Four Down Territory: Georgia commit Jalen Perry deserves props

The fans have spoken, and the consensus is clear.

You love the 3-2-1 Report, especially the latest edition with a ton of insight on Georgia's Saturday scrimmage.

But what's a guy to do when takes and insight don't fit so neatly into that format?

Today, we have the answer in our first "Four Down Territory."

It's not all team news, it's not all recruiting news, and it's a heavy dose of opinion.

We'll tackle four topics on our minds and what we're making of them.

This was discussed on the board recently, but Jalen Perry gets my vote for the most overlooked player in this cycle when it comes to the Bulldogs, and there are a few reasons for that. He doesn’t play for an established power program (Cedar Grove, IMG), and he’s largely been focused only on Georgia since his commitment.

Perry has most notably visited Auburn recently, but there’s been little chatter about him truly considering anything other than giving his signature to Georgia, either before or since that trip. Dominick Blaylock has earned quite a bit of praise for a similar approach, but I’ve seen little of the same applause for Perry.

In Perry, I think the Bulldogs have a player similar to last year’s signee Chris Smith, at least from a defensive perspective. Perry is rarely out of position and, when he is, he’s able to cover those mistakes with superior athleticism. Comparatively, however, Perry gets the nod as the superior athlete, with the ability to contribute just as heavily on offense should the need arise.

Another comparison: He’s not as fast as Mecole Hardman, but Perry makes me think of what Hardman’s game would have been like had he focused on the corner position in high school and played offense secondarily. Additionally, while he’s not the vocal recruiting leader that Richard LeCounte was, he’s been openly and solidly committed for just as long.

When Smith, Hardman, and LeCounte are all mentioned in comparison with you, you're in pretty strong company. That's why I’m bullish on Perry being a major contributor when his time arrives in Athens.

The man's praises are sung far and wide, but is Dell McGee really getting enough credit for the work he’s done during his time in Athens? He’s earned accolades, raises, and new job titles, certainly, but his work on the recruiting trail is still second to almost none, regardless of the position. His amazing success in stocking the running back cupboard has been well documented, and he’s capitalized on the brand of being the running back at the University of Georgia as well as anyone.

In fact, his greatest achievement may be the perception that it's not necessary to be the running back who shoulders the load, in order to draw national praise. That was especially evident last season, with the likes of Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift. For them, being a running back for the Bulldogs and contributing in a multitude of ways led to a first-round draft choice and early 2018 Heisman chatter, respectively.

Of course, there’s no overlooking his efforts to bring two five-star prospects of differing styles together in the 2018 signing class. He has followed that by landing a commitment from one of the top players in the nation (John Emery), who is from one of the most notoriously stingy states when it comes to top prospects leaving. That’s certainly been enough to earn him vaunted status both in-conference and elsewhere, but it’s his work outside of the backfield that has truly set him apart.

Top prospects across the state, from Justin Fields to Azeez Ojulari, and even defensive lineman Travon Walker, who’ve chosen the Bulldogs, have been quick to point to the influence of McGee in their decision. Not only has he bolstered the ranks at his position; he’s made the jobs of James Coley, Dan Lanning, and Tray Scott even easier. That frees them up to watch film, spend time working those perceived to be "flippable," and generally plan beyond the recruiting room.

That’s not to say he’s solely responsible for all those pickups. But even a slight contribution in a pressure-filled environment such as college football can make all the difference, for both player and coach.

Away from the recruiting side of things, he’s also playing to the strengths of his players. What you saw from D’Andre Swift last year was nothing that wasn’t on his high school film. The same goes for the shaping of Chubb, Michel, Elijah Holyfield, and Brian Herrien. McGee does not try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to his position group. He finds those traits which make each player special and seeks to amplify them, whether it’s playing up receiving skills or knowing who are his strongest blockers.

Would it have been fair to expect a drop off from the running back room during the transition of coaching staffs? Sure. Change can always lead to that (see: Brian Schottenheimer’s offense), but not only did McGee’s backs not lose a step—they’ve brought the idea of Georgia as Running Back U to a whole new generation of kids who may not know Musa Smith or Knowshon Moreno.

There’s, of course, an argument to be made for Sam Pittman as the strongest recruiting asset on the team. The offensive line coach has bolstered the ranks of the position to heights that the Bulldogs have never reached. Still, he’s largely stayed in his lane, focusing on his positional group. That’s no knock at all. He’s done a tremendous job. Still, McGee’s work elsewhere is what puts him over the top, in my eyes.

Kudos to you, Dell McGee. You’ve certainly earned them. Georgia fans will be hoping to extend more of them to you in coming years.

Could there be two young assistant coaches licking their chops heading into this season more than Dan Lanning and Cortez Hankton? The current roster at each man’s spot is loaded, and the experience just keeps getting better.

For Lanning, the chance to work with a freshman class such as Brenton Cox, Adam Anderson, and the aforementioned Azeez Ojulari would be enough to excite even Bill Belichick. Watching those three and Lanning grow up in the SEC together will be something to be appreciated, both by the group and Georgia fans looking to see exceptional talent bloom together.

Is Lanning an ace talent developer? I’m honestly not sure that matters, especially if he follows Dell McGee’s playbook of abandoning the mold and letting each flourish in their own way. I do look forward to finding out, however, and he’s got as wide a canvas as one could hope for on which to prove his methods.

Let’s not forget he’s looking down the barrel of the nation’s best outside linebacker duo in the Class of 2018 in Nolan Smith and Jermaine Johnson. All of this is to say nothing of Walter Grant, D’Andre Walker, or Robert Beal. I have to imagine that makes getting out of bed in the morning all the easier, especially for a young, hungry coach.

As for Hankton, the rich got richer with the NCAA clearing Demetris Robertson last Friday. Suddenly, he’s gone from a Vanderbilt wide receiver room searching for star power since Jordan Matthews left Nashville in 2013, to juggling three former five-stars at the top of his rotation with big-bodied freaks like Jeremiah Holloman, Riley Ridley, Matt Landers, and Tommy Bush nipping at their heels.

Like Lanning, he also probably needs to put on shades when looking toward the future, with Jadon Haselwood, Dominick Blaylock, and Makiya Tongue set to join the Bulldogs next season. Hankton has been readying for this moment, no doubt. But unlike Lanning, I bet waking up isn’t the problem. It’s getting to sleep at night with that kind of excitement percolating.

How it turns for both remains to be seen, but the starting position is as good as one could hope for, both this year and beyond.

Georgia looks like the landing spot for Georgia Military College defensive back DJ Daniel, who decides this week, and that’s good news for the future of the secondary.

Daniel is the ideal solution to the gap that Deandre Baker will leave for the Bulldogs after this season. Daniel is slightly larger than Baker, but from a style perspective, he’s a bit of a dead ringer. He’s comfortable being on an island, and has the quicks and instincts to manage his side of the field without a ton of support. Georgia will be seeking to develop their future CB1 on the field this season, but don’t be surprised if 2019 feels similar to 2018 in the secondary with Daniel.

Unlike Baker, however, the Bulldogs will be hoping that Daniel isn’t around quite as long. It’s not that the Bulldogs will want to lose him early, but it would be a fine sign if they did. If he’s as good as it’s hoped he can be, two years in Athens might be a realistic option.