I am deleting some old email addresses and found this in the saved file of one. It was on a word document saved in 2010, so that is when I was still, well, still...
At any rate, here it is for a stroll down memory lane and a piece that may or may not (not sure) have been posted on UGASports.com.
(No intro to the story yet, but it covers the 2002-2010 classes; 2002 being the first year Richt’s staff had a full cycle of recruiting)
Georgia has signed 190 players it has extended an offer of scholarship to since 2002. Of those, 131, roughly 68 percent hail from the State of Georgia. The first three years, 2002-2004, highlighted by 2003 in which Georgians numbered 91 percent of the signing class, represents nearly half of in-state prospects (57 of 131 which is 43%) in the nine year span of 2002-2010.
Speaking only of the number of in-state prospects signed in the last nine years, dividing these classes in chronological order in groups of three yields the following results: 2002-2004 (86%); 2005-07 (65%); 2008-10 (65%).
The State of Florida leads in out-of-state signees with 21 despite two years, 2003 and 2007, in which the Bulldogs did not sign any players from the Sunshine State. Georgia has signed five players from Florida once, 2005, four players twice, 2006, and 2010, and three players twice in 2008 and 2009. In all, about 35 percent of the players from out-of-state that UGA signs are from Florida.
Only one other state has sent at least three players to Athens in a given year in that time and it happened 2002 and 2004. North Carolina comes in second with 11 players signed by UGA since 2002. Close behind is South Carolina with nine, but it quickly drops off after that. The Dawgs have signed three each from Alabama and Tennessee, two from California, New Jersey, Missouri, and Texas, and one from Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Jamar Bryant in 2004 and Jamar Cheney in 2005 failed to qualify which represents three percent of out-of–state signees. In the same span, seven signees from the State of Georgia failed to qualify which is five percent.
2002
Total 31; Ga. 24 (77%)
Natl. Ranking: 2, Recruiting Ranking: 3, SEC Ranking: 2
Following a promising first season at the helm in Athens, Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs began a string of top ten finishes in the team recruiting at No. 3, which was second best in the SEC behind Tennessee at No. 2. Texas topped the charts. Rivals.com did not do state rankings at the time.
Class by state
Georgia (24): Josh Brock, Tyson Browning, Michael Cooper, Marquis Elmore, B.J. Fields, Kedric Golston, Cedric Haywood, Chris Hickman, Marcus Jackson, Bryan McClendon, Antonio Mercier, Bartley Miller, Martrez Milner, Demario Minter, Quentin Moses, Preston Pannell, Leonard Pope, Olaolu Sanni-Osomo, Aaron Scranton, Darrius Swain, Randall Swoopes, Tony Taylor, Joe Tereshinski, Michael Turner.
South Carolina (1): Tim Jennings
Texas (1): Dale Dixson
Florida (2): Reshard Dudley, Max Jean-Gilles
North Carolina (3): Ray Gant, Dan Inman, Mario Raley
2003
Total 23*; Ga. 21* (91%)
Natl. Ranking: 7, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 3
A resurgent LSU team claimed the top spot in the SEC in recruiting this year with the Bulldogs trailing Florida for No. 3 in the league. The Tigers and Gators held the same position in the national rankings with the Dawgs coming in at No. 6.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Georgia signed 15 of the Top 50 players in the state according to Rivals.com, a roster that included the No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 prospects. The three highest rated players, five-star prospects Paul Oliver, a cornerback, running back Kregg Lumpkin, and four-star receiver Sean Bailey each had productive careers at UGA.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Blake Mitchell (7, South Carolina) became the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback; Jason Evans (8, Stanford) had a productive career; Skyler Thornton (10, Florida) later transferred to Valdosta State.
Class by state
Georgia (21*): Sean Bailey, Trey Chandler, Richard Cook, Thomas Flowers, Tom Gainous, T.J. Gartrell, Dana Graydon, Michael Henderson, Trahern Holden, Jarvis Jackson, Nick Jones, Kregg Lumpkin, Zeb McKinzey, Paul Oliver, Leonard Pope*, Ken Shackleford, Odell Thurman, Fernando Velasco, Danny Verdun, Danny Ware, Coleman Watson, Desmond Williams
Tennessee (1): Andy Bailey
South Carolina (1): Marcus Howard
2004
Total 18; Ga. 12* (70%)
Natl. Ranking: 7, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 2
For the second year in a row, Georgia held the No. 6 spot in the national rankings, but this time the squad posted the No. 2 spot in the SEC.
