Welcome to the 3-2-1 report, recruiting edition. As the resident new guy, I have been granted the honor (crippling pressure) of putting together a column for y’all’s enjoyment. I’m new to this since I’m half Radi’s age, but luckily I’ve got twice the wit and charm to make up for it.
It’s been a big summer for Georgia recruiting. Kirby Smart and company have been chasing ‘croots like me chasing a prom date in high school. Unlike my time at Madison County (go Red Raiders), the girls, uh, prospects are listening to what the Bulldogs have to say. There have been additions and subtractions, positive and negative trends, and everything in between.
So, let’s get to it.
Three Observations:
Follow the swag: It’s a ritual as the calendar creeps closer to football season. Georgia fans flock to downtown Athens stores to stock up on the latest Bulldog fashion before the season starts. You’ve got to look official as you yell, “Run the damn ball!”
Fashion can also provide some interesting recruiting clues.
On a visit to Athens last weekend, one of Georgia’s top uncommitted targets left in the class, 2022 safety Kamari Wilson and his family, stopped by a Georgia fan shop downtown and bought five hundred dollars of Bulldog gear.
That’s a little bit of a different story than recruits buying a $15 hat for their commitment ceremony, leaving the tags on, and then returning it when they commit elsewhere (unless you’re Quay Walker, who’s Tennessee hat should be passing by Saturn by now). To me, that looks like a family that’s getting prepared to spend Saturdays in Sanford Stadium for the next three to four years.
Wilson said aloud in the store that his recruitment is down to Georgia and LSU, a school that has made up some ground with Wilson in recent weeks. Wilson’s mother said she hopes her son goes to Georgia because she loves Kirby Smart, plus Georgia doesn’t have hurricanes.
That global warming is a bitch on the trail, ain’t it?
Man of Mystery: From here on out, Travis Shaw’s new nickname is “The Riddler.” The five-star defensive tackle from North Carolina has us asking more questions than my disappointed dad when I brought home report cards.
One source heard from Shaw’s high school coach that it’s a race between North Carolina and Clemson. Another said Shaw is choosing between North Carolina and Georgia. There have been reports that North Carolina A&T hasn’t been totally dismissed.
What in the Wide World of Sports is going on here?
A writer from another Rivals site planned to ask Shaw that very question. When she arrived at Shaw’s high school, coaches told her Shaw couldn’t be there that day due to a family emergency. He also is dealing with an injury and hasn’t been cleared to play yet, and he might not be for a few more weeks.
I’m not invoking the name of Zach Evans here just yet. However, this recruitment is going to go down to the end with several twists and turns along the way.
Harrison “SJ” Luke: He just might be Georgia’s new recruiting ace. While speaking with 2022 offensive tackle Jacob Hood after last weekend’s cookout, 13-year-old Harrison Luke shocked Hood with his knowledge of the recruiting world.
“His son knows everybody, every recruit in the nation. He can tell you about them,” Hood said.
Luke also gave Hood the pitch that strokes the ego of every offensive lineman: come here and be the biggest guy on the team.
Hood is indeed a behemoth at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds. It’s hard not to picture Michael Oher and Sean “SJ” Tuohy when thinking of Hood and Luke palling around at Georgia’s cookout.
The big man told UGASports he loved his visit to Athens. He had a lemon meringue pie in the pie eating contest (sorry Radi, no key lime). He slipped and slid with the Lukes in the indoor facility. All in all, not a bad Saturday afternoon.
Sources close to Hood have since indicated that this visit edged UGA in front of Miami in Hood’s recruitment. The Bulldogs and Hurricanes (funny how often natural disasters keep coming up) have been Hood’s top two for a while. With a commitment looming in the next several weeks, Georgia and its teenaged recruiting whiz look to be the leaders at this point for one of their top offensive line targets.
Two Questions
2. How many recruits will Georgia end up flipping?
It’s prime flipping season, and I’m not talking about gymnastics.
Several of Georgia’s top 2022 targets will be flip candidates in the months and weeks ahead. Y’all might want to go ahead and start working on the photoshops of Kirby Smart working in Waffle House or IHOP because the Bulldogs have momentum with several possible flippers.
