A lot has been made this recruiting cycle of Georgia's unusual strategy down the stretch of targeting a lot of guys who were already committed to other schools. While Mark Richt and company have missed on a lot of those guys, they hit a real home run today with the commitment of Tucker High linebacker/tight end Josh Dawson.
Dawson had been committed for months to Vanderbilt and looked set to play defensive end in the Commodores' 4-3. He has a great burst off the line, long arms that allow him to fight off offensive linemen and really good instincts for the ball. He needs to work on his pass rushing technique, as he only seems to have a couple of moves. But Todd Grantham has done a great job helping our linebackers perfect their quarterback attacking skills. Dawson has the motor you look for in a defensive player. He's a smart player who I believe will put in the work required to blossom in the Bulldog 3-4.
While Georgia looks great at outside linebacker for 2012, Jarvis Jones and Cornelius Washington are both likely gone after next season. There's a very real chance that Ray Drew and Sterling Bailey could grow into defensive ends, and we're still waiting on T.J. Stripling, Dexter Morant and Chase Vasser to become every down players. The time is now to rebuild depth at a critical position for our system. The addition of Dawson is another step toward doing that. Plus we snatched him from James Franklin and that makes me happy. Glad to have you, Josh!
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