Team Recruiting Countdown: No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs

No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs (SEC No. 2)

2008 Haul: 24 signees, 3 Athlon Consensus 100

Scouting Report:

The stardom of Knowshon Moreno is only beginning to take off in Athens but with senior departures, depth in the backfield is certainly an issue. Dontavius Jackson (Franklin, Ga.) and Carlton Thomas (Frostproof, Fla.) should step in and help spell Moreno. Athlete Richard Samuel (Cartersville, Ga.) is a tremendous talent as a runner but he will probably be needed in other places. Watch out for redshirt frosh Caleb King as well.

The Bulldogs boasted one of the youngest offensive lines in the SEC last season but two key members graduated and depth is needed. Four newcomers, including Cordy Glenn (Riverdale, Ga.) and A.J. Harmon (Louisville, Ga.), head to Athens in 2008. Glenn and Harmon are big, versatile prospects. Look for Glenn to be the tackle and Harmon to be the guard. Ben Jones (Centreville, Ala.) is a needed piece at the center position.

The best area of this class is on the outside of the offense, however. The pass catchers in this class are phenomenal. A.J. Green (Summerville, S.C.) has been a star in the South Carolina prep ranks for years and now takes his game to the next level. He is arguably the top deep threat in the nation and with some added weight will be a super star in the SEC. Tavarres King (Mt. Airy, Ga.) is a wonderful compliment to Green. King is a classic open-field, slot-type receiver. He is impossible to tackle and has great speed and will also be a threat in the return game. Samuel could also end up at wide receiver. The best name in the class, Bacarri Rambo (Donaldsonville, Ga.) could also end up catching passes. He is a classic do-everything-type athlete.
 
Mark Richt and staff did a nice job of adding depth to all levels of the defense as well. Among the four defensive linemen signed, tackle DeAngelo Tyson (Statesboro, Ga.) and end Toby Jackson (Griffin, Ga.) have a chance to be great. Tyson is one the top tackle prospects in the nation and with some solid coaching Jackson could be a dominant beast off the edge. Cornelius Washington (Waynesboro, Ga.) could also see early time.

Four linebackers head to Athens in this ’08 group led by the tremendously athletic Marcus Dowtin (Fork Union, Va.). He is easily the most talented prospect of the group. Bulldogs fans will also be happy to finally have Akeem Hebron on campus. The talented class of 2006 linebacker comes to Athens from Gaithersburg, Md. by way of junior college in Milledgeville, Ga.

Brandon Boykin (Fayetteville, Ga.) is the most talented defensive back in the class. However, Samuel and sleeper Sanders Commings (Augusta, Ga.) could also play on the defensive side of the ball too.

The state of Georgia is always been a great state for football talent but 2008 was an exceptional year. Behind the big three – Texas, California, Florida – Georgia was likely the No. 4 talent producing state in 2008 and the Bulldogs capitalized, as did others. The usual suspects raided the Peach State (FSU, UF, S. Car, Clemson, Bama) but Georgia was so loaded in 2008 that teams like OU, USC and Notre Dame all landed top-20 prospects from the state of Georgia. The Bulldogs still ended up with 16 of the state’s top targets.

Top Prospect: A.J. Green – WR – Summerville, S.C. (6-4, 185) AC100 No. 6

A.J. Green might be the best deep threat at the wide receiver position in this year’s class. He has fabulous leaping ability and will go up and out fight defensive backs for the football. He has great ball skills, generally catching the ball at its highest point. He is at his best in the vertical passing game, stretching the defense to open up other options for the quarterback if defenses try to double-team him.

Green will need to add some weight to his lanky frame and work on his route running on the shorter and intermediate plays. For his size, he has solid after-the-catch ability but is not the shiftiest in the open field.

