Revisionist history: Re-ranking UGA’s 2007 class

UGASports is looking at previous Georgia recruiting classes and re-ranking the individual signees based on how their Bulldog careers transpired. Links to our previous revisionist histories, including last week’s 2006 class review, are located at the bottom of the page.

Following the 28 recruits signed by Georgia the previous year, we analyze the 23 signees inked by the Bulldogs in 2007. Notably, after Mark Richt had signed only a few JUCO transfers during his first six years as Georgia’s head coach (2001-2006), the Bulldogs landed six from the junior college ranks, including four offensive linemen. Two of the JUCO transfers, Justin Anderson and Ben Harden, had originally committed to Georgia the year before in 2006.

THE CLASS

Georgia’s 2007 signing class ranked just No. 9 in the nation, and a lowly sixth in the SEC, trailing No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 LSU, No. 6 South Carolina, and No. 7 Auburn. The sixth-place finish in the conference is tied for the Bulldogs’ second-lowest ranking in team recruiting during the 20-year Rivals era (2002-2021). In 2013, Georgia ranked seventh in the SEC in team recruiting.

Upon completion of Signing Day, and referring to the lofty total of eight offensive linemen he and his staff signed, Richt quipped to the media, “People say, ‘Where's the beef?’ Here's the beef right here!” To date, since 1980, the eight are tied for the second-most offensive linemen (only trailing nine in 1997) signed by Georgia in a single year.

Apparently, the Bulldogs nearly signed a ninth offensive lineman. Columbus Hardaway’s Antwane Greenlee, an offensive tackle ranked as the nation’s No. 65 overall prospect, had been committed to Georgia before flipping to Florida State on Signing Day. Of course, Bulldog signee Chris Little, a 340-plus-pound Rivals250 offensive guard, also pulled a reverse, flipping from Notre Dame to Georgia.

After the Bulldogs had signed a whopping 13 Rivals250 prospects the year before, Georgia was limited to six in 2007 (excludes high-four-star JUCO transfers Anderson and Jarius Wynn). The six included only two Rivals100 signees: No. 38 tight end Aron White and No. 81 running back Caleb King. Only twice has Georgia, which averaged 5.2 Rivals100 signees annually from 2000 through 2021, signed fewer than two Rivals100 recruits (one in 2000 and 2013).

Of Georgia’s 23 signees in 2007, only five hailed from out of state, including none from Florida. It would mark the only signing class in Richt’s 15 years at the helm when the Bulldogs didn’t sign a single recruit from the Sunshine State.

Below is the original ranking of Georgia’s 2007 class (player listed with position according to Rivals). Note: To rank those signees with identical Rivals ratings, the recruits’ rankings (overall, position, and state), along with the opinions of our recruiting writers, were considered.