The Dawgs signed 10 of the top 50 rated players in the state.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Brandon Miller, rated both the top prospect in the state and the No. 1 defensive end in the country, running back Thomas Brown, No. 2 in the state, and No. 4 defensive end Charles Johnson each had solid careers at Georgia. Signed as a quarterback, No. 5 Alonzo Bryant’s career as a backup receiver had its high points, while No. 6 rated Josh Johnson and No. 10 rated Seth Watts left the team early.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Calvin Johnson, the No. 3 player in the state, and Demiko Goodman toped the receiver prospect charts in 2004. Goodman signed with Georgia and Johnson went to Georgia Tech where he went on to become one of the top receivers in college football. Jae Thaxton, ranked the No. 8 player in the state and the No. 8 linebacker in the nation signed with Florida State. Michael Brown, rated the No. 9 player in the state and No. 15 as a defensive tackle nationally, signed with Florida and later transferred to Mississippi State.
Class by state
Georgia (12*): Brandon Miller, Remarcus Brown, Alonzo Bryant, Charles Johnson, Antonio Sims, Jeremy Lomax, Randall Swoopes*, Demiko Goodman, Brannan Southerland, Seth Watts, Josh Johnson, Thomas Brown, Brandon Lang, Danny Ware*
Mississippi (1): Blake Barnes
Alabama (1): Chester Adams
Florida (1): Kelin Johnson
North Carolina (3): Kenneth Harris, Dannell Ellerbe, Jamar Bryant
2005
Total 18; Ga. 8 (44%)
Natl. Ranking: 10, Recruiting Ranking: 10, SEC Ranking: 4
Barely avoiding dropping out of the top ten, Georgia finished No. 10 in the 2005 rankings but managed a No. 2 ranking in the SEC behind No. 4 Tennessee.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Each of the three players rated in the Rivals.com Georgia Top 40s Top 10 that signed with the Bulldogs did not pan out. Darius Dewberry, a linebacker who failed to qualify and signed with the Bulldogs again in 2006 and fellow linebacker Marcus Washington both saw action as backups. Defensive tackle After two years in a California junior college, Brandon Sesay went on to play at Texas Tech.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: The top prospect in the state, linebacker Tray Blackmon signed with Auburn and had a tumultuous career of All-American accolades and suspensions. No. 2 Kyle Moore signed with Southern Cal, had a great career, and is currently playing in the NFL. Third rated Chris Scott, an offensive lineman that signed with Tennessee is also in the league. Also playing professionally is running back James Davis who signed with Clemson. No. 5 Justin Mincey signed with FSU and had a good career.
Class by state
Georgia (8): Roderick Battle, Brandon Sesay, Ian Smith, Corey Moon, Darius Dewberry, Marcus Washington, Tavares Kearney, Tripp Chandler
New Jersey (1): Kade Weston
North Carolina (2): Joe Cox, Mohamed Massaquoi
South Carolina (2): Antavious Coates, C.J. Byrd
Florida (5): Mike Moore, Bryan Evans, Jeff Owens, Donovan Baldwin, Jamar Cheney
2006
Total 26*; Ga. 15* (62%)
Natl. Ranking: 23, Recruiting Ranking: 4, SEC Ranking: 2
Once again, the Bulldogs were No. 2 in the SEC, this time behind Florida, but overall the team posted a lofty No. 4 ranking nationally.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Topping the charts, safety Reshad Jones, along with offensive lineman Justin Anderson, defensive end Brandon Wood, and cornerback Asher Allen at the No. 4, 5, and 6 spots, respectively, and No. 9 Kiante Tripp.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: No. 2 overall Carlos Brown signed with Michigan and had a productive career. No. 3 rated Marcus Ball signed with Florida State and later transferred to Memphis.