Best of the Rest:

Richard Samuel – ATH – Cartersville, Ga. (6-0, 200) AC100 No. 19
DeAngelo Tyson – DT – Statesboro, Ga. (6-2, 275) AC100 No. 24
Toby Jackson – DT – Griffin, Ga. (6-4, 245)
Tavarres King – WR – Mt. Airy, Ga. (6-1, 175)
Cordy Glenn – OL – Riverdale, Ga. (6-6, 310)
A.J. Harmon – OL – Louisville, Ga. (6-4, 308)
Dontavius Jackson – RB – Franklin, Ga. (5-11, 195)
Marcus Dowtin – LB – Fork Union, Va. (6-2, 218)
Brandon Boykin – CB – Fayetteville, Ga. (5-10, 170)
Cornelius Washington – DE – Waynesboro, Ga. (6-4, 220)

Sleeper: Sanders Commings – CB – Augusta, Ga. (6-1, 195)

Commings is a running back/wide receiver hybrid that excels with the ball in his hands. But much like Samuel, team needs – not talents – may decide where he plays. His size, agility and speed likely pushed this talented young athlete into the defensive backfield as a corner or safety. He is a naturally gifted runner/receiver, though, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up. One thing is assured: he will make an impact.

Early Theme in Signing Day: SWITCHES

Florida has already lost two prospects in LB/S Ramon Buchanan and C Ricky Barnum.

Now Auburn has lost one of its top playmakers: wide receiver Jarmon Fortson from Columbus, GA has signed with FSU. Fortson is a great looking pass catcher. He is built like a tank and had a stellar performance in the Georgia Dome in the state semis this season. Auburn will miss Mr. Fortson.

It does not end there, however. Georgia lost one its top players in tight end Dwayne Allen. Allen signed with the Clemson Tigers.

That is four top SEC targets that have left the league.

Purdue also lost one of its top targets too. Troutwood, OH wide receiver Ray Roundtree signed today with the Michigan Wolverines. Rich Rod and Co. are making a very strong push on Signing Day.

Sanders' Third Choice: FSU

Clayton, OH offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders has had a tumultuous recruitment process. The 6-5, 275-pound Northmont product thought he was done with this whole circus on more than one occasion.

December 4th, Sanders was expected to commit to the Florida Gators but instead backed out of it. Was that because the Gators had pulled their scholarship offer? Sanders says that Urban Meyer, did in fact, pull the scholarship.

Then he was supposed to commit to Georgia at the Under Armor All-American Bowl. That didn't happen. Rumors again swirled about Sanders losing a scholarship offer. The young offensive tackle says that the UGA offer is still on the table. It is interesting that the college that his mother attended mysteriously got axed off his list, though.

Finally, this weekend when visiting Tallahassee, Sanders committed to the Seminoles.

Its a good thing too. The offensive line is one of the main causes of FSU's recent struggles. Without Sanders, this OL class would be very weak.

What is concerning about the names that the Seminoles have committed is who they beat out. Big Andrew Datko has offers from only FIU and UCF. He may be a really good player but those schools are not ones that FSU should be competing with.

Even though Sanders is a really nice prospect, the rumors about Florida and Georgia basically handing him down the recruiting ladder to FSU is troubling. It may be nothing, lets say, the media making too much of it. Then again, the O-line has been a major issue on this football team for some years now.

Florida State should be the team to beat, not a recruit's third choice.

Pre-Signing Day Team Recruiting Rankings:

In the middle of November, the first edition of The UV's Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings debuted. Notre Dame was the best class in the nation after the first unofficial rankings. Things have changed a bit since then.

Athlon's ranks were USC-1, UGA-2, OSU-3, ALA-4, MIA-5. Our rankings only act as one-fourth of the overall team rankings. Much in the same way that the Athlon Consensus 100 works, these team rankings are compiled using four expert sources. ESPN, Rivals, Scout and Athlon.



Rivals and Scout use a computer system that calculates a point total based on individual rankings and quantities. ESPN's list is a subjective group put together based on one man's opinion. Athlon's rankings are obviously subjective as well. This gives The Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings equal parts computer and human.

Georgia's consistency at No. 2 across the board gave the Bulldogs enough to overcome Notre Dame's two No. 1's. USC and OSU have the best bang for their buck with the highest level of quality. But schools like Miami and Alabama have put together much bigger classes at the moment so they got the nod in most rankings.

Texas has the top running back class with five nice prospects. They would have one of the best classes at the position in history if land Ventura (Cali.) running back Darrell Scott, whom they seem to be leading for after Longhorn tailback Jamaal Charles declared for the draft. Scott is the No. 1 running back prospect in the nation. If the Gators were to add Jacksonville star Jamie Harper and DeSoto (Tx.) product Cyrus Gray, they might be able to challenge. If the experts want to count USC transfer Emmanuel Moody, Florida might be leading.

