Georgia Picks Up Commitment From 2017 Louisiana Athlete Devonta Smith

Georgia picked up its second third commitment for the class of 2017 Monday evening with the pledge of Amite, Louisiana speedster Devonta Smith. The 5'10, 155 pound rising junior standout is rated the 17th best athlete in the nation for his class, and the 8th best player in the always-loaded Pelican State. In addition to the Classic City Canines he also counts early scholarship offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, and the home state Bayou Bengals.

You can see what Smith did during his sophomore campaign here:

Without a doubt Smith has the speed to be dominant at the high school level. I doubt he'll get slower. He still has some growing to do to play in the SEC, but he has a lanky frame that can definitely add the necessary weight to play at the highest level on Saturdays.

There's a long, long way to go between now and February 2017. And it's well-known that pulling truly elite players out of the state of Louisiana is a lot easier said than done. If you forced me to bet, I would place the odds that Smith is still committed to Georgia 17 months from now on the eve of Signing Day at less than 50%. But the fact that the Bulldog staff is going into a tough recruiting environment like the Bayou State and jumping to the forefront early for big time recruits is something Georgia fans aren't used to. Mark Richt and crew appear to be playing offense on the recruiting trail, so to speak, rather than defense.

Another interesting aspect of this story is that Smith is a good friend of fellow Louisiana athlete Shyheim Carter. The 2016 four star cornerback recently recommitted from Alabama, and while he named Ole Miss his leader 247Sports crystal ball predictions have been rolling in picking Carter to Georgia since Smith made his commitment public.

I'm not sure how all that will shake out, but it should definitely give Bulldog fans hope that the coaches are roaming far and wide to find the pieces they need. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!