Recruiting Recon

I had weekly game breakdowns for you all season and now we enter the peak season for recruiting. When I worked for the Dawgs as a defensive undergraduate assistant, discovering, following and evaluating prospects was my strength. Although it is in no way part of my current job description, I keep a close and consistent eye the Dawgs recruiting scene. One of the main issues in recruiting is the rose colored disposition that everyone seems to have about every single prospect your team recruits and signs. The reality is that not all of these kids can play SEC ball. I will never discount a kid’s grind but my goal in doing these Recruiting Recons is to give you my honest evaluation and take on each commit/target in the 2017 cycle. I will obviously never be 100% accurate on a kid but hopefully it will give the casual fan and even the fan very invested in recruiting an idea of how they may project to the college game. Being that recruiting is changing every single day, I also want to give some quick hitters to summarize current events as it pertains to potential new Dawgs. Let’s get to the initial position breakdown of all 2017 commits/targets at offensive skill positions.

Quarterback

· Jake Fromm- 4 Star QB commit

Unbelievable talent and technician. I think Jake beats you more with knowledge of exactly where to go with the ball and accuracy rather than brute arm strength. It’s not to say that he has a weak arm at all, but he beats you with a Drew Brees like knowledge of the offense and chemistry with his receivers. I really like his athleticism and toughness as well. If he has a 3^rd and 4 where routes breakdown, he is not afraid to takeoff for a first down and put his head down to get it. Not extremely mobile but much like Aaron Murray in the fact that he has the capability to make something out of nothing. Very lucky to have Jake as both a prospect to push Eason as well as a 2017 recruiting class leader. He has made major headway in recruiting fellow dawgs.

Running Back

· D’Andre Swift- 4 Star RB Commit

Love this kid’s game. Power and speed combined. Moves very well laterally and is a patient runner. He had a tremendous senior season and capped it this weekend with a state championship. Had a minor injury midseason but came back in the later part of the year and finished his season with tremendous production. In recruiting cycles, there are guys you see that have a ton of potential due to their body but do not put up big numbers in their senior year. Swift has both potential and production. He doesn’t have a ton of room to grow as he is already quite thick but some added muscle and speed could make him a dangerous weapon as a freshman.

· Toneil Carter- 4 Star RB Commit

Georgia was able to hold off a late push from new Texas head coach Tom Herman to hold onto Carter. I really like Carter’s straight-line speed. He is less patient than Swift and hits his holes quickly. Really reminds me of Brian Herrien in how quickly he gets downhill and hits the hole. I’ve seen in many of the recent training videos he has posted that he is working on lateral movement and I think he really has the capacity to improve there. His body type also reminds me of Herrien. Tall and slender but can still run with power. A college weight room will really allow him to add core mass. I really like this out of state RB duo and it wouldn’t be the first time that worked for the Dawgs.

· Cam Akers- 5 Star RB Target

In my opinion, Cam should be the #1 player in America for 2017. He is making late surges up the rankings after his playoff run of games. Cam plays QB for his HS team as many schools often put their most talented player at the QB position. Do not let this fool you, Cam has every aspect needed in a star RB. Fast, elusive, strong, great vision. He is a long shot for Georgia as he has a strong top 3 of FSU, Ole Miss and LSU but the Dawgs have not stopped their pursuit. The dead period began last night at midnight and the coaching staff was in home with Akers trying to secure some of the last recruiting moments before the dead period. Again, a longshot but Dell McGee has nothing to lose by his continuation of pursuit and an incredible amount to possibly gain.

Wide Receiver

· Trey Blount- 4 Star WR Commit

I like Blount’s game but I am not convinced he has a ton of upside. I think he is a good route runner with decent speed but he is also smaller than the rest of the WR commits. Kirby has made it clear in his WR pursuits that he is looking for big bodies than can take on SEC CBs in man coverage. I think Blount could be a solid contributor but his offensive production in his senior year leads me to believe he will be more of a project than an immediate contributor

· Jeremiah Holloman- 4 Star WR Commit

In my opinion, Holloman has the most upside of any current WR commit. He has a lengthy frame with very long arms and great speed. I think he has enough raw talent to possibly contribute early but I do slightly worry about his consistent catching ability. If he is given time and excellent coaching, he could become a consistent downfield threat in a big body. A college weight program will bulk Holloman up quickly and added to his talent, could result in an elite SEC receiver

· Mark Webb- 4 Star WR Commit

I think Webb is most ready to be a day one contributor. He has a developed big body and excellent long ball tracking ability. He is a smooth route runner with great hands and is also the cousin to D’Andre Swift. Like Webb to make an immediate impact in a group that needs some help

· Matt Landers- 3 Star WR Commit

Huge potential for Landers. He is a full 6’5” which will quickly make him Eason’s tallest target. Again, the aim in this cycle was to fill the class with big bodied guys who can go up and get the football against SEC CB length. Landers is not highly rated but did have a productive senior year. He is very quiet on the recruiting trail. Committed early and have not heard much from him since. Could be a steal later in his career with a big developed body if he can add mass early.

· Nico Collins- 5 Star WR Target

Collins would overtake Webb to be the most polished and day one ready WR should he commit to Georgia. He has very tall frame and big play ability. Georgia’s biggest competition is currently Alabama and Michigan. I currently don’t see him landing in Georgia’s class

Quick Hitters

· As I mentioned, Georgia did an in home at the dead period deadline last night with Cam Akers. It is interesting that they are making this big of a push when they are considered out of the top 3. Maybe Kirby and Cam have something planned that most don’t know about but it will still be a longshot

· 5 star OT Isaiah Wilson officially visited Athens this weekend. All signs point to it being a very good visit but he is very tight lipped at the moment. Michigan had the momentum prior to the visit

· 4 Star LB Monty Rice makes his commitment today around noon. This Kid’s production was off the chart this year with over 130 tackles. Georgia vs Auburn battle. Was all Georgia early but Auburn made a late push. Will be very interested to see which way this one goes as he has gone quiet

· I went to the Roswell vs Grayson state championship game. It was the best state championship game I have ever witnessed. It was also the greatest level of D1 talent I have ever seen on a high school football field. I will have more on some of those players next week

· I think this January will be much different than in years past. A change was made last year because Georgia consistently let prospects slip in the January range and that translated to some rough classes. I think this staff has a different mentality when it comes to recruiting and I think you will see that play out down the stretch

That’s all for this week. Future position groups to follow.