USC is pulling off the same feat along the offensive line with six outstanding prospects. Ohio State could challenge if they were to land a kid like Josh Jenkins and Notre Dame might have something to say if they could snag Kenneth Page from the southeast.

The depth of this wide receiver class is special and there is still a lot of work to be done. With names like Muskogee's (Okla.) Jameel Owens and Foley's (Al.) Julio Jones still hanging in the balance, any number of teams could claim the title.

Florida would certainly clinch this position if they can somehow pull the upset and land Jones. Carl Moore, Omarius Hines and Frankie Hammonds round out a very well-balanced class for the Gators.

USC's class is special. D.J. Shoemate is Percy Harvin plus two inches and 30 pounds. Brice Butler might be the most polished wideout in the entire class. Oklahoma would challenge if they land Owens - which seems likely. Notre Dame recently pulled Deion Walker off the east coast and Michael Floyd is a very special player. Miami could join the action if the 6-6 Tommy Streeter gives The U a clean sweep of the Northwestern-7. (Ben Jones would have to commit as well...work with me here)

Spain Park defensive end William Green would give Alabama the best defensive line class. Miami boasts the best interior group led by Marcus Fortson, Texas A&M leads on the edge with six commits. Georgia has the second best overall class. Clemson and Oklahoma bring in the best two defensive line prospects in DaQuan Bowers and R.J. Washington respectively.

Miami has the linebacker class locked up. This class is so deep that the Canes might have five starters in the group: three linebackers, one safety and one defensive end. Michigan and Virginia Tech both have great depth in the linebacker corp. If the Buffaloes can hang onto Lynn Katoa, Colorado will have a dynamite group at linebacker.

LSU is atop the list of defensive back classes, led by Ely's (Fl.) Patrick Johnson. If Rick Nueheisel can hang onto Rahim Moore, E.J. Woods and company, UCLA might get my nod, however. It just seems so unlikely that will happen. The Gators claim the top safety group with New Jersey product Will Hill and Auburn High's Dee Finley.

The final team rankings will be released post-signing day.

US Army AA Game Notebook:

Heading into this game I really felt that the offensive skill position players were better on the West team and that the defensive front seven was better on the East team. That was pretty much how the game played out with one exception. No one can stop Terrelle Pryor.

There is no substitute for supreme talent. It was a clean sweep from the top prospect in the nation. He took home not only the win today but also the games' Most Valuable Player and the US Army National Player of the Year award too. It is very easy to see that he is clearly the best player in the nation.

Some random thoughts....

The athleticism was very apparent at the quarterback position for the East team with Pryor, Star Jackson and MarQuies Gray. The West had no answer for the speed at the QB position.

Miami defensive tackle prospect Marcus Fortson was dominate as the East shut down the West ground game. The linebackers were all over the field led by another Miami defender Arthur Brown. There is no way Brown plays in the middle. He was noticeably smaller than guys like Steven Filer and Etiene Sabino. Brown will be a fabulous weakside backer.

The wide receivers for the West were phenomenal. D.J. Shoemate, Dan Buckner, Jameel Owens and particularly Michael Floyd played well. I would have liked to see Shoemate used more out of the back field. I am very high on all four of these kids.

Gerell Robinson is very raw and very good. He is a smart, well-spoken kid that has freakish size and athleticism. He may want to redshirt at Arizona St to learn the subtleties of the wide receiver position. He is gifted enough to play right away though.

Speaking of the Pac-10. The west coast had a great day landing three of the kids announcing on Saturday. Robinson is headed to ASU; Solomon Koehler leaves Hawaii for the desert and Arizona; Covaughn Deboskie chose Cal.

Alabama and Georgia are in a heavyweight bout for the SEC recruiting race. After stealing A.J. Harmon from Clemson, the Bulldogs are making a strong push for not only the SEC crown but maybe the top class in the nation.

