Dell McGee gets a lot of credit for being the running back guru at Georgia and rightfully so.

The list of great backs he’s coached since joining the Bulldogs’ staff reads like a Who’s, Who. Under McGee’s watch, “Running Back U” appears open for business for seasons to come.

However, McGee’s ability to recruit running backs to Athens hasn’t been his only forte.

His ability to help recruit other positions has proven invaluable.

“As a staff, we have to go out and recruit other positions. I’m only signing one or two running backs. I’ve got a great relationship and rapport with high school coaches,” McGee said. “I feel like I can talk to any parent, any race, any socio-economic status. I try to fit in where I can, to help get the best players here.”

Freshman defensive end Mykel Williams is just one example.

Like McGee, who was a successful coach at Columbus-Carver for eight years (2005-2012) before moving into the college ranks as an analyst at Auburn, Williams also hails from Columbus, where he played for Hardaway High.

Williams was one of the nation’s top high school defenders in the Class of 2022. He was initially committed to Southern Cal before de-committing and ultimately sign with the Bulldogs.

McGee deserves a lot of the credit for making that happen.

“It was definitely tough. He was initially going to commit to USC, but I was on his pops, his grandfather and his uncle for a long time, so we knew we were never out of it,” McGee said. “We just stayed the course, stayed consistent, and it probably speaks for itself.”

The youngster is already making an impression.

During SEC Media Days, Smart even singled out Williams, noting his “work ethic.”

“I look out my window and I see him out there doing extra after every practice. I left work the other day on Sunday and he's out there hitting the sled on Sunday,” Smart said. “So, guys, when you got a freshman that's out there on Sunday on his own, on turf, 115 degrees out there, and he's out there striking a sled - something is special."

McGee agrees.

“Mykel is a Georgia kid that loves Georgia. I think he’s going to do things in an exceptional manner, which he has already,” he said. “You can see the extra work and the attention to detail that he has as a young player. He actually came in and practiced with our team during the bowl week for a couple of days. He went through 14 spring practices and the spring game. Even this summer, you would see on off days he would be working. He would be working on Sundays, doing extra things to make him a better football player. So, we’re getting a very, very hard worker.”

Although playing time is never guaranteed, it would certainly seem that Williams has set himself for early playing time as part of the rotation on the Bulldogs’ revamped defensive line.

If impressions mean anything, Williams is certainly standing out.

“He’s kind of unmatched from a hard work standpoint,” McGee said. “That’s what you want out of a young player so they can influence their class as well as older guys, like, ‘Look at what Mykel is doing.’”