Actually, one has already been secured. Offensive lineman Griffin Scroggs came to Athens the last weekend in June, and by Tuesday night he had flipped from Georgia Tech to Georgia. Rumor has it that Athens’ lack of The Varsity restaurants played a pivotal role in Scroggs’ decision.
That leaves several other flapjacks for Georgia to work on. Luther Burden, the top receiver in the country for 2022, is committed to Oklahoma but appears to be very interested in what UGA has to offer. Despite being shrouded in secrecy, 2022 No. 1 corner Jaheim Singletary is also receiving heavy interest from the Bulldogs and recently decommitted from Ohio State.
Florida commit and No.7 corner in the class Julian Humphrey visited Athens for the second time last week, even going out to dinner with the coaches and two other prospects to a Japanese buffet. Not quite traditional Athens fare, but the kids want what the kids want.
Humphrey told UGASports he plans to return for an official visit this fall. One has to imagine Georgia will push Burden and Humphrey to do the same. How many of these targets end up actually flipping to the Bulldogs remains to be seen, but they will definitely be a top priority moving forward.
How will rankings change throughout the high school season?
When I took this job, I didn’t know I’d be walking into a community full of astronomers. Galileo would be so proud of all the star-gazing happening on these boards once we explained to him football, and modern space equipment, and electricity.
Anyway, there’s been plenty of hand-wringing over the amount of stars recent commits have. Scroggs, as well as receiver Dillon Bell, are both three-stars. EDGE prospect CJ Madden, another likely Bulldog commit, also has a trio of stars next to his name. Receiver Cole Speer has no stars, but has generated some buzz with his workouts and recently earned a Georgia offer.
I’m not going to lecture you with the same tired “stars don’t really matter!” line that you see so often. There is, of course, plenty of proof that stars matter. But this year, with coaches and recruiting services evaluating players in person for the first time over this summer, expect some movement in the evaluations, up and down.
That brings me back to Bell, Scroggs Speer, and Madden. Those names weren’t on the radar too much when the summer began, but they shot up the boards after coaches saw them work out, Bell and Madden especially.
While coaches neither make nor pay attention to star ratings, I’m betting some prospects could get bumps this fall once their high school seasons get rolling. Madden and Bell seem like strong candidates to bump up to four-star ratings, and I wouldn’t put it past Scroggs either. A strong season from Speer could earn him some stars too.
In the end, it doesn’t matter too much. Stars might change, and with it Georgia’s average star rating and class rank and all that jazz. But it’s the coaches’ opinions that matter as the class nears its completion.
One prediction
You loyal followers of the Vent and Vault have seen it all summer. You know that new names come out of seemingly nowhere to became major focuses of recruiting. Just in the past couple months, it’s happened with Dillon Bell, CJ Madden, Griffin Scroggs, Cole Speer, Shone Washington – the list goes on.
Again, that’s the nature of this bizarro recruiting cycle. Initial player evaluation might have coaches thinking a prospect is a Jerry, George, or Kramer, but when he gets on campus he’s revealed to be a Kevin, Gene, or Feldman.
That works both ways. Coaches have fallen in love with prospects after finally getting to see them in person. Bell and safety Ja’Corey Thomas have both committed to Georgia after blowing the coaches away in workouts. Madden could wind up doing the same.
My prediction is that more of these names will emerge as Early Signing Day inches closer. Guys you haven’t heard of or only knew of in passing will become focuses of Georgia recruiting.
When that happens, keep your head on straight. Teams that recruit at the level of Georgia vet potential commits more than the old women at the local Baptist church examining each other’s dishes at the Sunday potluck.
It doesn’t mean that every one of those kids will end up an All-American. But just because a name comes out of the woodwork for those of us that cover and follow recruiting doesn’t mean the same is happening with the coaching staff. Adonai Miotchell can attest to that.
Bonus Section
I want to take a second to speak from the heart. I’ve been trying to think of a time and place to do this, so at the risk of Radi never letting me write one of these again I figured I’d do it here. I’d just like to thank the UGASports family, and specifically the Vault diehards, for welcoming me in the way y’all have. Full disclosure: There were some serious nerves when I started, only amplified by the chaos of June. But you guys have welcomed me into the family right away, and for that I’m extremely grateful. Also shoutout to the great UGASports staff – especially Radi, Blayne, Trent, Paul, and Ben – for teaching the new guy the ropes with only a normal amount of hazing.