With Gray's commitment to Minnesota, Tim Brewster has found a piece to build a future around. The Gophers' class is very strong as the Big Ten doormat has dipped into Texas, Chicago and now Indianapolis to snag a lot of solid prospects.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
AJ Harmon - Georgia
Patrick Johnson - LSU
Shayne Hale - Pitt
MarQuies Gray - Minnesota
Ryan Williams - Va. Tech
Solomon Koehler - Arizona
Gerell Robinson - Arizona St
Covaughn Deboskie - Cal
Brandon Smith - Michigan

Photo by Rivals.com

Athlon Sports National Recruiting Blitz

Athlon Sports Sr. Ed. Mitch Light sits down to grill me about the Athlon Consensus 100. We break down the first twenty names to roll of the press.

We touch on some other topics as well...Iowa, Cincy, Kansas and Missouri all came up.

You can listen to the Athlon Sports National Recruiting Blitz at Athlon Sports Podcasts.

Here is my Deeper Look at 81-90.

Athlon Consensus 100: 81-90

The latest ten names of the Athlon Consensus 100 have been released.

81. Lamaar Thomas - ATH - Friendly, MD (OSU)
82. Garrett Goebel - DT - Lombard, IL (OSU)
83. DeSean Hales - ATH - Klein, TX (Texas)
84. D.J. Monroe - CB - Angleton, TX (Texas)
85. E.J. Woods - S - Culver City, CA (UCLA)
86. Brandon Thompson - DT - Thomasville, GA (und.)
87. Jerrell Harris - LB - Gadsden, AL (und.)
88. Nick Perry - DE - Detroit, MI (und.)
89. Josh Jarboe - WR - Ellenwood, GA (und.)
90. Joe Adams - ATH - Little Rock, AR (USC)

This is a very athletic group. Thomas, Hales and Adams will all find themselves on offense although Adams could be used in both defensive and offensive capacities. Woods and Harris play like missiles and can really hit.

The state of Georgia is off to a great start with five players in the first 20 names. Cali and Texas both have three.

Corner and the mysterious 'athlete' position each have four prospects. However, this might be a bit misleading as at least Thomas and Hales will be playing WR, which has two players. WR might be the deepest position in the AC100.

Ohio State and UCLA each have three prospects committed. Texas and UGA have two.

The Big Ten and Pac-10 each have four commits. The SEC and Big XII have three each.

MOST UNDERRATED: Lamaar Thomas, this kids is a bigger version of Percy Harvin. Expect him to get the ball out of the backfield (maybe in a few sets as QB), as a wide receiver and especially a return man. He is a game-changer.

MOST OVERRATED: Goebel/Thompson. Now, they both could end being good. Goebel needs what Thompson has and Thompson needs what Goebel has. Goebel is very technically sound and plays very smart football but lacks burst and raw athleticism. Thompson has great explosion and athletic ability but lacks fundamentals and technique. Both could be good though. I actually like all ten of these kids but these two seem to have the most work to do.

Stay tuned to AthlonSports.com every Monday and Thursday as we release ten more names each day until Signing Day on Feb. 6th.

Athlon Consensus 100: 91-100

The first release of the AC100 went live this morning...

91. Justin Johnson - RB - Gilmer, TX (Okla)
92. Charles Whitlock - CB - Chester, SC (S. Car)
93. Andrew Sweat - LB - Washington, PA (OSU)
94. Brandon Smith - ATH - New Brunswick, NJ (und.)
95. A.J. Harmon - OG - Louisville, GA (Clem)
96t. Toby Jackson - DE - Griffin, GA (UGA)
97t. Aaron Hester - CB - Compton, CA (UCLA)
98. Tavarres King - WR - Mt. Airy, GA (UGA)
99. Anthony Dye - CB - Corona, CA (UCLA)
100. Trevor Robinson - OG - Elkhorn, NE (ND)

Right off the bat, Georgia and California take an early lead in state race, with Ga, already with three prospects.

Two corners and two offensive guards are in this first ten as well. Do not expect too many more guards. Corners there will be plenty of.

UCLA and UGA each have two kids committed. The UCLA ones we will have to wait and see about. Now that they finally have a new coach.

The SEC jumps out ahead of the other big leagues with three commits already. The Pac-10 and Big Ten/ND both have two each.

Three names really stand out to me. Tavarres King, Aaron Hester and Andrew Sweat. But not all for the same reason.

