach (John) Lilly kind of just try and tell me I’m wanted here and can make an impact in the system,” he said. “They just let me know that something special is brewing in Athens and I need to be a part of it.”
The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder said UGA has always been high on him. There’s only one school which is currently recruiting him with the same intensity. That’s Kentucky.
“They do a great job with letting me know I’m wanted in Athens.”
That immediately brings up a thought with anyone who follows UGA recruiting. John Lilly and company are ecstatic about Garrett Walston’s commitment to the Bulldogs this summer.
That’s one tight end.
UGA is also No. 2 on the board for IMG Academy’s Isaac Nauta. The Buford transfer is rated as a 5-star recruit and the nation’s top tight end.
That’s two tight ends.
Toss in Mathis and that complicates a depth chart. Are the Bulldogs now aiming to be the New England Patriots on offense? That’s a though given the NFL experience under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s belt.
That’s a lot of talent being wooed at tight end. Does any of that concern Mathis?
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” he told the AJC. “Because I know what I can do and what I’m capable of doing.”
Mathis said he doesn’t have a “set three” schools or anything, but said on Sunday that he can definitely see himself at UGA for three or even four years.
He has no idea about when he will make his commitment, but felt if he didn’t chose a school before the season then his decision would come in December or January.
Mathis surprised himself with his camp performance. He said he was sick throwing up all day. But those were no reasons for him not to compete.
“Didn’t drop any balls and ran good routes,” he said. “I felt unstoppable out there.”
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