Class by state
Georgia (15*): Reshad Jones, Akeem Dent, Kiante Tripp, Darryl Gamble, Brandon Wood, Kris Durham, John Miller, Chris Davis, Michael Lemon, Fred Munzenmaier, Justin Anderson, Ben Harden, DeMarcus Dobbs, Asher Allen, Quintin Banks, Darius Dewberry*
Florida (4): Tony Wilson, Geno Atkins, Shaun Chapas, Kevin Perez
Texas (1): Matthew Stafford
California (1): NeDerris Ward
Maryland (1): Akeem Hebron
Mississippi (1): Josh Davis
New Jersey (1): Knowshown Moreno
North Carolina (1): Ricardo Crawford
South Carolina (1): Prince Miller
2007
Total 16*; Ga. 11* (68%)
Natl. Ranking: 2, Recruiting Ranking: 9, SEC Ranking: 6
This is the year that UGA slipped in recruiting despite several signees going to have, or having, great careers at Georgia. The No. 9 ranking nationally kept the Dawgs streak of top 10 finishes in tack, but five other SEC teams, Florida (1), Tennessee (3), LSU (4), South Carolina (6), and Auburn (7) were ranked higher thus the Bulldogs’ class was sixth in the SEC.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: No. 4 rated Caleb King and No. 9 Israel Troupe.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: The top player in the state, Eric Berry signed with Tennessee and became the top defensive back in the SEC. The No. 2 player, quarterback Cameron Newton signed with Florida and later transferred to Auburn where he is currently the starting quarterback. No. 3 Antwane Greenlee signed with FSU, No. 5 Morgan Burnett with Georgia Tech, No. 6 Allen Bailey with Miami, No. 7 Cameron Newton with Ohio State, No. 8 Jonathan Dwyer with Georgia Tech, and No. 10 Nick Claytor with Georgia Tech.
Class by state
Georgia (11*): Clint Boling, Bruce Figgins, Walter Hill, Neland Ball, Chris Little, Corvey Irvin, Vince Vance, Jarius Wynn, Vance Cuff, Tanner Strickland, Caleb King, Rennie Curran, Justin Houston, John Knox, Drew Butler, Israel Troupe, Justin Anderson*, Ben Hardin
Missouri (2): Logan Gray, Aron White
Kansas (1): Scott Haverkamp
North Carolina (1): Trinton Sturdivant
South Carolina (1): Charles White
2008
Total 23*; Ga. 15 (65%)
Natl. Ranking: 13, Recruiting Ranking: 7, SEC Ranking: 3
The streak of Top 10 finishes continues as the Dawgs claim the No. 7 spot, but No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida finish ahead and do so as well on the field.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Richard Samuel, a running back/linebacker, ranked No. 2. At No. 3, defensive tackle DeAngelo Tyson signed with Georgia, as did No. 4 rated A.J. Harmon. Defensive end Toby Jackson, rated No. 8 in the state, receiver Tavarees King No. 9, and defensive end Cornelius Washington at No. 10 rounded out the Dawgs’ class.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Rated No. 1 in the state, defensive tackle Omar Hunter signed with Florida. No. 5 Joshua Jarboe signed with Oklahoma, No. 6 Jarmon Forston with Florida State, and No. 7 Brice Butler with with USC.
Class by state
Georgia (15): Sanders Commings, Nick Williams, Richard Samuel, Bacarri Rambo, Xavier Avery, Brandon Boykin, Dontavious Jackson, Toby Jackson, Bryce Ros, A.J. Harmon, Tavarres King, Christian Robinson, Cordy Glenn, DeAngelo Tyson, Cornelius Washington
Florida (3): Jeremy Longo, Blair Walsh, Carlton Thomas
Alabama (2): Jonathan Owens, Ben Jones
South Carolina (*): Akeem Hebron*
North Carolina (1): Makiri Pugh
South Carolina (1): A.J. Green
Pennsylvania (1): Marcus Dowtin
2009
Total 20; Ga. 11 (55%)
Natl. Ranking: N/A, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 3
The last in the eight-year run of Top 10 recruiting classes ends at No. 6. Alabama, who had the top class the year before does so again while LSU comes in at No. 2.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Branden Smith, the second highest rated player in the state and the No. 5 defensive back prospect nationally, at No. 4, Chris Burnette is a big time prospect for the offensive line while No. 6 Abry Jones signs as a defensive tackle.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Top rated defensive back Greg Reid signed with FSU. Others include No. 3 Jarvis Jones (Southern Cal), Donovan Tate (UNC), Darren Myles (Tennessee), and Drayton Calhoun (LSU).
Class by state
Georgia (11): Branden Smith, Shawn Williams, Dallas Lee, Chase Vasser, Derrick Lott, Chris Burnette, Washaun Ealey, Michael Gilliard, Arby Jones, Zach Mettenberger, Montez Robinson
Florida (3): Rantavious Wooten, Orson Charles, Aaron Murray
Tennessee (2): Austin Long, Marlon Brown
Massachusetts (1): Arthur Lynch
South Carolina (1): Kawame Geathers
Virginia (1): Jordan Love
California (1): Brandon Bogotay
2010
Total 19; Ga. 14 (73%)
Natl. Ranking: TBA, Recruiting Ranking: 15, SEC Ranking: 6
Following a disappointing season that saw the Dawgs close out their campaign unranked for the first time in the nine years considered, the Bulldogs fail to recruit a top ten class for the first time as well. Coming in at No. 15, Georgia finished behind SEC foes Florida, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, and barely edged out Mississippi.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: No. 3 rated Alec Ogletree, No. 4 T.J. Stripling, No. 7 Garrison Smith, and No. 10 Mike Thornton.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Da’Rick Rogers, the No. 1 rated player in the state, signed with Tennessee. Behind him, receiver Markeith Ambles opted for Southern Cal. No. 5 Jeffrey Whitaker chose Auburn while No. 6 Jawuan James has to play at Tennessee. No. 8 Storm Johnson heads to Miami while South Bend is the destination of Tai-ler Jones.
Class by state
Georgia (14): Michael Bennett, Garrison Smith, Kolton Houston, Jalen Fields, Ken Malcome, T.J. Stripling, Kenarious Gates, Hutson Mason, Brandon Burrows, Jakar Hamilton, Alec Ogletree, Alexander Ogletree, Lonnie Outlaw, Mike Thornton
South Carolina (1): Dexter Morant
Florida (4): Derek Owens, Brent Benedict, Marc Deas, Demetre Baker
At any rate, here it is for a stroll down memory lane and a piece that may or may not (not sure) have been posted on UGASports.com.
(No intro to the story yet, but it covers the 2002-2010 classes; 2002 being the first year Richt’s staff had a full cycle of recruiting)
Georgia has signed 190 players it has extended an offer of scholarship to since 2002. Of those, 131, roughly 68 percent hail from the State of Georgia. The first three years, 2002-2004, highlighted by 2003 in which Georgians numbered 91 percent of the signing class, represents nearly half of in-state prospects (57 of 131 which is 43%) in the nine year span of 2002-2010.
Speaking only of the number of in-state prospects signed in the last nine years, dividing these classes in chronological order in groups of three yields the following results: 2002-2004 (86%); 2005-07 (65%); 2008-10 (65%).
The State of Florida leads in out-of-state signees with 21 despite two years, 2003 and 2007, in which the Bulldogs did not sign any players from the Sunshine State. Georgia has signed five players from Florida once, 2005, four players twice, 2006, and 2010, and three players twice in 2008 and 2009. In all, about 35 percent of the players from out-of-state that UGA signs are from Florida.
Only one other state has sent at least three players to Athens in a given year in that time and it happened 2002 and 2004. North Carolina comes in second with 11 players signed by UGA since 2002. Close behind is South Carolina with nine, but it quickly drops off after that. The Dawgs have signed three each from Alabama and Tennessee, two from California, New Jersey, Missouri, and Texas, and one from Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Jamar Bryant in 2004 and Jamar Cheney in 2005 failed to qualify which represents three percent of out-of–state signees. In the same span, seven signees from the State of Georgia failed to qualify which is five percent.
2002
Total 31; Ga. 24 (77%)
Natl. Ranking: 2, Recruiting Ranking: 3, SEC Ranking: 2
Following a promising first season at the helm in Athens, Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs began a string of top ten finishes in the team recruiting at No. 3, which was second best in the SEC behind Tennessee at No. 2. Texas topped the charts. Rivals.com did not do state rankings at the time.
