We\u2019re just a month out of official visits beginning and what should be an absolutely loaded summer for the Georgia Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
But before it all gets fired up, perhaps we should get a lay of the land as we see it today from the DawgsHQ vantage point?<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll start today on the defensive side of the ball and how we\u2019d project a finish AS OF TODAY for the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
This list will likely fluctuate after those summer visits begin, but right now, here\u2019s how we\u2019d project it to play out if the cycle ended anytime soon.<\/p>\n
One caveat we should include before we dive in \u2013 we\u2019re keeping all guys who are currently committed on the list, though we\u2019ll be sure to denote their standing more in-depth in our explanation.<\/em><\/p>\n DEFENSIVE LINE<\/strong><\/p>\n Aydin Breland<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Jordan Thomas<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Eddrick Houston<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Tray Scott<\/a><\/strong> is still searching for the first commit on the defensive front for the Bulldogs, but the names they\u2019re involved with are already impressive.<\/p>\n We mentioned in the DawgsHQ Inside on Monday that you\u2019d want to keep your eyes on Aydin Breland out of Mater Dei in southern California, and we\u2019re not backing away from that in this mock class. He\u2019s a top 40 player in the Industry Ranking, sports an outstanding frame, and has taken his fair share of under-the-radar visits to Athens all the way from the west coast. Long way to go there, but Georgia should continue to be a major factor in this recruitment.<\/p>\n Jordan Thomas, meanwhile, hails from Fran Brown territory in New Jersey. Georgia is in line for an official visit this summer on the second weekend in June, and with size like his, look for the Dawgs to pour on the love during that stop. The SEC clearly has his interest piqued, as South Carolina will also be on the receiving end of an official visit. Michigan and Rutgers are pressing as well, but going into the summer, the Dawgs look to be a very compelling option.<\/p>\n Lastly, and certainly not least, we\u2019ll pencil in five-star EDGE Eddrick Houston of Buford. Yes, yes, we know, he\u2019s from Buford, which hasn\u2019t been kind to the Dawgs in years, but Houston has spent plenty of time in Athens. Coaches spent time checking in on the Wolves on Tuesday, as well. We understand your skepticism, but right now, do not underrate Georgia\u2019s standing here. Dawgs look to be the team to beat.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a few additional names to keep on your radar, you\u2019ll want to have eyes on Nasir Smith<\/a><\/strong> of Grayson and Nasir Johnson<\/a><\/strong> of Dublin. They\u2019re a couple of in-state guys who have offers, and Smith has spent time in Athens a couple of times already. Johnson has been a bit quieter, but he\u2019s a specimen and could certainly see increased attention.<\/p>\n The good news for the Dawgs? They\u2019re involved with several top names, and the production in Athens speaks for itself at this point. We\u2019re willing to bet this defensive line class looks quite nice when all is said and done.<\/p>\n LINEBACKER<\/strong><\/p>\n Demarcus Riddick<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Sammy Brown<\/p>\n Riddick is one of the main reasons we included the caveat above. There\u2019s no denying that Georgia would absolutely love to keep him in the fold for the long term, but that may prove to be easier said than done. Alabama has turned up the heat in a ridiculous way, and Auburn is also lurking, with plenty of \u2018rebuild the program\u2019 juice behind it. The Tide, however, look to be the program that should give the Bulldogs the most trouble. Right now, we\u2019ll leave him on the list because he\u2019s still committed. If that holds up, however, consider it a welcomed surprise.<\/p>\n Brown, however, is a name that\u2019s surging in Georgia circles. Clemson is a major consideration and will continue to be, but going into the summer, we\u2019re willing to pencil in the hometown kid with the Bulldogs. He\u2019s set to officially visit the second weekend of June, and that will be a crucial trip for all parties involved. Right now, we\u2019re of the mind Georgia wins out in this race.<\/p>\n Still, assuming Riddick decides to look elsewhere, the Dawgs will want to keep their options open at the linebacker position.<\/p>\n Right now, there are three names you should keep circled \u2014 Jamonta Waller, Kris Jones, and Edwin Spillman.<\/p>\n That trio continues to receive a lot of love from the Bulldogs, and Jones and Spillman have both expressed that they plan to officially visit Georgia this summer.