What would any national signing period be without a little drama?
The Georgia Bulldogs got their first dose almost as soon as its season ended in the SEC Championship Game. By the next day, they learned they were losing offensive line coach and world-class recruiter Sam Pittman.
The tremors from that development were felt throughout the week. First, the Bulldogs lost one of the commitments Pittman had secured — Josh Braun of Live Oak, Fla. — then they hired former offensive line coach Matt Luke as Pittman's replacement.
Since then, things have settled down considerably. But the serious work of securing the services of 4- and 5-star prospects has continued without interruption.
Here are some storylines to follow as football’s early signing period begins on Wednesday:
The Pittman Effect
Georgia had five offensive linemen committed when the Pittman news was followed by Braun’s decommitment. The school is fighting to ensure there are no other casualties.
Longtime commitments Broderick Jones of Lithonia and Tate Ratledge of Darlington School in Rome (members of the 2019 AJC Super 11 class) remain top priorities. Ratledge recommitted to the Bulldogs over the weekend after waffling for a few days following Pittman's departure. At one time, Jones was expected to sign in the early period but now says he's not.
Georgia added an O-line commitment over the weekend in 6-foot-6, 345-pound tackle Devin Willock of Paramus, N.J. The 3-star prospect decommitted from Penn State late last week, then pledged to the Bulldogs after taking an official visit to Athens this past weekend. Willock effectively replaces Braun, who committed to the rival Florida Gators late last week.
The other two O-line commits are Chad Lindberg of League City, Texas, and Sedrick Van Pran of New Orleans. So far at least, there has been no news of altered allegiances.
Slightly behind
Coming out of the final weekend and into the quiet period on Monday, Georgia had 15 verbal commitments. Not all of those players are expected to sign during the early period. The Bulldogs are hopeful to add several more between Wednesday and the final signing period the first week of February.
The 2020 class is ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 4 among SEC teams, according to 247Sports.com’s composite. That represents a move up from eighth and fifth, respectively, last week.
That standing is slightly behind standards established under coach Kirby Smart. His previous four recruiting classes were ranked Nos. 6, 3, 1 and 2, respectively.
The list of commitments currently includes a pair of 5-star prospects in outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman of Washington, D.C., and Jones of Lithonia, and high 4-star running back Kendall Milton of Clovis, Calif.
5-star hunt
The Bulldogs will move up considerably if they can nail down some of their remaining targets. Topping that list are three 5-star prospects: Jordan Burch, a 6-5, 225-pound defensive end/outside linebacker from Columbia, S.C.; Kelee Ringo, a 6-2, 205-pound cornerback from Scottsdale, Ariz.; Darnell Washington, a 6-7, 261-pound athlete/tight end from Las Vegas.
Burch and Ringo took their official visits to UGA this past weekend. Washington was at Tennessee.
Burch is, of course, a primary target of South Carolina (he plays high school ball with coach Will Muschamp’s son), as well as LSU and Alabama. Ringo, considered the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the country, is truly a national recruit, holding offers from Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, USC, among many others. Washington will be a real slugfest in the South between Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Miami and Tennessee.
To add to the drama, Washington and Ringo plan to sign during the early period but won’t announce their decisions until their All-Star game appearances Jan. 2 and Jan. 4, respectively.
In addition, Georgia is in it for several high-profile 4-star recruits, including defensive back Major Burns of Baton Rouge, La.; wide receiver Jermaine Burton of Calabasas, Calif.; wide receiver Arian Smith of Lakeland, Fla.; and defensive backs Dontae Manning of Kansas City and Eric Reed of Shreveport, La.
Quarterback picture
Georgia already has one quarterback commitment in longtime pledge Carson Beck of Jacksonville, Fla., who reportedly is joining the team for bowl practices. But between Beck’s quiet performance this season and the uncertainty of Jake Fromm’s future, the Bulldogs are likely to sign a second quarterback in this class.
The 6-5, 225-pound Beck lost a lot of talent around him after a state championship run in 2018. He passed for 1,843 yards and 20 touchdowns with 9 interceptions this season for Mandarin High, which finished 7-4. Last year, Beck set a state record with 1,335 yards passing in the playoffs alone, including five touchdowns in the state title game.
Georgia’s primary target appears to be C.J. Stroud, a 6-2, 194-pound, 4-star prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Real needs
It will be great for Georgia to land any of the aforementioned prospects. But their most crucial needs in the 2020 class remain wide receivers and defensive linemen.
Heading into this past weekend, the Bulldogs had commitments from only two wide receivers. Marcus Rosemy (6-2, 195) of Fort Lauderdale and Justin Robinson (6-4, 200) of McDonough, are both 4-star prospects. But the Bulldogs are seeking more help considering the graduation of Tyler Simmons, the uncertain availability of rising sophomore Dominick Blaylock and the lack of production from other underclassmen wideouts.
Meanwhile, Georgia will lose a lot of production from the defensive line, which relied mainly on an upper-classman rotation this past season. Graduating from that group is Tyler Clark, Michael Barnett, David Marshall and Michail Carter. The Bulldogs redshirted Zion Logue, Tymon Mitchell and Bill Norton from last year’s signing class.
UGA currently has three D-line commitments, all 4-star prospects: Warren Brinson (6-4, 290) of Bradenton, Fla., Jalen Carter (6-4, 301) of Apopka, Fla., and Nazir Stackhouse (6-3, 306) of Decatur.
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