Class by state
Georgia (24): Josh Brock, Tyson Browning, Michael Cooper, Marquis Elmore, B.J. Fields, Kedric Golston, Cedric Haywood, Chris Hickman, Marcus Jackson, Bryan McClendon, Antonio Mercier, Bartley Miller, Martrez Milner, Demario Minter, Quentin Moses, Preston Pannell, Leonard Pope, Olaolu Sanni-Osomo, Aaron Scranton, Darrius Swain, Randall Swoopes, Tony Taylor, Joe Tereshinski, Michael Turner.
South Carolina (1): Tim Jennings
Texas (1): Dale Dixson
Florida (2): Reshard Dudley, Max Jean-Gilles
North Carolina (3): Ray Gant, Dan Inman, Mario Raley
2003
Total 23*; Ga. 21* (91%)
Natl. Ranking: 7, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 3
A resurgent LSU team claimed the top spot in the SEC in recruiting this year with the Bulldogs trailing Florida for No. 3 in the league. The Tigers and Gators held the same position in the national rankings with the Dawgs coming in at No. 6.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Georgia signed 15 of the Top 50 players in the state according to Rivals.com, a roster that included the No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 prospects. The three highest rated players, five-star prospects Paul Oliver, a cornerback, running back Kregg Lumpkin, and four-star receiver Sean Bailey each had productive careers at UGA.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Blake Mitchell (7, South Carolina) became the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback; Jason Evans (8, Stanford) had a productive career; Skyler Thornton (10, Florida) later transferred to Valdosta State.
Class by state
Georgia (21*): Sean Bailey, Trey Chandler, Richard Cook, Thomas Flowers, Tom Gainous, T.J. Gartrell, Dana Graydon, Michael Henderson, Trahern Holden, Jarvis Jackson, Nick Jones, Kregg Lumpkin, Zeb McKinzey, Paul Oliver, Leonard Pope*, Ken Shackleford, Odell Thurman, Fernando Velasco, Danny Verdun, Danny Ware, Coleman Watson, Desmond Williams
Tennessee (1): Andy Bailey
South Carolina (1): Marcus Howard
2004
Total 18; Ga. 12* (70%)
Natl. Ranking: 7, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 2
For the second year in a row, Georgia held the No. 6 spot in the national rankings, but this time the squad posted the No. 2 spot in the SEC.
The Dawgs signed 10 of the top 50 rated players in the state.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Brandon Miller, rated both the top prospect in the state and the No. 1 defensive end in the country, running back Thomas Brown, No. 2 in the state, and No. 4 defensive end Charles Johnson each had solid careers at Georgia. Signed as a quarterback, No. 5 Alonzo Bryant’s career as a backup receiver had its high points, while No. 6 rated Josh Johnson and No. 10 rated Seth Watts left the team early.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Calvin Johnson, the No. 3 player in the state, and Demiko Goodman toped the receiver prospect charts in 2004. Goodman signed with Georgia and Johnson went to Georgia Tech where he went on to become one of the top receivers in college football. Jae Thaxton, ranked the No. 8 player in the state and the No. 8 linebacker in the nation signed with Florida State. Michael Brown, rated the No. 9 player in the state and No. 15 as a defensive tackle nationally, signed with Florida and later transferred to Mississippi State.
Class by state
Georgia (12*): Brandon Miller, Remarcus Brown, Alonzo Bryant, Charles Johnson, Antonio Sims, Jeremy Lomax, Randall Swoopes*, Demiko Goodman, Brannan Southerland, Seth Watts, Josh Johnson, Thomas Brown, Brandon Lang, Danny Ware*
Mississippi (1): Blake Barnes
Alabama (1): Chester Adams
Florida (1): Kelin Johnson
North Carolina (3): Kenneth Harris, Dannell Ellerbe, Jamar Bryant
2005
Total 18; Ga. 8 (44%)
Natl. Ranking: 10, Recruiting Ranking: 10, SEC Ranking: 4
Barely avoiding dropping out of the top ten, Georgia finished No. 10 in the 2005 rankings but managed a No. 2 ranking in the SEC behind No. 4 Tennessee.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Each of the three players rated in the Rivals.com Georgia Top 40s Top 10 that signed with the Bulldogs did not pan out. Darius Dewberry, a linebacker who failed to qualify and signed with the Bulldogs again in 2006 and fellow linebacker Marcus Washington both saw action as backups. Defensive tackle After two years in a California junior college, Brandon Sesay went on to play at Texas Tech.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: The top prospect in the state, linebacker Tray Blackmon signed with Auburn and had a tumultuous career of All-American accolades and suspensions. No. 2 Kyle Moore signed with Southern Cal, had a great career, and is currently playing in the NFL. Third rated Chris Scott, an offensive lineman that signed with Tennessee is also in the league. Also playing professionally is running back James Davis who signed with Clemson. No. 5 Justin Mincey signed with FSU and had a good career.
