Experts agree: Ogletree a huge get
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When it comes to Newnan safety Alec Ogletree, don't be surprised if Georgia fans eventually draw some comparisons to former Bulldog All-American safety Thomas Davis.
Those were the words of Rivals national recruiting analyst Barry Every, who said the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has the ability to make the same type of impression as the current Carolina Panther.
"They (Georgia) got a kid who can make the same impact as Thomas Davis," Every said. "Granted, Alex was ranked a little higher and recruited by more schools that Thomas, who basically had just Georgia as his only Division I offer."
No kidding.
The top-ranked safety in the country, Ogletree held offers from a Who's Who of schools, including Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Alabama, Auburn and a bevy of others.
National recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg said the Bulldogs should be proud.
"This is another great get for Georgia," Newberg said. "This is a big-time athletic safety that could grow into a linebacker. I love his size. He's an enforcer and can also play well in coverage. I love his upside. The Dawgs are rolling."
Ogletree's comparisons to Davis are certainly worth mentioning, although their paths to Athens were definitely different treks.
Unlike Ogletree, Davis was not highly recruited coming out of Randolph-Clay, which had a student population of just 471.
In fact, he was only offered a scholarship by Georgia after a coach saw him play in a high school basketball game. But that didn't stop Davis from becoming a star in Athens.
He was voted a consensus All-American free safety after his junior season in 2004, and although he was drafted at that position by Carolina, he later converted to linebacker during his rookie year.
Every believes that Ogletree will have the same impact.
It's certainly been a busy month for the Bulldogs who since the first of June have garnered commitments from four-star offensive lineman Brent Benedict and wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers. All total, seven of Georgia's now 11 verbal commitments have agreed to play for the Bulldogs since the first of the month.
Ogletree does much more than start on the defensive side.
He's also a demon on special teams, a role he can expect to continue playing for Georgia in 2010.
"When the final (state) rankings come out, he's going to be one of the top two players in the state," Every said. "This kid could have gone to any school in the country. I think this commitment is going to reverberate around the state and you'll soon see other kids jump on board."