Georgia’s 2014 recruiting class is shaping up nicely. The Bulldogs currently have 17 verbal commitments, and while that’s actually a little low compared to some other SEC schools at this point in the cycle, the class isn’t lacking in talent. The Dawgs have 11 four-star prospects and one five-star pledged to play college football in Athens.
Georgia football recruiting 2013: Dawgs reeling in quality talent
Georgia is one of the SEC’s top program, and it’s reflected on the recruiting trail.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
That abundance of star power has Georgia near the top of the 247 Sports composite rankings. The Bulldogs rank second in the SEC, trailing only Alabama, and they’re third in the nation behind the Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes. The positive gains show an upward trend for Georgia’s recruiting success. In the last five years, the Dawg have finished No. 11, 8, 5, 12 and 5 in the 247 composite rankings.
Georgia's recruiting news has been fairly slow in recent months. The Bulldogs have garnered a commitment from just one prospect in the last month, four-star defensive end Keyon Brown, who pledged on Sept. 26.
Running back Sony Michel is the cream of the crop. A five-star prospect, per 247 composite, out of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage, Michel stands 5’11 and weighs in at 205 pounds. He’s rated as the No. 17 player in the nation, No. 3 running back and No. 2 player from Florida. Nick Chubb out of Cedartown (Ga.) High School is another top running back commit. At 5’11 and 216 pounds, he’s rated as a four-star and is No. 52 in the nation, No. 7 at his position and No. 4 in his home state.
At quarterback, Georgia has a commitment from four-star pro-style prospect Jacob Park. He’s listed at 6’3, 202 pounds and is four-star prospect from Goose Creek (S.C.) Stratford High School. Park ranks No. 85 in the country, No. 2 in South Carolina and is the No. 5 pro-style QB prospect.
On the other side of the ball, the Dawgs have a pledge from four-star defensive tackle Lamont Gaillard. He hails from Fayetteville (N.C.) Pine Forest High and checks in at 6’3, 310 pounds. Gaillard is the 59th-best player in the nation, and he ranks No. 3 at his position and in North Carolina.
Future Dawgs?
Georgia is obviously off to a great start to its class, but it’s not exactly who will be its next star commitment. Georgia is involved in several top recruiting battles, but is not the runaway favorite for any.
Lorenzo Carter, of Norcross (Ga.) remains the top target on the board and is a five-star defensive end recruit. Georgia will battle the usual suspects here, including Florida, Alabama and Florida State.
Georgia is also after Josh Malone, a four-star receiver from Station Camp (Tenn.). Georgia is battling SEC East foes Tennessee and Florida, along with Florida State, for his signature.
It will be interesting to see how the Dawgs finish on and off the field.
