Georgia and Georgia Tech will battle it out on the field Saturday, but the archrivals rarely go head-to-head in the recruiting world.
The state of Georgia is one of the top manufacturers of college football talent in the nation, annually producing around 175-185 prospects who sign with FBS (formerly Division I-A) schools.
Both Tech and Georgia tap into the local talent pool, focusing heavily on homegrown kids for their recruiting classes. However, it has been very rare for the archrivals to go head-to-head on a Georgia kid in recent years. In fact, it’s unlikely that Georgia and Tech will be the two finalists on any prospect from the state’s 2012 prospects — although that could always change before February’s signing day.
High-profile battles over homegrown recruits are an annual tradition in bordering states with Auburn-Alabama, South Carolina-Clemson and — this year — Vanderbilt-Tennessee.
“We’ve gone after some of the same kids over the years,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “I’m not sure why there’s not more this year, or really not more every year. But it was the same type of situation when I was at Florida State. People thought we’d go more head-to-head with Miami over the kids in Florida, but there really wasn’t as much crossover as you would think.
“Maybe with Georgia and Georgia Tech, just like with Florida State and Miami, the young men are just looking for different things in a college, whether it’s the campus atmosphere, type of education, football stuff or whatever.”
Andy McCollum, Tech’s recruiting coordinator, said, “Every kid is different and every kid is looking for a different thing. If you have a kid from Georgia who is very serious about getting a great education and fits in with what we do at Georgia Tech, we’re going to be one of the finalists. The competition could be Georgia, or somebody else in the ACC and SEC. You have everybody in the nation coming into the state to recruit kids.”
According to the rivals.com database, Tech and Georgia both offered only 19 of the same in-state prospects — four committed to the Bulldogs and one to the Yellow Jackets, while the others committed to out-of-state schools or remain undecided. Out of the five pledged to Georgia or Tech, none listed the other as the runner-up.
“I think the biggest reason is just the systems they run,” said Chad Simmons, scout.com’s national recruiting analyst. “There may be a little bit different requirements academically, but I think it’s mostly the systems they run, more specifically the offenses. They are not going to recruit too many of the same type of offensive linemen. Georgia has more of a power running game with play-action and wants guys 6-5 and 320. Georgia Tech wants guys more mobile and more agile that can pull with the option and get to the second level to block. Georgia Tech is also going after that one big wide receiver every year who can be the next [Demaryius Thomas] or Stephen Hill and be a premier ‘go-to’ guy.
“Now on defense, with Al Groh [Tech’s defensive coordinator] running a 3-4 like Georgia, I do think there will be more head-to-head recruiting down the road.”
Said 247sports.com’s Rusty Mansell, “It’s not as much Georgia vs. Georgia Tech as it is fighting other schools to keep them out of their state. Offensively, it’s pretty obvious that Georgia and Georgia Tech recruit different types of prospects to fit their systems ... but on defense, I think you’ll see more head-to-head battles in the future because they both run the 3-4.”
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