The Georgia Bulldogs welcomed the 1st wave of their 2020 signees on Wednesday as the Early Signing Period kicked off. It’s the 4th full signing class that Kirby Smart has presided over since being named head coach in December 2015, and while this is the first day of the ESP, the class will mostly be set outside of a couple of recruits who will sign on Feb. 5.

Despite 1 5-star in Mekhail Sherman, the Dawgs sit in the No. 4 spot nationally, the 4th year in a row they have been in the top 5. They are also No. 2 in the conference, behind Alabama and just ahead of LSU.

Here are 5 takeaways for Georgia from the first day of the Early Signing Period.

1. Dawgs lose major DE target Jordan Burch to South Carolina …

Despite a number of recruits already in the fold, the big fish that Smart and his staff had their eyes on was Burch. The No. 5 recruit in the country had Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and LSU among his finalists.

The Columbia, S.C. native was thought to be a potential Georgia lean, but he decided to remain in his hometown and sign with the Gamecocks. It’s a big blow to the Bulldogs, who hoped to add one of the top edge rushers in the country to their stable and possibly make an immediate impact to a returning corps that includes Malik Herring and Travon Walker.

2. … but add help at wide receiver in Arian Smith

Smart and his staff did get some good news as Smith, the No. 14 wide receiver in the country, made the call for Georgia. Smith joins a pair of other receivers who previously pledged but signed Wednesday: Fort Lauderdale’s Marcus Rosemy; and in-state product Justin Robinson from McDonough, just south of Atlanta.

Despite losing Lawrence Cager, the core of Georgia’s 2020 receiving corps will include Dom Blaylock, George Pickens and Demetris Robertson. Smith, Rosemy and Robinson all have a chance to make an impact right from the get-go, but the question is if any of the returnees or the new players can step in and assert himself as a No. 1 option.

3. Is Broderick Jones a threat to flip to Auburn?

One of the crown jewels of the 2020 class for the Dawgs won’t sign during the ESP, instead opting to wait until the traditional signing period to make his final call. According to Rivals.com recruiting analyst Chad Simmons, Lithonia (Ga.) tackle Jones is set to take official visits to both Georgia and Auburn in January before signing his NLI with the team of his choice.

If Jones does opt for Auburn instead of staying in-state, it would be a massive blow to the class. Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson’s decisions to declare for the NFL draft after the season leaves a hole on the roster that Jones can fill from Day 1.

4. Rest of the offensive line recruits remain intact, with one flip to Dawgs

With Sam Pittman’s departure from Georgia to become the head coach of Arkansas, Georgia did suffer a commitment as 4-star Joshua Braun, recruited by Pittman during his high school carer, opted instead to remain in his home state and sign with Florida. That was the only flip of note among the linemen. Four-star tackle Chad Lindberg, thought to be considering switching his pledge to Texas, gave new OL coach Matt Luke some good news on Tuesday when he announced he would indeed be signing with Georgia days after Luke saw him on an in-home visit.

But the biggest news surrounded the status of another 4-star tackle in Tate Ratledge, the No. 3 player in the country at his position and the highest-ranked offensive lineman in the class for Georgia. A major priority for Luke was to convince Ratledge to honor his commitment despite Pittman’s departure and some late overtures from Tennessee, and on Saturday evening, the Rome, Ga. native, who grew up a Tennessee fan, re-affirmed his pledge to the Bulldogs.

And Luke was also able to help Georgia flip a committed prospect to compensate for the loss of Braun. Last Thursday, 3-star New Jersey guard and Penn State pledge Devin Willock announced he was re-opening his recruitment. Three days later, he announced that he had flipped to the Bulldogs following an official visit.

5. 3 big names still remain

We won’t know the decision of several other top players on the Bulldogs’ board until after the New Year.

The major targets are undoubtedly Phoenix-area cornerback Kelee Ringo, Las Vegas tight end Darnell Washington and Houston running back Zachary Evans. Evans will commit at the Under Armour All-American Game, while Ringo will reveal his choice at the All-American Bowl on Jan. 4. Washington will sign with his school of choice on Feb. 5 when the traditional signing period begins.

Right now, 247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions have Washington and Ringo as Georgia leans and Evans projected to go to LSU, but in the world of recruiting, anything can happen.