Class by state
Georgia (8): Roderick Battle, Brandon Sesay, Ian Smith, Corey Moon, Darius Dewberry, Marcus Washington, Tavares Kearney, Tripp Chandler
New Jersey (1): Kade Weston
North Carolina (2): Joe Cox, Mohamed Massaquoi
South Carolina (2): Antavious Coates, C.J. Byrd
Florida (5): Mike Moore, Bryan Evans, Jeff Owens, Donovan Baldwin, Jamar Cheney
2006
Total 26*; Ga. 15* (62%)
Natl. Ranking: 23, Recruiting Ranking: 4, SEC Ranking: 2
Once again, the Bulldogs were No. 2 in the SEC, this time behind Florida, but overall the team posted a lofty No. 4 ranking nationally.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Topping the charts, safety Reshad Jones, along with offensive lineman Justin Anderson, defensive end Brandon Wood, and cornerback Asher Allen at the No. 4, 5, and 6 spots, respectively, and No. 9 Kiante Tripp.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: No. 2 overall Carlos Brown signed with Michigan and had a productive career. No. 3 rated Marcus Ball signed with Florida State and later transferred to Memphis.
Class by state
Georgia (15*): Reshad Jones, Akeem Dent, Kiante Tripp, Darryl Gamble, Brandon Wood, Kris Durham, John Miller, Chris Davis, Michael Lemon, Fred Munzenmaier, Justin Anderson, Ben Harden, DeMarcus Dobbs, Asher Allen, Quintin Banks, Darius Dewberry*
Florida (4): Tony Wilson, Geno Atkins, Shaun Chapas, Kevin Perez
Texas (1): Matthew Stafford
California (1): NeDerris Ward
Maryland (1): Akeem Hebron
Mississippi (1): Josh Davis
New Jersey (1): Knowshown Moreno
North Carolina (1): Ricardo Crawford
South Carolina (1): Prince Miller
2007
Total 16*; Ga. 11* (68%)
Natl. Ranking: 2, Recruiting Ranking: 9, SEC Ranking: 6
This is the year that UGA slipped in recruiting despite several signees going to have, or having, great careers at Georgia. The No. 9 ranking nationally kept the Dawgs streak of top 10 finishes in tack, but five other SEC teams, Florida (1), Tennessee (3), LSU (4), South Carolina (6), and Auburn (7) were ranked higher thus the Bulldogs’ class was sixth in the SEC.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: No. 4 rated Caleb King and No. 9 Israel Troupe.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: The top player in the state, Eric Berry signed with Tennessee and became the top defensive back in the SEC. The No. 2 player, quarterback Cameron Newton signed with Florida and later transferred to Auburn where he is currently the starting quarterback. No. 3 Antwane Greenlee signed with FSU, No. 5 Morgan Burnett with Georgia Tech, No. 6 Allen Bailey with Miami, No. 7 Cameron Newton with Ohio State, No. 8 Jonathan Dwyer with Georgia Tech, and No. 10 Nick Claytor with Georgia Tech.
