Metro Atlanta has long been viewed as a talent gold mine for recruiters.

One old adage is that a recruiter could spend a weekend in the Atlanta area and see as many top-shelf recruits as he could by criss-crossing the entire state of South Carolina. There are also favorable comparisons with south Florida in sheer numbers and level of talent.

The class of 2018 in metro Atlanta more than holds its own against most other comparisons. That even leaves out top-ranked quarterback Trevor Lawrence, a Clemson commit from Cartersville, which is just outside of metro Atlanta.

Put it all together and 24 of the top 40 recruits in Georgia, according to 247 Sports, are from metro Atlanta. Georgia leads with five commits and Auburn has four. But to show the sheer depth of talent, the area draws recruiters nationally. Of the 16 recruits who have already committed in that top 24, they represent eight schools from three conferences and Notre Dame. The top three of the 24 are all 5-stars.

The five commits make up more than a fourth of Georgia’s current class of 19 commits, and are half of the Peach state players committed to the Bulldogs. The four Auburn players from metro Atlanta are more than half of the Tigers’ commitments from Georgia, which in turn represents more than a third of Auburn’s current 19-player class. Georgia has the top-rated class in the SEC, on the strength of three 5-star commits and Auburn is second thanks to 13 recruits listed as 4-stars.

Kipp Adams, a recruiting analyst with 247 Sports, said Georgia is the clear winner both because of the commits the Bulldogs already have, and what’s to come.

“Looking at how it stands now, and how it could pan out in the next week, that Georgia is the clear winner in the metro Atlanta recruiting battles this cycle,” Adams said. “(And the Bulldogs) are expected to land 5-star offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer (Atlanta/Pace Academy) next week, and will get the final official visit from 5-star defensive end Brenton Cox (Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge) this weekend before he plans to sign.”

Several top recruiters work the area.

Auburn linebackers coach Travis Williams has lured 4-star wide receiver Matthew Hill of Snellville and 4-star athlete Quindarious Monday of Atlanta to the Tigers. Williams is the sixth-ranked recruiter in the country, according to 247 Sports.

The top recruiter, though, is Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee, who most notably recruited 5-star quarterback Justin Fields of Kennesaw. Adams said McGee is also the secondary recruiter for 4-star edge rusher commitment Azeez Ojulari of Marietta and 4-star cornerback commitment Chris Smith of Atlanta. He is also the secondary recruiter for Salyer and Cox. One caveat about the Ojulari recruitment is that the primary recruiter was Kevin Sherrer, who recently left for Tennessee.

“Sherrer was an excellent recruiter for Georgia, but the success of Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, and high-profile players like Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy will make his position at Georgia very desired by other coaches,” Adams said. “I would expect Kirby Smart to be diligent in going through the interviews and vetting process as many have already and will inquire in the coming days.”

Here is a list of the top 24 prospects in 2018 class from metro Atlanta, according to 247 Sports, their hometown and commitment status:

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