Georgia Football Recruiting 2011-12: Tracking UGA’s Top Recruits Until Signing Day

Georgia has again secured a top recruiting class, as Mark Richt’s approach of stability and family continues to play well with recruits. Specifically, the Dawgs are loading up on the lines, as Georgia is bringing in five defensive linemen and three offensive linemen. And they’re not just bringing in numbers. The Dawgs are bringing in stars.

The Dawgs also have commitments from a pair of top North Carolina running backs in Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley.

A: He was jailed for peacefully protesting Georgia immigration policy via civil disobedience. No particular reason. Just happened to irk him Wednesday for some reason.

B: He was in the middle of recruiting a player who works for his grandfather’s bail bond agency when duty called.

Specifically, a state Board of Regents immigration policy meant to keep schools from bringing on undocumented international students at the expense of locals.

Brown attended a Hinesville, Georgia high school before committing to UGA, but [something something something about papers]. Neither side has given up yet on getting him to Athens -- he’s still got that tattoo, after all.

Josh Harvey-Clemons of Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes is arguably the top player in the Peach State. The 6-foot-5”, 200-pound outside linebacker is a playmaking machine who lined up all over the field in high school. The national recruiting services rate him between four and five stars.

”Coach Richt and Coach Grantham said the same things: They need Josh in the ‘Sam’ linebacker position. With his frame and his speed, he’s the perfect fit for that scheme. They said he could go to the next level at that position. And they said he could come to Georgia and compete for playing time as a freshman.“Clemons is supposed to take his official visit to Florida State this weekend. Most Florida State insiders do not believe the ‘Noles have a real chance to land the Valdosta linebacker. But that he’s taking the official visit says FSU is not completely out of the picture.

With Alabama extremely tight on scholarships, it’s shaping up to be a Peach State battle for uncommitted defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Tomlinson is not only one of the top players in Georgia, but one of the top defensive ends in the country. At 6’3” and 270 pounds, he is uniquely suited to play in the 3-4 defense run by his three top suitors -- Georgia Tech, Georgia and Alabama. Tomlinson is rated four stars by most of the major recruiting services.

Todd Gurley, one of the top running backs in the country, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. Gurley stars for Tarboro (NC), and received more than 20 BCS offers. Gurley narrowed his choice down to a final four or North Carolina, Georgia, Clemson and N.C. State, ultimately narrowing it even more to UGA and Clemson.

Gurley is 6’0” and 205 pounds. He is considered a four-star prospect by most major services, and is rated as one of the top 20 backs in the country by all concerned.

It’s no secret that Avery Young has narrowed his list to the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs. The talented tackle recruit out of Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) has visited both schools multiple times. Now all that’s left is to make a decision.

Update: Young’s father told Jeff Greer of the Palm Beach Post that Miami and Alabama are still very much in it for Young. While Bama likely won’t have room, Miami certainly would. Young plans to visit Miami.

At 6’2” and 185 pounds, Elder looks like a tall cornerback. And that might be what he is at the next level. But Elder also could be an excellent safety. Elder is all about range. He can cover a lot of ground from his safety position. If he plays corner at the next level, it will need to be in a scheme that plays a lot of zone coverage, as he doesn’t have the hips to play man-to-man. Elder displays great skills playing the ball as well.

Tyriq McCord, an explosive defensive end and linebacker prospect from Tampa’s Jefferson High School, is visiting Georgia this weekend. McCord stands 6’3” and weighs 220 pounds, yet runs like a safety. He’s also a standout contributor on special teams. Most services rate McCord as a four-star defender, and consider him one of the best 20 defensive ends or linebackers in the country.

Playing in a 3-4 defense won’t be key for this “tweener” to have success, but the team that signs McCord will need to move him around, using him in different alignments and stances, to maximize his effectiveness. All of the teams McCord is considering regularly do that with their edge defenders.

Here’s just a taste of what Dawg Sports is offering on Bauta (no, this isn’t even the full post):

Recruiting is an inexact science, and I don’t exactly agree with Dawg Sports’ take on Bauta. But that makes recruiting fun, as there is room for many different opinions.

Georgia hosted one of its biggest recruiting weekends of the season. Who came to Athens and what are UGA insiders saying?

The Dawgs hosted four-star offensive tackle Avery Young of Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) High over the weekend. Young had already visited Florida, Alabama and Auburn. He told 247 Sports that two schools stand out: