Here is the Sept. 30 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
Another big weekend for recruiting
Two weekends ago, Georgia hosted a slew of high-profile recruits for its win over South Carolina. The same will apply for Saturday’s game against Arkansas.
Blayne Gilmer noted the big-name prospects who will be in town for Saturday’s noon showdown. Gilmer profiled 10 players, with Bear Alexander (IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.) leading the way.
Alexander, who recently transferred to IMG Academy from Fort Worth, Texas, was previously committed to Georgia before backing off and reopening his recruitment. Since his decommitment, the Bulldogs have done their part to remain in the mix.
He's held a final two of Georgia and Texas A&M for quite a little while.
“The five-star defensive tackle will get to see Georgia in direct comparison to Texas A&M with each team having played Arkansas in consecutive weeks,” Gilmer wrote. “Alexander watched Georgia play Clemson earlier this year. Alexander will be in town with a lot of his new IMG teammates as well. Georgia being Alexander's first visit since having left the state of Texas for the remainder of his senior year is significant. Expect UGA to have a presence in Bradenton when Alexander and IMG take on Golden Gate High School on Oct. 7.”
Smart prefers in-person evaluations
When it comes to evaluating prospects, Smart has found that making those judgments in person beats any alternative out there.
If it weren't for scouting receiver Adonai Mitchell, he might not be with the Bulldogs right now. Smart admitted he wasn't excited about his game tape when he first saw it. However, once he saw him at a Georgia camp, Smart knew he needed to extend an offer.
“I really have found that if you go off camp, it’s a hell of a lot better accuracy than any ranking or anything, even the tape you see in high school,” Smart said. “We didn't love Adonai Mitchell’s high school tape, and we were like man I got question marks, but we loved him in camp, and we loved his COVID workouts that he did, and I get a lot more accuracy with information.”
Cochran returns to town
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart confirmed that special teams coordinator Scott Cochran is back in Athens after spending the past two-plus months away from the area.
Cochran is spending time with his family and visiting the UGA facility on a part-time basis. Smart said he hopes that Cochran will be able to re-acclimate himself with the program soon.
"He's actually in town right now as we speak. He's home for a little bit, visiting with his family," Smart said. "He's with us temporarily, visiting some folks. Hopefully, he'll join us in the next couple of weeks."
Since Cochran took a leave from the program to address a health-related matter, Will Muschamp has taken over special teams coaching duties. Smart declined to say what Cochran’s role would be once he’s able to return to the team full-time.
Beal explains why didn’t transfer
Back in 2019, outside linebacker Robert Beal put his name in the transfer portal.
However, he took his name out and elected to remain with the Bulldogs. Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Beal explained why he decided to stay with the Georgia program.
“I really wasn’t happy with my playing time, and I knew I could play anywhere in the country,” Beal said. “But I also knew it would be bad for me to leave Kirby, honestly. So, I talked it over with my mother, talked it over with my dad, and decided to come back.”
Lee commits
Georgia added another player to its 2023 recruiting class.
Four-star cornerback Kayin Lee (Cedar Grove/Ellenwood, Ga.) gave his commitment to the Bulldogs on Wednesday. Lee joins his high school teammate CJ Madden (Cedar Grove/Ellenwood, Ga.) in committing to the team, although Madden is in the class of 2022.
While Lee’s commitment was made public Wednesday, he told Ryan Wright that he informed the coaching staff two weeks ago.
Following Georgia’s win over South Carolina, Lee told UGASports.com that the Bulldogs made him feel like a priority. The work the coaches put in paid off with a big return on the investment taking place.
Who’s next?
With Lee committing to Georgia, Jed May took a look at which prospects could be next in line. At the top of the list is tight end Oscar Delp (West Forsyth/Cumming, Ga), with Georgia appearing to be in a strong position.
May also noted three other high-profile players who could be in line to pledge to Georgia in the near future. One happens to be a five-star prospect.
Big game ahead
New York Bulldogs
Above the rim
Outside the Vent
Mike Farrell’s thoughts on the latest developments in college football.
The Rivals’ high school plays of the week.
Complex College Football Playoff expansion may not take place until after 2026.
The National Labor Relations Board says college athletes are employees of their schools.
Is Cincinnati ready to show that it’s ready to shake things up as a CFP contender?
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