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Recently, Georgia took a bit of a hit when it lost 5-star defensive lineman prospect Myles Murphy to Clemson. Losing an in-state player this talented is sometimes the hardest pill to swallow, but it happens - even to Kirby Smart and his staff. What’s the best cure for something like this? Get the commitment from an out-of-state player at the very same critical position of need right from under the noses of your arch rival Florida Gators.
Only a short time ago, 247 Sports top 100 (and high 4-star) defensive tackle Jalen Carter committed to the Dawgs on the heels of another successful “Scavenger Hunt” recruiting weekend in Athens. Carter, from Apopka High School, Apopka, Florida, has been on campus multiple times and obviously came away impressed enough over the weekend to pull the trigger this afternoon. His primary recruiters are Scott Fountain and his future position coach, Trey Scott.
Carter checks all the boxes in what you look for in a dominant defensive lineman. At 6’ 4” and in the 308 lb. range, give or take a few biscuits, he’s a more than just a big body. He has plenty of power, a high motor and the frame to absolutely plug the middle and free up pursuit players to do their thing, while displaying impressive athleticism for such a large kid. A little bit of coaching and some time in the S&C program should produce a player that will contribute sooner than later once he arrives on campus sometime in 2020.
Georgia won out over Alabama and Clemson as its primary competitors for Carter’s commitment, and interestingly enough did not really consider either in-state Florida or Florida State.
Thus far, Georgia has 10 commits for the 2020 cycle, and Carter will be the 3rd defensive lineman to pledge to the Dawgs along with Jamil Burroughs and Nazir Stackhouse. Kirby & Co. are in hot pursuit of 5-Star Jordan Burch out of Columbia, SC and are certainly in the mix here as well. Don’t look now, but Sam Pittman ain’t the only coach who is building a wall.
As of this writing, Georgia is in 5th place in both the Rivals and 247 Sports recruiting ranking (with only 10 recruits on board!).
They’re not done, either.