(photo from Faatui Tuitele/Twitter)
Today on Bulldawg Illustrated’s UGA Recruiting Daily we look at several 2018 and 2019 defensive tackles.
And since we are talking defensive tackles, I want to address the comments criticizing current D-line Coach Tray Scott when it comes to recruiting over the last several weeks, that he hasn’t recruited a five-star defensive tackle to UGA as of yet. While that is correct, he also has only been at Georgia for less than a year. He hasn’t had a recruiting class to his name with the Bulldogs as of yet. The 2017 recruiting class of d-linemen were recruited by former D-line Coach Tracy Rocker who was fired after Nat’l Signing Day on Feb. 1, 2017. Scott, who replaced Rocker, was not hired till Feb. 8th. Fans need to give Scott time to see what he can do as a recruiter just as they did with running backs’ Coach Dell McGee.
And even if Scott is not able to pull in a five-star defensive tackle to Athens in the 2018 cycle, I have every confidence in his ability to coach up and develop prospects. Georgia’s run defense noticeably improved in 2017 over the previous several years. In 2017, the Bulldogs allowed just 126 yards per game and only 3.74 yards per rush. That was number two only behind Alabama in the SEC and twentieth in the country overall, and the Dogs faced five of the top-25 rushing attacks in the country in Georgia Tech (5), Notre Dame (7), Mississippi State (11), Alabama (13), and Appalachian State (22) along with the No. 26 and No. 27 rushing offenses in Auburn (who they faced twice) and Oklahoma. Previously, the run-D under Rocker allowed 143.69 yards per game in 2016, 149.46 in 2015, and 166.85 in 2014. In fact, you would have to go back to 2011 to find a stingy Georgia run defense, which allowed only 101.21 yards per game.
He also helped the Dogs to hold onto to 2017 DT signee DeVonte Wyatt after Rocker’s departure and has Georgia in the running for 2018 DT Rick Sandidge. Not bad for Coach Scott in his first year at UGA, but he’ll have his work cut out for him in 2018 replacing the production of senior nose guard John Atkins and junior defensive lineman Trenton Thompson. Let’s look at those 2018 and 2019 defensive tackle prospects.
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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.
JORDAN DAVIS
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: DL – No. 28 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 6, and 320 lbs
SCHOOL: Mallard Creek High School
CITY, STATE: Charlotte, NC
STATUS: COMMITTED to UGA on 11/16/2017
UGA OFFER: Yes.
# OFFERS: 8
NEWS & NOTES: Jordan Davis is a big strong and talented defensive lineman out of the state of North Carolina who committed to UGA on Nov. 16, 2017. Davis did not sign during the early signing period in December and plans on signing his LOI on Feb. 7th. He’s raw, having only played football for a little over year, but he has a huge upside. Similar frame to current UGA sophomore D-lineman Julian Rochester. Was on an official visit to Georgia back on Jan. 12th
FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
FRESHMAN B-BALL HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
RICK SANDIDGE
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: DL – No. 14 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 5, and 288 lbs
SCHOOL: Concord High School
CITY, STATE: Concord, NC
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 01/19/2017.
# OFFERS: 23
NEWS & NOTES: Rick Sandidge was offered back last January by Georgia and included the Bulldogs in his top-11 schools just before the summer break on May 1st. UGA’s new D-line Coach Tray Scott recruited Sandidge when Scott was coaching the position group at UNC.
This has been a Bulldogs vs. Gamecocks battle for a while now. During the fall, Sandidge visited UNC on Sept. 9th and South Carolina on Sept. 16th, and he visited Columbia, SC again on Oct. 28th. Sandidge did take a visit to Athens on Nov. 4th for Georgia’s game versus the Gamecocks. He also took an official visit to Michigan on Nov. 25th. He took an official visit to UGA just two weeks ago on Jan. 12th and is coming off an official to UNC over the weekend on Jan. 19th. Sandidge still has as an official visit to South Carolina scheduled for this weekend for Jan. 26th.
He’ll likely be announcing his decision and signing his LOI all on the same day on Feb. 7th, and at this point, it would be a pretty big surprise if Sandidge were to commit to and sign with another program outside of USCe or UGA.
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
MICHAEL THOMPSON, JR.
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: DL – No. 4 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 291 lbs
SCHOOL: Parkway North High School
CITY, STATE: St. Louis, MO
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 03/02/2017.
