Today on Bulldawg Illustrated’s UGA Recruiting Daily we look at where Georgia stands with their 2018 pass rushers and then feature several 2019 defensive end prospects.
For the class of 2018, UGA has signed Stockbridge SDE Brenton Cox and Marietta WDE/OLB Azeez Ojulari, and the Bulldogs have also signed Rome OLB Adam Anderson. Out of those three, Brenton Cox is an early enrollee and already on campus.
So will Georgia add any other pass rushers for this recruiting cycle?
I don’t think so and that mainly has to do with the fact that there are so few spots left as the Bulldogs have 20 signees and two commits. If a spot is available on NSD Feb. 7th, keep your eye on Northside High School WDE Caleb Johnson, featured below, but outside of that, attention on defensive ends now turns to the 2019 recruiting class.
Georgia currently have a commitment from IMG Academy WDE Nolan Smith, who is considered to be one of the top three at his position for 2019, and the Dogs are looking good for DT/SDE Travon Walker out of Upson-Lee High School. Cedar Grove High School’s Rashad Chaney is also currently committed to UGA and even though he is listed as a DT and he can also slide to the outside at play at SDE like Walker. Tucker High School WDE/OLB Derrick McClendon and Archer High School SDE/OLB Colby Wooden are both also leaning towards Georgia at the moment. The Bulldogs are also giving the Volunteers a run for their money in the recruitment of Christian Brothers High School, 6 foot 6 and 270 lbs OT/SDE William Norton; although, he could very well end up playing on the offensive line at the collegiate level.
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TODAY’S FEATURED PROSPECTS
If position ranking is noted, unless otherwise stated, it is 247 Sports latest composite ranking of the player.
CALEB JOHNSON
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: DE/ILB/OLB – No. 36 WDE
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 248 lbs
SCHOOL: Northside High School
CITY, STATE: Columbus, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes.
# OFFERS: 14
NEWS & NOTES: Northside High School’s Caleb Johnson has an official offer from the University of Georgia, and after visiting the Dogs back over the summer in July, Johnson was back in Athens during the fall, visiting on Nov. 4th. The Northside High defender just took an official to Georgia over the weekend on Jan. 12th., and Caleb has also taken an official visit to Tennessee back on Sept. 30th. Johnson has at least one more official scheduled and that is with Auburn on Jan. 26th. He also took an unofficial visit with the Tigers back on Nov. 11th.
It looks like it may be a Georgia-Tennessee recruiting battle for the Columbus, GA prospect, but where the Bulldogs are concerned, it may come down to a numbers game and how many spots are left with 20 signed headed into the final 5 weeks of the 2018 recruiting cycle.
Johnson has a big, athletic frame and the question is will he play at ILB, OLB, WDE, or SDE at the next level? I think he eventually will develop into an SDE at the collegiate level. He has a very similar body type and frame to current UGA SDE Jonathan Ledbetter and D-lineman David Marshall, and Johnson should have no problem playing at around 270 lbs.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
CURTIS FANN, JR.
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DE/OLB – No. 16 WDE
HT, WT: 6 foot 3, and 246 lbs
SCHOOL: Emanuel County Institute High School
CITY, STATE: Twin City, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 05/26/2017.
# OFFERS: 10
NEWS & NOTES: UGA offered Curtis Fann, Jr. back right before the summer on May 26th. He visited Clemson, GT, South Carolina, and UGA during the fall, and the Georgia coaching staff stopped by ECI on Tuesday to visit Fann.
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMEN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
DERRICK MCLENDON
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DE/OLB – No. 17 WDE
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 225 lbs
SCHOOL: Tucker High School
CITY, STATE: Tucker, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 02/11/2017
# OFFERS: 17
NEWS & NOTES: The talented Tucker High School football player has already started to rack up the scholarship offers with at least 17, and the Georgia coaching staff put their name in the hat, offering Derrick McLendon last February. While it is still early in the 2019 recruiting cycle, McLendon did name Alabama his leader back during the summer in July, and he took an unofficial visit to the Tide on Oct. 16th. He has also made it over to Athens and visited Georgia for the South Carolina game on Nov. 4th. It looks like this may be shaping up to be a Bama-Bulldogs recruiting battle.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
COLBY WOODEN
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DE – No. 28 SDE
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 230 lbs
SCHOOL: Archer High School
CITY, STATE: Lawrenceville, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 07/15/2017.
# OFFERS: 15
NEWS & NOTES: Colby Wooden was offered by the Bulldogs on the same day he visited UGA back during the summer in July on the 15th. He’s listed as a SDE prospect but will need to put on some more muscle and weight to play that position in the SEC at the next level. Wooden just completed his junior season of varsity high school football; so, he I’m curious to see how much he bulks up for his senior season. I would not be surprised to see him playing at around 245 to 250 next fall.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2018 FOOTBALL COMMITS
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2019 FOOTBALL COMMITS