Anyway, that soapbox is over. Keep it locked to UGASports.com and the Vault for all the recruiting coverage you can stand and then some.
It’s been a big summer for Georgia recruiting. Kirby Smart and company have been chasing ‘croots like me chasing a prom date in high school. Unlike my time at Madison County (go Red Raiders), the girls, uh, prospects are listening to what the Bulldogs have to say. There have been additions and subtractions, positive and negative trends, and everything in between.
So, let’s get to it.
Three Observations:
Follow the swag: It’s a ritual as the calendar creeps closer to football season. Georgia fans flock to downtown Athens stores to stock up on the latest Bulldog fashion before the season starts. You’ve got to look official as you yell, “Run the damn ball!”
Fashion can also provide some interesting recruiting clues.
On a visit to Athens last weekend, one of Georgia’s top uncommitted targets left in the class, 2022 safety Kamari Wilson and his family, stopped by a Georgia fan shop downtown and bought five hundred dollars of Bulldog gear.
That’s a little bit of a different story than recruits buying a $15 hat for their commitment ceremony, leaving the tags on, and then returning it when they commit elsewhere (unless you’re Quay Walker, who’s Tennessee hat should be passing by Saturn by now). To me, that looks like a family that’s getting prepared to spend Saturdays in Sanford Stadium for the next three to four years.
Wilson said aloud in the store that his recruitment is down to Georgia and LSU, a school that has made up some ground with Wilson in recent weeks. Wilson’s mother said she hopes her son goes to Georgia because she loves Kirby Smart, plus Georgia doesn’t have hurricanes.
That global warming is a bitch on the trail, ain’t it?
Man of Mystery: From here on out, Travis Shaw’s new nickname is “The Riddler.” The five-star defensive tackle from North Carolina has us asking more questions than my disappointed dad when I brought home report cards.
One source heard from Shaw’s high school coach that it’s a race between North Carolina and Clemson. Another said Shaw is choosing between North Carolina and Georgia. There have been reports that North Carolina A&T hasn’t been totally dismissed.
What in the Wide World of Sports is going on here?
A writer from another Rivals site planned to ask Shaw that very question. When she arrived at Shaw’s high school, coaches told her Shaw couldn’t be there that day due to a family emergency. He also is dealing with an injury and hasn’t been cleared to play yet, and he might not be for a few more weeks.
I’m not invoking the name of Zach Evans here just yet. However, this recruitment is going to go down to the end with several twists and turns along the way.
Harrison “SJ” Luke: He just might be Georgia’s new recruiting ace. While speaking with 2022 offensive tackle Jacob Hood after last weekend’s cookout, 13-year-old Harrison Luke shocked Hood with his knowledge of the recruiting world.
“His son knows everybody, every recruit in the nation. He can tell you about them,” Hood said.
Luke also gave Hood the pitch that strokes the ego of every offensive lineman: come here and be the biggest guy on the team.
Hood is indeed a behemoth at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds. It’s hard not to picture Michael Oher and Sean “SJ” Tuohy when thinking of Hood and Luke palling around at Georgia’s cookout.
The big man told UGASports he loved his visit to Athens. He had a lemon meringue pie in the pie eating contest (sorry Radi, no key lime). He slipped and slid with the Lukes in the indoor facility. All in all, not a bad Saturday afternoon.
Sources close to Hood have since indicated that this visit edged UGA in front of Miami in Hood’s recruitment. The Bulldogs and Hurricanes (funny how often natural disasters keep coming up) have been Hood’s top two for a while. With a commitment looming in the next several weeks, Georgia and its teenaged recruiting whiz look to be the leaders at this point for one of their top offensive line targets.
Two Questions
2. How many recruits will Georgia end up flipping?
It’s prime flipping season, and I’m not talking about gymnastics.
Several of Georgia’s top 2022 targets will be flip candidates in the months and weeks ahead. Y’all might want to go ahead and start working on the photoshops of Kirby Smart working in Waffle House or IHOP because the Bulldogs have momentum with several possible flippers.
Actually, one has already been secured. Offensive lineman Griffin Scroggs came to Athens the last weekend in June, and by Tuesday night he had flipped from Georgia Tech to Georgia. Rumor has it that Athens’ lack of The Varsity restaurants played a pivotal role in Scroggs’ decision.
