In his first full recruiting cycle at Georgia, Kirby Smart put together the No. 3 recruiting class in the country. Among the headliners in the Bulldogs’ 2017 class is 5-star safety Richard LeCounte III, a dynamic athlete who should make an impact as a true freshman.

Hailing from Liberty Country High School in Hinesville, Ga., LeCounte earned a reputation for making spectacular plays on the football field and the basketball court.

Although he’s expected to be a member of the secondary, LeCounte played all over the field for Liberty County. During his senior year, LeCounte recorded 892 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense, 688 yards and 3 touchdowns as a return man and 100 tackles with two interceptions on defense.

LeCounte recorded a stat in nearly every single possible category for the Panthers, a testament to his versatility and competitive nature.

As an early enrollee, LeCounte has already made a strong impression on Smart and the Bulldogs’ coaching staff. In his first G-Day Game, the true freshman led all defenders with nine tackles and also record a pass breakup. It was a strong performance, but one that the coaching staff expected.

“Well, I’d say this, that’s not a good sign when your safety is your leading tackler,” Smart quipped after the final spring scrimmage. “But, he’s done that all spring; he’s a see ball, hit ball guy. I love coaching him. … What he does on the field is he runs fast, he tries to hit you and he likes tackling. The guy likes playing football.”

Because of his natural ability, LeCounte has never looked out of his element on the field. In his short time in Athens, it’s not the time on the practice field that has given him trouble. According to Smart, the safety’s biggest obstacle is learning the mental side of the game in the classroom.

"I love coaching him. … What he does on the field is he runs fast, he tries to hit you and he likes tackling. The guy likes playing football.” -- Kirby Smart on Richard LeCounte III

This problem isn’t unique to LeCounte. All freshman, in some way or another, struggle with the mental learning curve that comes with playing in the SEC. Jacob Eason’s physical gifts were apparent last season, but he was limited at times while struggling to fully grasp Georgia’s playbook and opposing defenses.

At some point, however, the scheme will become second nature to LeCounte. When that happens, his talent is enough to make Georgia’s secondary one of the best in the SEC. It’s not just on the field that he displayed his gifts, however.

In addition to being an All-American in football, LeCounte was also an All-State basketball player and led Liberty County to its first boys basketball state championship in 2016.

“I believe he can play both,” Liberty County basketball coach Julian Stokes told Saturday Down South. “If it came down to it, he could be a two-sport athlete at the University of Georgia. If I’m not mistaken, I want to say they offered him in basketball as well. But as great as he was in basketball, that was just his raw athleticism.”

Playing against one of the top basketball prospects in the country in the 2016 state championship, Jonesboro’s 5-star prospect M.J. Walker, LeCounte scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds. As a junior, LeCounte averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He was indeed offered a scholarship to play for Mark Fox and the Bulldogs’ basketball program.

As great as his exploits were on the basketball court, it was LeCounte’s natural athleticism that drew the most praise from Stokes.

“Physically, he’s just an all-around athlete. He can do anything, he really can,” Stokes told SDS. “He played multiple positions in football, quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety, linebacker, defensive end, cornerback, whatever you want. Then he comes to play basketball and he averages 20 points a game, six rebounds and five assists. The guy can do it all.

“He did one track meet this year, no practice, fresh out of school – I kid you not, this is not a lie. He’s still in his school uniform and goes out and does the high jump and held the state record in the high jump for like three weeks.”

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, that leaping ability will help LeCounte battle some of the SEC’s bigger receivers, something Georgia defenders struggled with in 2016.

For the Bulldogs’ 2017 early enrollee’s, this spring was about getting up to speed with the mental aspect of college football. It’s something that Smart is still helping LeCounte master, but some knowledge can only come with in-game experience against skilled competition.

LeCounte might be caught out of position at times this fall, which is part of life with most true freshmen, but his upside is too great to leave him on the sideline. Smart sought to add talent to the Bulldogs’ roster, and LeCounte is likely to be the most athletic player on the field whenever he’s called upon.