# OFFERS: 25
NEWS & NOTES: Georgia offered Michael Thompson back last spring in March and since then, there hasn’t been much news about Thompson and UGA… at least until the early signing period last month. Could the Bulldogs be in the running to pick up the Parkway North High School D-lineman?
That is the scuttlebutt on the street, but we will have to wait until Feb. 7th to find out; although, I do think Thompson is a long shot at this point. He took an official visit was to the University of Missouri on Dec. 9th, which is at least his third trip to Columbia this fall.
The only other official that Thompson has taken that I know of is to Southern California on Nov. 18th, and he just took one to Oklahoma on Jan. 19th over the weekend. I think it comes down to Missouri or Oklahoma for Thompson, but you can never count out a power program like Southern Cal.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
TRAMEL WALTHOUR
CLASS: 2018
POSITION: DL – No. 48 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 3.5, and 280 lbs
SCHOOL: Liberty County High School
CITY, STATE: Hinesville, GA
STATUS: COMMITTED TO UGA on 09/18/2017.
UGA OFFER: Yes, offered on 05/15/2017.
# OFFERS: 15
NEWS & NOTES: Tramel Walthour committed to Georgia back during the fall on Sept. 18th just after midnight with little fanfare. He had been a Bulldog lean even before UGA offered back last spring. Walthour is waiting till Feb. 7th to sign his National Letter of Intent and just took an official visit to UGA over the weekend on Jan. 19th.
2017 SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2014 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
RASHAD “BUBBA” CHENEY, JR.
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DL – No. 13 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 3, and 270 lbs
SCHOOL: Cedar Grove High School
CITY, STATE: Ellenwood, GA
STATUS: Undeclared.
UGA OFFER: Yes, Offered on 02/17/2015.
# OFFERS: 12
NEWS & NOTES: Rashad Cheney, Jr. committed to the Bulldogs back last February on 02/18/2017, but almost a year later decided to reopen up his recruitment, de-committing from UGA on Thursday, Feb. 25th. fHe took an unofficial visit to UGA on Sept. 2nd for the Dog’s home opener versus the Mountaineers, and he has also visited South Carolina a couple of times during the fall along with a visit to the Florida Gators just before Christmas on Dec. 23rd. Cheney also visited Auburn recently on Jan. 20th.
It is a long ways till NSD 2019, and he committed to UGA as a sophomore and sometimes these young men rush the recruiting process and commit to early. It is possible he ends up re-committing to the Bulldogs down the road this year, but it is also possible that the coaching staff are also considering other defensive tackle targets and haven’t recruited him as hard as they had last year.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2015 FRESHMAN HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
FAATUI TUITELE
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DL – No. 2 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 4, and 299 lbs
SCHOOL: St. Louis High School
CITY, STATE: Honolulu, HI
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, UGA offered on Jan. 26th.
# OFFERS: 26
NEWS & NOTES: The Georgia coaching staff offered Honolulu, Hawaii’s Faatui Tuitele just 10 days ago on Jan. 26th. The St. Louis High School big man already has 26 scholarship offers and is considered one of the top defensive tackles in the 2019 recruiting class.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
TRAVON WALKER
CLASS: 2019
POSITION: DL – No. 3 DT
HT, WT: 6 foot 4.5, and 255 lbs
SCHOOL: Upson-Lee High School
CITY, STATE: Thomaston, GA
STATUS: Undeclared
UGA OFFER: Yes, holds offer from UGA
# OFFERS: 11
NEWS & NOTES: Travon Walker is a talented junior Peach State D-lineman for Upson-Lee. He holds a scholarship offer from Georgia and is considered a heavy lean to the Bulldogs at the moment. Walker has visited Athens and UGA several times. He attended the Kirby Smart Football this past summer on June 2nd and then visited again in August. Walker also visited Georgia on Sept. 23rd for the Mississippi State game.
Until Walker adds more bulk to his frame, he will likely start out as an SDE at the next level, but if he can add on 30 to 40 lbs, he’ll be a terror on the inside, in the middle of the d-line.
2017 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
2016 SOPHOMORE HIGHLIGHTS – CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2018 FOOTBALL COMMITS
CLICK HERE TO SEE GEORGIA’S 2019 FOOTBALL COMMITS