That leaves several other flapjacks for Georgia to work on. Luther Burden, the top receiver in the country for 2022, is committed to Oklahoma but appears to be very interested in what UGA has to offer. Despite being shrouded in secrecy, 2022 No. 1 corner Jaheim Singletary is also receiving heavy interest from the Bulldogs and recently decommitted from Ohio State.
Florida commit and No.7 corner in the class Julian Humphrey visited Athens for the second time last week, even going out to dinner with the coaches and two other prospects to a Japanese buffet. Not quite traditional Athens fare, but the kids want what the kids want.
Humphrey told UGASports he plans to return for an official visit this fall. One has to imagine Georgia will push Burden and Humphrey to do the same. How many of these targets end up actually flipping to the Bulldogs remains to be seen, but they will definitely be a top priority moving forward.
How will rankings change throughout the high school season?
When I took this job, I didn’t know I’d be walking into a community full of astronomers. Galileo would be so proud of all the star-gazing happening on these boards once we explained to him football, and modern space equipment, and electricity.
Anyway, there’s been plenty of hand-wringing over the amount of stars recent commits have. Scroggs, as well as receiver Dillon Bell, are both three-stars. EDGE prospect CJ Madden, another likely Bulldog commit, also has a trio of stars next to his name. Receiver Cole Speer has no stars, but has generated some buzz with his workouts and recently earned a Georgia offer.
I’m not going to lecture you with the same tired “stars don’t really matter!” line that you see so often. There is, of course, plenty of proof that stars matter. But this year, with coaches and recruiting services evaluating players in person for the first time over this summer, expect some movement in the evaluations, up and down.
That brings me back to Bell, Scroggs Speer, and Madden. Those names weren’t on the radar too much when the summer began, but they shot up the boards after coaches saw them work out, Bell and Madden especially.
While coaches neither make nor pay attention to star ratings, I’m betting some prospects could get bumps this fall once their high school seasons get rolling. Madden and Bell seem like strong candidates to bump up to four-star ratings, and I wouldn’t put it past Scroggs either. A strong season from Speer could earn him some stars too.
In the end, it doesn’t matter too much. Stars might change, and with it Georgia’s average star rating and class rank and all that jazz. But it’s the coaches’ opinions that matter as the class nears its completion.
One prediction
You loyal followers of the Vent and Vault have seen it all summer. You know that new names come out of seemingly nowhere to became major focuses of recruiting. Just in the past couple months, it’s happened with Dillon Bell, CJ Madden, Griffin Scroggs, Cole Speer, Shone Washington – the list goes on.
Again, that’s the nature of this bizarro recruiting cycle. Initial player evaluation might have coaches thinking a prospect is a Jerry, George, or Kramer, but when he gets on campus he’s revealed to be a Kevin, Gene, or Feldman.
That works both ways. Coaches have fallen in love with prospects after finally getting to see them in person. Bell and safety Ja’Corey Thomas have both committed to Georgia after blowing the coaches away in workouts. Madden could wind up doing the same.
My prediction is that more of these names will emerge as Early Signing Day inches closer. Guys you haven’t heard of or only knew of in passing will become focuses of Georgia recruiting.
When that happens, keep your head on straight. Teams that recruit at the level of Georgia vet potential commits more than the old women at the local Baptist church examining each other’s dishes at the Sunday potluck.
It doesn’t mean that every one of those kids will end up an All-American. But just because a name comes out of the woodwork for those of us that cover and follow recruiting doesn’t mean the same is happening with the coaching staff. Adonai Miotchell can attest to that.
Bonus Section
I want to take a second to speak from the heart. I’ve been trying to think of a time and place to do this, so at the risk of Radi never letting me write one of these again I figured I’d do it here. I’d just like to thank the UGASports family, and specifically the Vault diehards, for welcoming me in the way y’all have. Full disclosure: There were some serious nerves when I started, only amplified by the chaos of June. But you guys have welcomed me into the family right away, and for that I’m extremely grateful. Also shoutout to the great UGASports staff – especially Radi, Blayne, Trent, Paul, and Ben – for teaching the new guy the ropes with only a normal amount of hazing.
Anyway, that soapbox is over. Keep it locked to UGASports.com and the Vault for all the recruiting coverage you can stand and then some.
