Daily Dawg Thread – 17May2019 – Georgia Football Set For Big Recruiting Weekend – By Matthew Hall

The Georgia Football program currently has 9 overall commitments and holds the #5 slot on the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings for the Class of 2020. Those numbers could improve before the weekend is out as the big recruiting weekend in Athens as the Dawgs will play host to some of the best prospects in the nation this upcoming weekend. This weekend is set to be a huge one for UGA and will feature an engaging activity that was very popular among prospective targets during last year’s recruiting cycle known as the “UGA Scavenger Hunt”. It consists of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff setting up a scavenger hunt across the Athens, Georgia, campus that allows the prospects in attendance the opportunity to take part in an interactive tour and learn more about the university. A popular portion of the scavenger hunt involved the potential targets tracking down Georgia Football head coach Kirby Smart and then posting a photo on social media with him. The event allows for the prospects to draft a better feel of what life is like in Athens, a history lesson about the institution and the football program, and a period of time in which they can bond with the Georgia coaches in a more personal fashion. With all that said, what targets will Kirby and company play host to this weekend? The following is a list of confirmed visitors that plan to be in attendance in Athens but the list is not an official or an exhaustive one in its entirety.

1. Class of 2020 4-Star Safety Avantae Williams (Deland, Florida) – Williams committed to Oregon this past December after initially being committed to Miami. This has still not kept the Dawgs out of the hunt for the defensive standout showing the desire that UGA must possess in the Florida prospect. He even visited Athens and the Georgia Football program this past March exhibiting that he may not be fully tied down to play for the Ducks in Eugene. Williams is currently rated the #2 overall safety in the country and the #5 overall player in the state of Florida for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings.

2. Class Of 2021 4-Star QB Brock Vandagriff (Bogart, Georgia) – Vandagriff is the #4 overall quarterback in the country and the #2 overall player in the state of Georgia for the Class of 2021 per 247Sports Recruit Rankings. Georgia Football Offensive Coordinator James Coley and the Georgia coaching staff have been on the trail in pursuit of him for some time now and Coley even visited the young gunslinger just this week. While listed as a Pro-Style QB, Vandagriff can run as well. As a sophomore this past season, the Prince Avenue prospect rushed for some 138 times for 1001 yards on the ground and for a staggering 23 TD’s. He complemented those rushing numbers nicely with his passing game by going 192-296 for 3190 passing yards and 28 passing TD’s.

3. Class Of 2020 5-Star SDE Jordan Burch (Columbia, South Carolina) – Burch has been a hot topic of late with regards to recruiting and the Georgia Football program. Many feel that the Dawgs have a legitimate shot at landing the 5-Star SDE which would be an enormous recruiting victory if such were to unfold. The other programs mainly in play for Burch at the present time are Clemson and South Carolina. In 2018, the Burch logged 62 tackles and 10 sacks. On the offensive side of the ball he rushed for 680 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. This combined offensive and defensive production led to “The Palmetto State” prospect to be named a 2018 MaxPreps High School Junior All-American.

4. Class Of 2020 4-Star RB Seth McGowan (Mesquite, Texas) – While McGowan is not a 5-Star like his target counterparts Milton and Lloyd, he may be the most complete overall RB target altogether. He is currently rated the #12 overall running back in the nation and the #18 overall prospect in the state of Texas for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings. McGowan rushed for some 1,614 yards and 25 touchdowns on 218 carries in 11 games as a Junior. He also eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark as a Sophomore running for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns on 148 carries in just 7 games in that season. Those numbers helped him earn the title of being named the District 15-5A Offensive Sophomore of the Year for the state of Texas in 2017.

5. Class Of 2020 4-Star DT Jacolbe Cowan (Charlotte, North Carolina) –
Cowan is the currently rated the #13 overall strong-side defensive end in the country and the #7 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina per 247Sports Composite Rankings. The Dawgs were the first program to offer the 4-Star DT and since then he has 37 more from Power 5 programs and other colleges throughout the country. As a junior, he garnered 24 solo tackles, 1 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and caused 3 fumbles. Cowan was not a visitor to G-Day this past April but he does have a long-standing relationship with UGA Defensive Line Coach Tray Scott who fought for the Dawgs to provide him with an offer after arriving in Athens. Other programs in the hunt for the defensive tackle include Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama among others.

6. Class Of 2020 4-Star OG Justin Rogers (Oak Park, Michigan) – Rogers is a prospect that has been on the tongues of many that follow Georgia Football recruiting and he is either a possible commitment or a longshot to play for the Dawgs depending upon one asks. He is currently rated the #1 overall offensive guard in the country and the #1 overall prospect in the state of Michigan for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is one those potential targets that more than fits the bill of what UGA Offensive Line Coach Sam Pittman has been trying to bring in to play for the Dawgs in his building of “The Great Wall” of Georgia offensive linemen. It is a good sign that Rogers will be an attendee in Athens though as he is slated to make his commitment upon the conclusion of the weekend and more specifically on Monday, May 20, 2019, at noon. Given such a fact, the Dawgs are set up this weekend to make a late push for the talented OG who 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions currently have projected to play for Kentucky.

7. Class Of 2020 5-Star CB Kelee Ringo (Scottsdale, Arizona) – A highly sought after and talented cornerback, Ringo is rated the #1 overall CB in the country and the #1 overall prospect in the state of Arizona for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings. “The Grand Canyon State” prospect had 31 total tackles (15 solo, 16 assisted), 1 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 4 passes defended in his Junior campaign playing for Saguaro High School in Scottsdale. His play on the field has netted him the honor of being named to the rosters of the All-American Bowl, the Polynesian Bowl, and the Pro Football Hall Of Fame World Bowl. Look for a hard push to take place this weekend as the Dawgs try to reel in this elite defensive talent.

Other recruiting targets set to be in attendance in Athens this weekend include Class of 2021 4-Star OT Amarius Mims (Cochran, Georgia), Class of 2020 4-Star Safety Chris Thompson Jr. (Duncanville, Texas), Class of 2020 3-Star SDE Cam Large (Dedham, Massachusetts), and Class of 2020 3-Star ATH Corey Wren (New Orleans, Louisiana). Again, this list is in no way an official one nor is it exhaustive to represent all of the prospective recruiting targets that will be in attendance in Athens this weekend. One can expect there to be a plethora of other potential recruits to make the trip. Stayed tuned for more names of prospective targets that will be attending to be added in the comments section of the Daily Dawg Thread as they confirmed.