ATHENS – Wednesday is national signing day. As usual, Georgia is at the top of the national conversation.
The NCAA’s dead period was ushered in on Sunday night, so all contact and visits have ceased. As it stands, the Bulldogs enter the signing period with 24 commitments and ranked No. 2 — behind No. 1 Alabama. They would be quite pleased with their work if it stayed right there.
But, of course, nothing ever stays the same in recruiting. Georgia remains hopeful that it will land some of the top uncommitted targets remaining on the board. According to those who follow the pursuits closely, the recruits include defensive back Kamari Wilson (5-star from Pierce, Fla.), outside linebacker Marvin Jones (5-star, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), linebacker Shemar James (4-star, Mobile, Ala.) and defensive lineman Christen Miller (4-star Decatur).
As of Monday, most analysts are favoring Georgia for Wilson and Alabama for Jones and a tug of war between those two for James. The Bulldogs hold a slight edge over Southern Cal for Miller, according to 247Sports.com.
Most importantly, for the moment, it does not appear that Dan Lanning’s departure for Oregon is going to derail any of Georgia’s previous work. Several of the prospects the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach was recruiting tweeted their loyalty to the Bulldogs in the hours after Oregon confirmed Lanning would be its head coach.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s current list of commitments reflects the staff’s good work to date. It is highlighted by a trio of 5-star-rated prospects that includes athlete Malaki Starks, of Jefferson; cornerback Jaheim Singletary, of Jacksonville; and defensive lineman Mykel Williams, of Columbus.
Behind that group are several recruits who traverse the line of 4-star/5-star in their ratings. They include defensive lineman Bear Alexander, of South Florida’s IMG Academy; quarterback Gunner Stockton, of Rabun County; tight end Oscar Delp, of Cumming; linebacker/running back Branson Robinson, of Madison, Miss.; and linebacker Jalon Walker, of Salisbury, N.C.
The truly unknown at this point is the inevitable recruiting “flip,” for which Georgia’s Kirby Smart has earned a reputation during his coaching tenure. Also, the transfer portal is filling up quickly with players from rival SEC programs. That, too, could figure into how many recruits the Bulldogs pursue.
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