Daily Dawg Thread – 03May2019 – Class Of 2020 5-Star Justin Flowe – By Matthew Hall
The Class of 2020 for the Georgia Bulldogs Football program currently has 7 commitments and is rated the #12 overall recruiting class in the country per 247Sports class rankings. Those commits include one quarterback, one offensive tackle, one offensive guard, two defensive tackles, one cornerback, and one wide receiver. As so, the Dawgs currently sit idle as it relates to any commitments at inside linebacker, middle linebacker, outside linebacker, or any linebacker at all for that matter. Such is rather troublesome to a certain degree given that UGA Head Coach Kirby Smart and his coaching staff have extended some 18 offers to various Class of 2020 recruiting targets across the country that play the position However, and in an effort to not fret too much about the absence of a commit at the position for the 2020 class, there is still a great deal of time left before the current recruiting cycle comes to an end and national signing day comes to fruition. Nonetheless, the need to fill the roster position is vital for the future of the defense of the Georgia Football program.
The landscape looks promising at the moment to fill one of the linebacker slots with 5-Star OLB prospect Mekhail Sherman of St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. Sherman recently let it be known just a few short days ago on April 30, 2019, that Georgia was one of his top two schools that he could ultimately end up bringing his talents to. The other school that the St. John’s defensive star cited that is in competition with the University of Georgia for his commitment is the Ohio State Buckeyes.
A commitment from Sherman would be pivotal for the Dawgs’ defense given that he should decide to play on Saturdays in Athens in the future. While the wait is on with Sherman to see what college football program he eventually chooses to play for, another high profile linebacker target is in high demand by Georgia and a laundry-list of other NCAA football powerhouses. Class of 2020 5-Star ILB Justin Flowe of Upland High School in Upland, California, may be the best overall prospect at the position for the respective recruiting class. He is currently rated the #3 overall player in the nation, the #1 overall ILB, and the #1 overall player in the state of California per 247Sports Composite Rankings. A good perusal of “The Golden State” star’s most recent highlight reel would proffer knowledge and enlightenment as to why Flowe is so highly rated in the aforementioned rankings.
Standing in at 6-2 and 225 pounds, Flowe fits the model for the archetypal linebacker. What is not ordinary about this linebacker though is his strength and aggressiveness when it comes to hitting and tackling the man with the ball (i.e. make sure you examine the first two video clips of Flowe laying the wood to the running back on the Hudl film included). Needless to say, the California ILB prospect is a monster and hits the defender like he is mad. Aside from playing angry, Flowe has an uncanny ability to get into the backfield quickly and often leading to the elimination of offensive plays before they have even had an opportunity to begin. While he possesses magnificent beeline speed, he is further endowed with the quickness to get out to the edge and track down the ball carrier on the move to the outside and outer boundaries. In 12 games played as a Junior, Flowe recorded an astonishing 145 tackles (88 solo tackles and 57 assisted tackles) of which 17 were tackles for loss. Additionally, and in the same said season, he logged 5 sacks, 10 hurries, caused 2 fumbles, and blocked 2 field goals.
Flowe currently has some 40 offers to include ones from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, and Oregon among others. He truly is a special player on defense and the program that is lucky enough to land a commitment from him will be receiving one of the best defensive playmakers in the nation. If the Dawgs do indeed land Sherman as mentioned as being possible above, it would be a monumental grand slam to land Flowe along with him. So where does UGA stand in terms of a possible commitment from Flowe? It is hard to tell at this point but what is known is that Georgia is not out of the picture as the Dawgs made the first big cut and ended up in his top 12 which was released on April 16, 2019. As with so many other recruiting scenarios and situations found throughout the landscape of the country, only time will tell if the Georgia Bulldogs Football program is able to land this top inside linebacker. If they are fortunate enough to do so, they will be receiving a Roquan Smith type talent that will surely make an impact defensively “Between The Hedges” on Saturdays in Athens.