Georgia football: How we'll remember Georgia's No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2020
Kirby Smart took the reins of the Georgia football program in December 2015. His first full recruiting class, in 2017, was ranked No. 3. His next 3? No. 1 in 2018, No. 3 in 2019 and what could be another No. 1 class in 2020.
Ho-hum.
No one can fault Smart for not being able to recruit alongside the best head coaches in the business. As National Signing Day approaches Wednesday, we look at who, and what, stood out in another wild recruiting cycle that ended with another big-time haul for the man headed into his 5th season in charge.
A Western flair: 5-star recruits Kelee Ringo and Darnell Washington pick Georgia
We all know the line from the classic movie Field of Dreams: If you build it, they will come. Some fans might fault Smart for letting a few in-state recruits go elsewhere (i.e. Trevor Lawrence and others), but the fact that he’s pulling in players from out of state speaks to how he’s been able to sell the program.
“Out of state,” in the case of the 2020 class, doesn’t just pertain to Tennessee and the Carolinas. It means way, way, out of state, as in Arizona and Nevada.
Scottsdale, Arizona’s Kelee Ringo had every reason to move back to his native Pacific Northwest pick Oregon, part of a top 5 that included Alabama, Ohio State and Texas. But after official visits to Eugene and Athens, the nation’s top cornerback and No. 4 overall player rang the bell for Georgia at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 4.
Smart was able to seal the deal another blue-chip prospect from the West just days prior. Coveted tight end Darnell Washington, ranked as one of the country’s top 25 players, announced his commitment at the Under All-American Game on Jan. 2 with the help of his 8-month-old daughter, Laila.
BREAKING: Five-star TE Darnell Washington makes it official, committing to @GeorgiaFootball.#UAALLAMERICA pic.twitter.com/RZ2gEAVfqe
— All-America Game (@AllAmericaGame) January 3, 2020
Jalen Carter: The heir apparent for Devonte Wyatt at defensive tackle?
With the signing of Jalen Carter, the Dawgs added a big piece to their class, and in more than one way: the 6-3, 301-pound 5-star defensive tackle, who chose Georgia over Alabama and Clemson, checks in as the No. 18 player in the nation and the No. 4 DT in the country. He’s also the 2nd-ranked recruit of the cycle for Georgia behind Kelee Ringo.
Devonte Wyatt’s return means that the senior will anchor the Dawgs’ defensive line in its 3-4 formation, but Carter will become a key part of the rotation for position coach Tray Scott and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. (And, to add to the out-of-state theme, he’s from Florida.)
Broderick Jones spurned late Auburn overtures. Will he sign with Georgia?
The last thing Smart and new offensive line coach Matt Luke needed was a potential Day 1 starter in the front 5 slip away to an SEC rival. Atlanta-area tackle Broderick Jones pledged to the Dawgs in April 2018, but he held off making his commitment official during the Early Signing Period in favor of making his 3 official visits. You couldn’t fault Georgia fans for being worried after the turnover along the offensive line, including the departure of former position coach Sam Pittman as he was named head coach at Arkansas.
After an official visit to Arkansas and then Georgia, Jones canceled a planned visit to Auburn, a program that made up ground in recent weeks. But there’s still Pittman and Arkansas to contend with. Who will he pick Wednesday? The Razorbacks or Bulldogs?
The curious case of Zachary Evans, once a Georgia signee … until he wasn’t
The recruitment of Zach Evans has had so many twists and turns that no one really knows what he’s going to do next.
Evans started by releasing a top 5 that included Georgia and a pair of teams that weren’t really actively recruiting him, while leaving out the big schools in his own state of Texas. That was followed by a delay of his decision date, only to spurn presumed front-runner LSU and eventually sign with Georgia during the Early Signing Period. He was supposed to announce that at the Under Armour All-American Game, but he changed his mind and decided to delay an announcement once more. Georgia released him from his LOI.
Did we mention the cell phone violation that saw him suspended for the state championship game and another team rules violation that benched him for 2 regular-season games?
In the end, because he can’t sign another LOI, nothing between him and the school of his choice will be binding. As for Georgia? It has 4-star running backs Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton in the fold, so the Dawgs should be OK.
I’ll tell you how I will remember it after National Signing day.
Curious that you didn’t add Milton to the “Western Flair” section. He’s from California. It’s funny he’s almost forgotten with all the Evans drama.
As is the highly ranked WR from CA
That is odd. I like this kid. He seems to be high character and work ethic. It’s time to flush the Evans talk and move on!
The transfer portal changes things somewhat but it’s still impressive to have top 3 classes like he’s done, that’s impressive and no small feat. But you can’t say it’s all about recruiting and coaching doesn’t matter. Coaching does matter and back to back to back top players should be a playoff shoe-in. You can also look at TX if you think it’s just about getting top rated guys. Herman has back to back top 5 classes in Austin and still got passed up by Baylor.