<\/p>\n The Bulldogs like all three and will considerably turn up the head should Riddick explore options elsewhere.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t lose this list if that happens.<\/p>\n EDGE<\/strong><\/p>\n Justin Greene<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Jordan Ross<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n So far, we feel good on two names for Chidera Uzo-Diribe<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s positional group, and they\u2019re two huge ones.<\/p>\n Make no mistake on Greene \u2014 he\u2019s one of the biggest names to know going into this summer. I\u2019m told the Bulldogs love his ability as a five-technique and pass rusher, and he\u2019s both played and camped himself into being one of the top targets on the board. He has excellent length, is just down the road from Athens in Lawrenceville, and would be an ideal fit for what the Dawgs are seeking on the defense.<\/p>\n Ross, meanwhile, hails from the Yellowhammer State, which could make things tough as they go along, but right now, Georgia looks to be in a very strong position for one of the top backfield disruptors in this cycle. Ross is a major focus, and we consider him to be a Georgia lean going into the summer.<\/p>\n As for names you should keep on the radar, Cole Mullins<\/a><\/strong> of Mill Creek recently committed to Notre Dame, but this is a guy I expect the Dawgs to continue to stay on and continue to evaluate. Should they turn up the heat, this could get very interesting.<\/p>\n I\u2019d also keep eyes on Marquise Lightfoot<\/a><\/strong> at this juncture.<\/p>\n Christopher Jackson<\/a><\/strong> is another that may come down to how the heat is turned up. Georgia was in to see him on Tuesday afternoon, and he has the frame that fits exactly what the Dawgs look for in the EDGE spot. Won\u2019t surprise me if we project him in on the next edition of this Mock Class.<\/p>\n DEFENSIVE BACK<\/strong><\/p>\n Demello Jones<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Jaylen Heyward<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Peyton Woodyard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ellis Robinson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n KJ Bolden<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Kam Mikell<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Most of the hay is in the barn here, so Will Muschamp<\/a><\/strong> and Fran Brown<\/a><\/strong> can focus their attention on a couple of key names to round out the class.<\/p>\n In Woodyard, the Dawgs have a solidly committed safety with an ideal frame from one of the nation\u2019s top programs. Yes, he\u2019s taking full advantage of his recruitment and checking out other spots, but we\u2019d surprised if he didn\u2019t end up in this class.<\/p>\n Heyward, meanwhile, seems to be exploring his options in a much deeper way, but he\u2019s still on the list right now and is a definite want for the Bulldogs. Look for them to work to him on board, though Miami and Florida are working to the opposite.<\/p>\n Demello Jones is a two-way speedster for Swainsboro, and the Dawgs LOVE his upside at the cornerback spot. Great get early in the cycle for Georgia right here.<\/p>\n Ellis Robinson, meanwhile, is all world, and another huge get early in the cycle. He\u2019ll take his official visits, but the relationship he has with Fran Brown should prove tough to overcome for almost anyone else. The opportunity for early playing time on a team of this caliber shouldn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n Moving away from the commits, though, there are really two names to watch.<\/p>\n KJ Bolden, as with the aforementioned Eddrick Houston, is a Buford product, so I get folks will want to naysay it, but I continue to hear Georgia is the team trending there. It\u2019s been a staffwide effort for him, and he\u2019s been to Georgia the most by a wide margin. Keeping him out of the hands of Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State would be a double win, also. As of today, I like where Georgia stands in this recruitment.<\/p>\n Lastly, Kam Mikell of Statesboro has a number of suitor, but the in-state team has kept it real with him. He appreciates the honesty from the staff, and Kirby Smart made a point to get down to see him in December. Fran Brown is no stranger down there either. With visits to come, I think Georgia is very much the team to beat. Tennessee and Kentucky won\u2019t appreciate that, but that\u2019s the advantage of being back-to-back champions and in-state for a talent like this.<\/p>\n The post Georgia Too Early 2024 Mock Class Version 1.0: Defense<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We\u2019re just a month out of official visits beginning and what should be an absolutely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4160\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}