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Coaching changes add spice to 5 recruiting tilts between Georgia, Alabama

Corey Long

By Corey Long

Published:

Georgia and Alabama have been through many recruiting battles over the years. But things have been turned up a few notches with the 2016 class. Georgia replaced long time coach Mark Richt with Kirby Smart, who was Alabama’s defensive coordinator. Alabama coach Nick Saban replaced Smart’s position on his staff with Jeremy Pruitt, who spent the previous two seasons at Georgia’s defensive coordinator.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Alabama and Georgia are engaged in more top-level recruiting battles during this recruiting cycle as Smart tries his luck at tilting the balance of power in the SEC.

Here are the five top players that will likely choose between Georgia or Alabama.

Derrick Brown, DT (five-stars, Buford, Ga.): Smart went a long way to keeping the top recruit in Georgia at home by retaining defensive line coach Tracy Rocker. Rocker has been recruiting Brown to Georgia from the beginning. But Pruitt also has a good relationship with Brown and the official visit Brown had with Alabama before the dead period left a very positive impression on him.

Isaac Nauta, TE (five-stars, Buford, Ga.): Nauta is down to three schools — Alabama, Georgia and Michigan — and he’ll make his decision at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9. He’s given very little indication to where he’s leaning right now.

Lyndell “Mack” Wilson, LB (five-stars, Montgomery, Ala.): Alabama clearly has the edge here as Mack has been around the program for several years now. He’s familiar with the staff and the Montgomery prospect has referred to ‘Bama as a second home. That being said one of the guys he was closest with on that staff was Smart. With Smart at Georgia now the Bulldogs could pull a major surprise.

Mecole Hardman Jr., ATH (five-stars, Elberton, Ga.): For a minute it seemed like Hardman was disenchanted with Georgia after the Bulldogs let Pruitt go. But time has healed that wound and Georgia is very much in the race along with Alabama. Hardman seems to be leaning to Georgia and even took in a Bulldogs basketball game last week.

Keith Gavin, WR (four-stars, Crawfordville, Fla.): The Florida prospect was committed to Florida State but backed off several months ago. The Seminoles are still in the picture along with Georgia and Alabama. He may declare at the Under Armour All-America Game or wait a little longer.

Corey Long

Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.

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