Andrew Sweat is limited in his top end speed and can be too aggressive. He needs to work on his control and discipline. He will be a solid player but should not be in the top-100.

King and Hester are much different. Tavarres King will be a star. In the open field, he is unstoppable. He will need to get stronger and thicker but has a chance to be great. Aaron Hester is just a really smooth defensive back. He plays wonderful trail technique and shows a burst when the ball is in the air. Both of these kids should be ranked in the 50-60 range.

Athlon Consensus 100

This Week's Podcast

Each week The Visitor, yours truly, does four podcasts for his current employer Athlon Sports. The National Recruiting Blitz will be posted permanently on this here front page. I am joined by old friends from throughout the Rivals.com network to bring you the latest and hottest news in the world of recruiting.

This week I am joined by Tim O'Halloran of EdgyTim.com to break down the hot streak the Illinois Fighting Illini are on. Alabama, Georgia and Virginia are also discussed.

The other three can be found in the Audio Catalog on AthlonSports.com

The College Fantasy Red Zone is a weekly trip through the NCAA Fantasy landscape. We give you sleeper picks, updates on every BCS game, injury reports and start-or-sit discussions.

The NFL Fantasy Scouting Report is look around the world of NFL fantasy football. Athlon Sports' own Kelly and Dan Grogan join me every week to give you free agent pick-ups, the "Can't Miss-High Risk" segment and always injury reports and start/sit discussions.

Inside The Paint is Athlon Sports brief trip around the nation within the world of College Hoops. Senior editor Mitch Light joins me each week to talk NCAA hoops.

Cordy Glenn: UGA lands No. 24

Mark Richt and the UGA Bulldogs will be sitting around this Thanksgiving holiday eating turkey, drinking wine and just generally being merry. Georgia fans, however, may not even watch the annual tilt between the Dawgs and the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech. All eyes will be fixed north to the Bluegrass state. If Kentucky can knock off Tennessee it means a bus ride to the ATL and a shot at #1 ranked LSU for the SEC title.

A title Georgia may have already wrapped up, however, is the SEC recruiting title for the 2008 class. Georgia has very few holes in this class and one small hole was filled by a not-so-small offensive lineman. Cordy Glenn (6-6, 315 lbs), from Riverdale HS (Riverdale, GA), makes the 24th commitment for Richt and the Bulldogs. O-Line was one area that the staff felt needed to be addressed. While still waiting for Zebrie Sanders, the big offensive tackle from Ohio, to make his decision, Richt was glad to hear from Glenn.

Cordy Glenn is a beast. Once this big offensive lineman locks onto a defender, he is going for ride. And it normally does not end well for Mr. Defender, who is normally laying on his back with a 6-6, 315 pounder on top. He is almost impossible to disengage from. He has quick enough feet and decent athleticism for his size.

One thing the big kid will need to work on is maintaining his pad level. Because Glenn is so overpowering at the point of attack, he sometimes just mauls people to the ground with poor technique. If he can keep his focus on firing off low while consistently playing with good balance he will be a star at the next level.

Now, before Alabama fans go crazy here, in my first ever Unofficial BCS Team Recruiting Rankings, I actually ranked Alabama 3rd in the nation and UGA 4th. If names like Julio Jones, William Green, Chris Tolliver, Jerrell Harris, Chris Jordan jump on the Cruise De Saban then Alabama will probably win the SEC recruiting crown.

Mark Richt sure is making it interesting though. If Sanders commits (its down to FLA and UGA) then Georgia and Alabama should finish atop their divisions respectively and absolutely in the top-10 if not the top-5.

Team Recruiting Rankings

As we near the end of the actual football season, we begin to head into the heart of another type of season. The recruiting season. The bowl season, for those teams not practicing for such historic bowl titles as the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, means hitting the recruiting trail. I have searched high and low to bring you the first ever Unofficial Visitor team recruiting rankings. With a little help of course...

Rivals and Scout are both completely computerized awarding points for quality and quantity. Hence Ohio St and USC are lower. ESPN is completely objective (Its just some guy ranking classes).

I will be the BCS of recruiting rankings. It will be two parts computer and two parts human poll. I will input my rankings and come up with "The Unofficial Team Rankings:"