DawgsHQ Inside: Raiola, new Georgia offers out, RBs to watch
No time to beat around the bush. Let’s dive in on what you need to know regarding Georgia recruiting this week.
Let’s lead off your week with what I assume most people will be asking about when it comes to Georgia recruiting — Dylan Raiola and his standing. First off, I’ll say that I haven’t heard anything to make me change the notion that I held last week, which is that Georgia is the team to beat in this race. Over the last week, I haven’t even heard another school mentioned. It’s all been about timing. And timing is tricky. A couple thing I feel pretty safe in saying is that this isn’t a guy you A) want to put the screws to and ask him to do before he’s ready B) even if you did, I don’t think that has much bearing on him. While, yes, this is a second commitment for Raiola, he’s the nation’s top prospect in the Industry Ranking and plays the most premium position on the field. In many ways, he gets to call the shots. Would Georgia have loved for him to have pulled the trigger already? Yes, but that was true last summer, too. That’s not new to lately. Sure, it might help the Bulldogs regain a bit of positive momentum, which took a slight hit with the Landen Thomas and Bear Alexander defections. But Raiola is who he is, so he gets to do what he wants to do. Georgia remains the team to beat. Right now, it’s just a waiting game, in my humble opinion. How long will it go on? Could be done today, could take another month. Don’t sweat the timing, and unless we hear otherwise, I wouldn’t be sweating the destination.
Two guys who intrigue me in the running back race? I’m keeping Nathaniel Frazier and Taylor Tatum circled for now. Frazier was just in Athens, and his was a name I heard some buzz on going into the trip. Not necessarily ‘ready to pull the trigger’ but more so ‘keep an eye on this guy moving forward’. Nebraska, Alabama, and Tennessee are among the others mentioned, and USC is almost always going to be a factor for a Mater Dei guy. Still, look for Georgia to continue to have a hat in the ring. As for Tatum, he seems to have some real interest in the offerings of the Bulldogs, and I think the love to be reciprocal. Look for Georgia to be out to see him early this week, possibly as soon as today. I’m still on Chauncey Bowens watch, as well. That noise around a decommitment has died down pretty strongly over the last few weeks, however. It was once very strong.
A name that I feel should be getting a little more play when we talk about defensive line targets? Jordan Thomas of Don Bosco Prep. Georgia is set to host him for an official visit for the second week on June, and the Bulldogs are a pretty well-established commodity up in his neck of the woods, thanks to both Fran Brown and the pursuit of four-star offensive linemen and Thomas’ former teammate, Chase Bisontis, last cycle. Not penciling the Dawgs in as the team to beat here yet, but he’s a name to keep on your radar.
Here’s something we don’t hear every day — Georgia has offered a coach’s son…but not a football coach. Michigan State was first to do it, but now, the Bulldogs are in the mix for Osiris Gilbert out of Buford. His mother, Caryl Smith Gilbert, is the Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field at the University of Georgia. Osiris, meanwhile, has been active on the track this spring, and Fran Brown took notice early on. Safe to say Gilbert is a guy who will have a chance to see Athens with as much frequency as he wants. Will be a cool race to follow given the connection.
Other new offers out include the likes of 2024 DL/EDGE Quintavius Johnson of Mays, 2024 EDGE Dominic Nichols of Maryland, 2025 RB James Simon of Louisiana, On300 top 40 prospect Joseph Jonah-Ajonye out of Texas, 2024 DL Artavius Jones of Florida, and New York-based offensive lineman Marcus Harrison.
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