The march toward the early signing period for the Class of 2022 continues. Georgia currently sits at eighth in the Rivals team rankings. The Bulldogs have twelve commitments currently in the class. Here at UGASports, we're counting down the top remaining targets in the class for the Dawgs.
The countdown consists of Georgia targets in the Rivals100, with the exception of Oscar Delp at No. 101. The ranking on the countdown is ordered by importance to the class and the needs of the class.
No. 10 and 9 were Enai White and Oscar Delp respectively. Today, UGASports covers No. 8 and No. 7, Deyon Bouie, and Keithian "Bear" Alexander.
Yes, both Bouie and Alexander were once members of the Class of 2022 for the University of Georgia. Yes, Bouie and Alexander each decommitted from Georgia within a 48-hour span. Yes, Georgia is still recruiting both of them and would love for each to end up coming back into the fold.
DEYON BOUIE
Bouie hails from the same South Georgia town as Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. The Bainbridge, Georgia, native is a tremendous athlete—a star in all phases of the game for his high school team. Bouie figures to play cornerback in the college ranks and could very well be used in the return game as well.
Bouie suffered an ACL injury during his junior year. UGASports saw Bouie compete this summer in 7-on-7 action, and the former Georgia commit was doing so without a brace. Bouie looked fully healed and was covering the receivers he was assigned with ease.
Bouie also had some off-field troubles during the offseason. At this time, UGASports does not believe those will impact his senior season at Bainbridge.
Georgia is in need of adding another impact cornerback in the Class of 2022 to go alongside Marquis Groves-Killebrew. Bouie certainly would fit the bill. His explosiveness, even after the injury, is evident and Bouie is a player that displays toughness as well. Bouie is not the longest corner in the world, but what he lacks in size, he's able to make up for with his closing speed, instincts, and ball skills.
At last report, UGASports was told that Bouie and Georgia are still in regular communication. Bouie has yet to take his official visit to Athens, and if he chooses to do so this fall, that would be a large step toward the reconciliation of Bouie and Georgia. Bouie is not expected to make a decision until the early signing period.
BEAR ALEXANDER
Bear Alexander is one of a trio of premier interior defensive lineman prospects that Georgia is pursuing heavily in the Class of 2022. Alexander is being prioritized along with Walter Nolen and Travis Shaw. Being from Texas, the decommitment of Alexander from Georgia was less shocking than that of the aforementioned Bouie, but it was just as devastating to the Georgia staff.
Georgia is in need of an anchor in the middle of its defense going forward. Jordan Davis, DeVonte Wyatt, and Julian Rochester are all exiting the program after this season. A player like Alexander, with his 6-foot-4, 320-pound frame, would fit well into Georgia's scheme, and would go a long way toward solidifying the depth of the position.
Alexander commands double teams and has the quickness and strength to make opponents pay for attempting to single-block him in pass protection. Having a true two-gap run stopper who can also get after the passer is a luxury. Georgia has had this in the Smart era with players like Jordan Davis, DeVonte Wyatt, Tyler Clark, and even Malik Herring toward the end of his career. Alexander may be one of the most athletic at his size that Georgia has pursued.
Admittedly, Alexander has bounced around four different high schools in four years. Kirby Smart and the Georgia staff are still very publicly engaged with Alexander via social media, and Alexander still has the opportunity to visit Athens officially this fall. Texas A&M and Alabama are after Alexander hard as well. The recruitment of the large Texan by the University of Georgia is far from over.
