National Signing Day: Georgia has top recruiting class, snaps Alabama’s 7-year streak
By John Buhler
Having already dominated the early signing period, the Georgia Bulldogs blew everyone’s doors off on National Signing Day 2018, ending Alabama’s streak.
Though the Georgia Bulldogs did lose to the Alabama Crimson Tide the 2017 National Championship in overtime, it does seem that the tide is turning in the SEC. Or at least on the recruiting trails.
Georgia had already put together one of the best classes we’ve ever seen in 2018 during the early signing period. Kirby Smart had landed 23 top high school prospects in its 2018 class before National Signing Day on Wednesday. Nine of them enrolled early and six garnered five-star rankings, according to 247Sports.
Georgia had dipped a tad in the overall rankings after the Ohio State Buckeyes surged in late January and early February. However, Smart still had a few more top recruits he wanted to land on Feb. 7. He was able to add three more top commitments on Wednesday. This includes five-star cornerback Tyson Campbell from American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It’s the same school where Sony Michel and Isaiah McKenzie used to light it up.
Two other players with top 200 rankings sighed with the Dawgs on Wednesday. Shortly after Campbell announced that he was Committing to the G, outside linebacker Quay Walker (Cordele, GA) and wide receiver Tommy Bush (Schertz, TX) decided they would suit up for the Red and Black this fall.
So how good is the 2018 Georgia class?
Well, it’s 26 players deep, seven of which have five-star grades from 247Sports. Three of those seven five-stars are among the 10 best players in the country. Those three are dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields (Kennesaw, GA) at No. 2, running back Zamir White (Laurinburg, NC) at No. 9 and offensive tackle Jamaree Salyer (Atlanta) at No. 10. Fields and White have enrolled early.
Georgia also has an absolutely ridiculous 12 players ranked inside the top 100. Four-star inside linebacker Channing Tindall from Columbia, South Carolina would be considered the 13th best recruit in this 2018 class of the Dawgs. He’s the No. 103 player in the country. You did good, Georgia!
So what does this mean for the college football landscape going forward?
It means predominantly two things in the SEC. The first being that no, Georgia isn’t going anywhere. This program is recruiting out the wazoo. It put what Mark Richt used to do in Athens to shame, and he almost always had a top-five class. The second thing this means is that the beginning of the end of the Crimson Tide is upon us.
Sure, Alabama will be one of the favorites to win the 2018 national title. However, this will be the first time since 2010 the Crimson Tide did not have the No. 1 recruiting class. They finished fourth in 2010 when the Florida Gators hauled in the best class that year. Alabama finished ninth. That’s excellent, but not anywhere up to lofty Alabama recruiting standards.
It’s not that Alabama head coach Nick Saban has done anything wrong on the recruiting. Like he’s dancing for recruits and stuff now. It’s more of a testament to how many elite recruiters he has lost these last few years. Smart was his former defensive coordinator. Now he’s obliterating the competition at his alma in Athens.
Smart’s replacement as Alabama defensive coordinator in Jeremy Pruitt has left this offseason to go coach Alabama’s cross-divisional rival in the Tennessee Volunteers. Pruitt has been an excellent recruiter in his multiple stints at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. He’ll surely do that now at Tennessee. Let’s not forget that Lane Kiffin is doing Lane Kiffin things down in Boca Raton with the Conference USA champion Florida Atlantic Owls. Hoot! Hoot!
When you’re pulling elite college football talent from all across the country, you’re doing quite well for yourself. Smart not only crushed it in the Peach State but landed excellent players from states like Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Tennessee in this all-time recruiting class for the Dawgs.
Next: National Signing Day: Predictions for top 25 uncommitted recruits
Does the national championship loss still sting? You bet it does, but seeing Smart and his staff reel in five-star after five-star has to have Dawg Nation fired up for the future of Georgia football. Wednesday was a good day to be a Dawg.