Another elite class shapes up for Georgia this recruiting cycle year, as the Bulldogs have the No. 2 rated class, the 6th consecutive top-5 class for Kirby Smart.

It’s a balanced class, with at least 2 players from 7 positions outside of quarterback. And Georgia has another top flight QB recruit in Gunner Stockton of Rabun County, Georgia.

This class continues a trend in the mold of the defensive-minded Smart, as all 3 5-star recruits are on defense in safety Malaki Starks, cornerback Jaheim Singletary and defensive lineman Mykel Williams. What’s more, 9 of Georgia’s top 12-rated commits are on defense.

By the numbers

Overall rank: No. 2
SEC rank: No. 2
5-stars: 3
4-stars: 14

Did they find a future QB?

Georgia’s QB room already will be well-stocked in 2022. But, yes, Gunner Stockton is the latest elite in-state quarterback, who follows in the footsteps of Brock Vandagriff, Jake Fromm, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson.

Like several other commits, Georgia flipped him from a close rival. Stockton is rated as the nation’s No. 62 overall prospect, No. 6 quarterback, and No. 4 overall prospect in Georgia. He decommitted from South Carolina after the Gamecocks fired Will Muschamp, and Stockton later committed to Georgia over Auburn and 21 other offers.

Who is the best offensive player?

Branson Robinson is the top-rated player in Mississippi and the No. 3 running back in this class. He picked Georgia over Alabama and Tennessee. The 5-10, 220-pound Madison, Miss., product is a top-50 overall prospect.

Robinson’s thick frame might remind Georgia fans of Zamir White, or Nick Chubb, and he’s a track star with eye-popping broad jump potential. Look for him to be a plug-and-play addition.

Who is the best defensive player?

Malaki Starks is listed as a 5-star athlete by recruiting services, but he’s expected to play safety, and Georgia beat out Alabama and Clemson for the versatile prospect from Jefferson, Georgia, less than an hour from Sanford Stadium.

It speaks to Smart’s experience and pedigree as a defensive back himself, and later coach that Starks is the best player in the class, and hopefully in Smart’s mind, the next Lewis Cine or Richard LeCounte. Georgia’s seemingly always going to have a playmaker on the back end, and Starks is the latest example.

What position did they recruit the best?

Defensive back, between Starks and a pair of Florida flips in Jaheim Singletary and Julian Humphrey, the Bulldogs are fully stocked in the secondary. Four of Georgia’s defensive back recruits rank in the top 102 in the country.

The secondary pieces don’t have as many as the defensive line (6) in this class, but those players are more highly-rated, and it comes down to a trust of Smart’s talent evaluation. It’s also a position where these recruits have the best chance to play early. Starks appears to be the most likely, especially if Cine turns pro. Singletary could also compete for playing time at the cornerback spot opposite Kelee Ringo.

What position do they still need to recruit?

With a balanced class like this, there isn’t a position of need, and Georgia is simply big-game hunting for the elite of the elite. That includes 5-stars Marvin Jones Jr., a pass rusher, and safety Kamari Wilson, both out of Florida. There’s also top-50-rated Earnest Greene, a 6-4, 330-pound, 4-star offensive lineman from Bellflower, California.

There also are a few intriguing prospects if for no other reason than they decommitted from Florida, or they are Mike Bobo’s son after the offensive coordinator and Georgia alum was fired recently.

Shemar James, an inside linebacker from Mobile, Ala., decommitted from Florida last month. As did another former Florida commit, receiver Chandler Smith of Orlando, Fla., the kind of playmaker Georgia has had a shortage in recently. Offensive lineman Drew Bobo, though he’s a 3-star committed to Auburn, is a name to watch depending on where his dad works next.

Did they keep the best players home?

Georgia’s recruiting reach knows no boundaries, but Smart also has excelled at keeping most of Georgia’s best players at home. He has lured 5 of the top 10 players in the state to this class, and the state has just about as much competition as Florida, Texas or California. The Bulldogs missed on the top-rated player in the state, Travis Hunter, who’s the No. 1-rated player in the country who has committed to Florida State. But 3 of the next 4 recruits chose Georgia.

Because the state has so many talented recruits, Georgia is going to miss on some, even the elite recruits. But it must hold its own, and that’s what Smart and Co. did.

Overall, how you should feel about this class …

It’s difficult to find any holes in this class, as Georgia has 9 commits ranked in the top 100 and 14 rated in the top 250.

They only have 3 wide receivers, a position of weakness in recent years subject to injuries hurting depth. And Georgia has shown it can fill holes in the transfer portal with impact players.

There’s plenty to be excited about this class, and Smart has developed enough of a track record that he has created easily comparable molds of players that can translate from class to class.