Class by state
Georgia (11*): Clint Boling, Bruce Figgins, Walter Hill, Neland Ball, Chris Little, Corvey Irvin, Vince Vance, Jarius Wynn, Vance Cuff, Tanner Strickland, Caleb King, Rennie Curran, Justin Houston, John Knox, Drew Butler, Israel Troupe, Justin Anderson*, Ben Hardin
Missouri (2): Logan Gray, Aron White
Kansas (1): Scott Haverkamp
North Carolina (1): Trinton Sturdivant
South Carolina (1): Charles White
2008
Total 23*; Ga. 15 (65%)
Natl. Ranking: 13, Recruiting Ranking: 7, SEC Ranking: 3
The streak of Top 10 finishes continues as the Dawgs claim the No. 7 spot, but No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida finish ahead and do so as well on the field.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Richard Samuel, a running back/linebacker, ranked No. 2. At No. 3, defensive tackle DeAngelo Tyson signed with Georgia, as did No. 4 rated A.J. Harmon. Defensive end Toby Jackson, rated No. 8 in the state, receiver Tavarees King No. 9, and defensive end Cornelius Washington at No. 10 rounded out the Dawgs’ class.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Rated No. 1 in the state, defensive tackle Omar Hunter signed with Florida. No. 5 Joshua Jarboe signed with Oklahoma, No. 6 Jarmon Forston with Florida State, and No. 7 Brice Butler with with USC.
Class by state
Georgia (15): Sanders Commings, Nick Williams, Richard Samuel, Bacarri Rambo, Xavier Avery, Brandon Boykin, Dontavious Jackson, Toby Jackson, Bryce Ros, A.J. Harmon, Tavarres King, Christian Robinson, Cordy Glenn, DeAngelo Tyson, Cornelius Washington
Florida (3): Jeremy Longo, Blair Walsh, Carlton Thomas
Alabama (2): Jonathan Owens, Ben Jones
South Carolina (*): Akeem Hebron*
North Carolina (1): Makiri Pugh
South Carolina (1): A.J. Green
Pennsylvania (1): Marcus Dowtin
2009
Total 20; Ga. 11 (55%)
Natl. Ranking: N/A, Recruiting Ranking: 6, SEC Ranking: 3
The last in the eight-year run of Top 10 recruiting classes ends at No. 6. Alabama, who had the top class the year before does so again while LSU comes in at No. 2.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: Branden Smith, the second highest rated player in the state and the No. 5 defensive back prospect nationally, at No. 4, Chris Burnette is a big time prospect for the offensive line while No. 6 Abry Jones signs as a defensive tackle.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Top rated defensive back Greg Reid signed with FSU. Others include No. 3 Jarvis Jones (Southern Cal), Donovan Tate (UNC), Darren Myles (Tennessee), and Drayton Calhoun (LSU).
Class by state
Georgia (11): Branden Smith, Shawn Williams, Dallas Lee, Chase Vasser, Derrick Lott, Chris Burnette, Washaun Ealey, Michael Gilliard, Arby Jones, Zach Mettenberger, Montez Robinson
Florida (3): Rantavious Wooten, Orson Charles, Aaron Murray
Tennessee (2): Austin Long, Marlon Brown
Massachusetts (1): Arthur Lynch
South Carolina (1): Kawame Geathers
Virginia (1): Jordan Love
California (1): Brandon Bogotay
2010
Total 19; Ga. 14 (73%)
Natl. Ranking: TBA, Recruiting Ranking: 15, SEC Ranking: 6
Following a disappointing season that saw the Dawgs close out their campaign unranked for the first time in the nine years considered, the Bulldogs fail to recruit a top ten class for the first time as well. Coming in at No. 15, Georgia finished behind SEC foes Florida, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, and barely edged out Mississippi.
Top 10 Georgia players who signed with UGA: No. 3 rated Alec Ogletree, No. 4 T.J. Stripling, No. 7 Garrison Smith, and No. 10 Mike Thornton.
Top 10 Georgia players who did not sign with the UGA: Da’Rick Rogers, the No. 1 rated player in the state, signed with Tennessee. Behind him, receiver Markeith Ambles opted for Southern Cal. No. 5 Jeffrey Whitaker chose Auburn while No. 6 Jawuan James has to play at Tennessee. No. 8 Storm Johnson heads to Miami while South Bend is the destination of Tai-ler Jones.
Class by state
Georgia (14): Michael Bennett, Garrison Smith, Kolton Houston, Jalen Fields, Ken Malcome, T.J. Stripling, Kenarious Gates, Hutson Mason, Brandon Burrows, Jakar Hamilton, Alec Ogletree, Alexander Ogletree, Lonnie Outlaw, Mike Thornton
South Carolina (1): Dexter Morant
Florida (4): Derek Owens, Brent Benedict, Marc Deas, Demetre Baker