Coaching does matter for sure, and stars aren’t the end all be all in recruiting either. Brian Herrien was a 2 star kid coming out of high school, and I would take 85 Brian Herriens on my team. On the flip side, there is a direct correlation between teams that have top 5 recruiting classes being in playoff contention that is hard to ignore.
Amen. Preach brother!
Making the playoff is easy. Winning the SEC is hard.
Booches94 proves that Missouri should never have been invited to join the SEC not only because of geography and lack of quality of their athletic programs but mostly because the people there are just dumb.
If he thinks “Matt Rhule wins the Natty with GA’s roster, no doubt”.
I don’t think anyone said it was all about recruiting and that coaching doesn’t matter.
Where’s my da mm EASY button at? Once again we’ll remember it as another disappointing gap shrinking recruiting season where we continue to lose even MORE ground to Dan Mullet’s elite recruiting prowess…
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Didn’t you hear? The 2020 regular season has been cancelled. Since they can’t do it on the field, Florida just figured they’ll just say they are going to win the division and thats that… Thats what I am going to remember about this class. They all are taking their redshirt.
Looks like another awful class. We should just not recruit the 5 stars and stock up on 3 stars. That way if we win 11 games every year we can say it is coaching and not recruiting. It would make the people in our rear view mirror happy.
If you had a bunch of 3 stars and Kirby Smart you would not be winning 11 games/yr. That’s kind of the point, and why coaching matters. Matt Rhule wins the Natty with GA’s roster, no doubt.
No doubt huh? No coach in the country was going to win the nc with the receivers UGA had last year…CkS has been a head coach 4 years…why don’t some of you give him another 3 or 4 years before you write him off as a failure…there isn’t exactly a long list of coaches to win a nc in their first 4 or 5 years of being a head coach….
Orgeron and Saban both won the NC in their 3rd year.
That’s a lie, The Geaux Long.
Kirby has been a head coach for 4 season.
It took Saban and Orgeron both longer than 4 years as a head coach to win a national title. Neither of them did it in “three years” of being a head coach.
Try again.
Saban was a head coach for nine years (Toledo, MSU, and LSU) before he won his first National Championship at LSU. Orgeron was a head coach for six years (not including his interim stint at USC) Ole Miss for 3 and LSU for 3 before winning the Natty this past year. Smart has only been a head coach at UGA.
Geaux Long I know math is hard but try to keep up. Coach O was HC at Ole Miss for 3 years. Meaning he won the NC in his 6th season as HC. Saban won his 1st NC in his 10th year as a HC.
It’s surprising how many people around SDS seem to think Saban and Oregeron started their headcoaching careers at their current programs. I believe all but one active headcoach who has won the NC took over ten years to do so.
My mistake. I misunderstood The
G spot fan 43’s post. I looked at only the current program the head coach is at and not their whole coaching career. Back down little leghumpers…good boy.
Ohh wow you are capable of understanding something…why don’t you understand no one wants to hear from you and go away…B****
Booches that’s a horrible take. Coaching matters but they can’t perform miracles. No one, regardless of coaching, was going to “no doubt” beat LSU in the 2019.
@Booches94
I see your point, but I could argue that if we had Matt Rhule we wouldn’t have UGA’s current roster.
Thank God we got ’em (presumably): Ringo, Jones, Carter, Beck, Milton, Smith, Burton, and Rosemy.
Wish to God we coulda got ’em: Sewell, Gilbert, Bigbsy, Dexter, and Bresee.
That number 1 ranked headline could be premature but it definitely serves as click bait. It ain’t over til it’s over.
Why are we singled out as number 1 when isn’t official yet. Other articles on other schools just focus on what’s memorable. You disappoint Sydney .
Kirby……try to relax some. Life is too short buddy. You act like decisions of 17 and 18 year olds are life and death. You are Brandon Adams on SDS.. Settle down. We got this.
With some of the comments you’ve posted on this site, you’re forever banned from telling anyone to settle down.
I’ll say what I want whenever I want.
Of course you will
Not only are the kids are high quality athletically, I think there are some real leaders in this class. Kendall Milton, MJ Sherman, Sedric Van Pran-Granger, Kelee Ringo, Tate Ratledge, Ladd McConkey, and Jalen Kimber are all going to be great in the locker room. Of the ones who got away, the only two I’d really like to see at GA were Bresee and Sewell. I’d rather have Darnell than Arik, I’d rather have Milton than Bigsby. Dexter is going to be great but I don’t want anyone dumb enough to pick Florida over Ga. He can be great while playing in the Outback Bowl or whatever you get for losing to GA every year. Next year’s class led by Vandagriff has the potential to be a real doozy so I think Florida is in for a long losing spell.