Kirby Smart has made it quite clear over the years that the only recruiting evaluations he pays attention to, or quite frankly cares about, are those by him and his staff.
If he gave a you-know-what about recruiting industry rankings, then wide receiver Cole Speer would probably not be going through summer workouts with the rest of the Georgia football team.
The Calhoun native only received one FBS offer – from Georgia – but there was obviously something about his game that made Smart sit up and take notice.
We’ll examine that below:
Cole Speer
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
We’ll start with his speed.
Speer has been timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.38, but that’s not the only reason this freshman opened Smart’s eyes.
It’s the way he plays the position.
Yes, Speer is considered an excellent route runner, but its his physical style of play that no doubt convinced Smart to bring him to Athens.
Speer doesn’t mind blocking. In fact, during a December interview with UGASports, Speer spoke in detail about how much he enjoys that part of the game.
It’s why he feels he’s become a better all-around receiver.
"I’m really proud of it," Speer said. "Not many receivers want to block. I’ll block if you tell me to block. I want to get in there to make that block to have somebody else score."
He proved that in Calhoun’s victory over Blessed Trinity in the state semifinals when he occasionally lined up at H-back, helping pave the way for several positive gains.
If you’ve followed Georgia at all, if receivers hope to get on the field, a willingness to block is part of the job description.
"It’s kind of always been a part of my game," Speer said. "I mean I’m big, strong, I like to be physical. If I get my hands on you, I’m not going to stop. It’s fun."
However, it was Speer’s speed that initially got him noticed.
After being timed at 4.38 during a camp at Appalachian State, Bulldog offensive coordinator Todd Monken contacted Speer requesting a private workout.
Georgia coaches would soon see for themselves that his time wasn’t a fluke.
Per Speer, he clocked a 4.39 and 4.49 in two 40-yard dashes, recorded a 38-inch vertical leap, and hit a top speed of 22 miles-an-hour during drills and one-on-ones at UGA.
"I think just when I get into open space, I can just run by people," Speer told UGASports. "They don’t even expect it. I’m in the middle of the route and I get out of my break and they’re like, ‘Dang, this kid’s way faster than I thought.’ At that point, it’s too late."
