Assessing Georgia's recruiting class with one week before Signing Day

The next week will determine if Georgia has a pretty good class, or a great class. That will be decided by how the Bulldogs fare among the top three remaining uncommitted in-state prospects.

The fifth-ranked class in the SEC, which is No. 9 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite, has six linemen among its commits and enrollees.

Thanks to QB Jacob Eason’s re-commitment to Georgia after the coaching change from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart, Georgia has its quarterback of the future. A recent coup of another five-star, TE Isaac Nauta, gave Smart a surge of momentum after he kept the original class intact. Smart pulled out a classic recruiting trick by parading a host of recruits visiting last weekend in front of the student section during the Arkansas-Georgia basketball game.

Among those in-state prospects, DT Derrick Brown would make the defensive line especially strong next to DT Julian Rochester and rising sophomore DT Trenton Thompson. While Georgia already has four-star OL Ben Cleveland of Toccoa, Ga. on campus and enrolled, the class could get a boost from one-time Georgia commitment OT E.J. Price, who hails from the same talent-rich Gwinnett County as Brown. Price is 6-foot-6, 311 pounds and ranked the No. 8 offensive tackle in the country.

The recruitment of the No. 1 recruit labeled as an “athlete” is interesting as teams try to decide what position he should play in college. Elbert County’s Mecole Hardman is expected to play defense and special teams, but some programs have reportedly offered him the chance to play offense. Hardman has said schools have recruited him to play on both sides of the ball, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. Georgia has told Hardman he could play defensive back, special teams “and possibly offense.”

Alabama is also recruiting Hardman, who played quarterback on his high school team, but could play cornerback or inside receiver in college, or return the ball on special teams.

“Talking with Nick Saban the other day, Nick felt like he just needed to get on campus and then let him figure it out once he got there,” Hardman’s high school coach, Sid Fritts, told the Banner-Herald. “You may could help us on offense, you may could help us on defense. We’ve got to get you on campus where professionally for Mecole he could have the best opportunity to play and where it might best help Alabama where he can play.”

Another target is DE/OLB Brian Burns, who hails from the same Fort Lauderdale, Fla. high school as Georgia players Sony Michel and Isaiah McKenzie. Georgia is competing with Florida State for one of the best pass-rushers in the country.

ASSESSING GEORGIA’S 2016 CLASS

Current commits or enrollees: 15

Remaining primary targets: DT Derrick Brown, ATH Mecole Hardman, Jr., OL E.J. Price, DE/LB Brian Burns.

National/SEC rank: 9/5

NOTABLE COMMITS/ENROLLEES