Gwinnett County continues to be where to look for the five-star recruits in Georgia, and for college recruiters to fly and drive across the county and try to sell their program to a four-star prospect.

It was the case in the 2016 class led by Derrick Brown of Lanier High School, and in 2013 when Robert Nkemdiche came out of Grayson High School. And virtually every year in between, Gwinnett has a long list of four- and five-star recruits.

The upcoming class is no different with five-star CB Deangelo Gibbs, also of Grayson, who is the top-ranked player in the state in the class of 2017 by 247Sports.com. Combined, Gwinnett is responsible for five of the top 10 players, and there’s no shortage of interest in that bunch. Of the eight uncommitted players, all but one has at least 23 offers, led by two-way athlete Jamyest Williams, who has 46.

Georgia has verbal commits from two of the top 10, including five-star S Richard LeCounte III. The Bulldogs are also in a good position with six of the eight top 10, according to 247Sports predictions, and all of them are four-stars. In fact, every member of the top 15 players in the state is a four- or five-star.

One of those, QB Jake Fromm, a recent decommit from Alabama, could expect a future competition with, or heir apparent to, Jacob Eason.

How Kirby Smart signs in-state talent will be watched closely by a fan base that regularly questioned Mark Richt’s efforts. But with WR Demetris Robertson’s decision still pending, Smart could end up with 10 of the state’s top 25 as ranked by 247Sports. That’s from a class that had a host of schools sign Georgia high school players, including Auburn, Florida, Clemson, Tennessee, Southern Cal, Louisville, Duke and Ole Miss in the top 25.

Cleveland.com addressed that issue in a November story that examined Richt’s in-state recruiting. A high school coach also weighed in on the subject with the opinion that Georgia felt it was “entitled.”

Between 2005 and 2014, Georgia signed 7 of 20 in-state five-star prospects by 247Sports. Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside coach Olten Downs told Cleveland.com that other schools are more proactive.

“They’re not from the state and have to win those kids,” Downs said. “(Georgia) is sort of just like, ‘We should be entitled because they’re our kids,’ and not jumping on them early like Ohio State, identifying and recruiting kids.”

Player Rating Position 247 Sports Prediction
1. Deangelo Gibbs 5-star CB Georgia
2. Richard LeCounte III 5-star S Georgia*
3. Robert Beal 4-star WDE Notre Dame
4. Nate McBride 4-star ILB Georgia
5. Jamyest Williams 4-star CB Georgia
6. Jake Fromm 4-star QB Georgia*
7. Andrew Thomas 4-star OT Georgia
8. Davis Mills 4-star QB Stanford
9. William Poole III 4-star CB Georgia
10. Tony Gray 4-star OT Georgia

*Already committed