The Daily Recap: Jared Wilson boosts Dawgs into top five
Here is the May 7 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
Dawgs jump into top five
With a small change in one commitment’s ranking, Georgia jumped Texas A&M to move into the No. 5 spot in the team rankings in the recruiting class of 2021.
Offensive guard Jared Wilson (West Forsyth/Clemmons, N.C.), a three-star prospect, jumped from a 5.5 to a 5.7. This slight leap gave the Bulldogs just enough to jump Texas A&M from sixth overall to fifth.
Adam Friedman explained why Wilson received a rankings boost, which in turn lifted the Bulldogs into the top five of this year’s recruiting cycle.
“We’ve always known Wilson had a lot of potential and appears to have used the extended offseason to his advantage,” Friedman wrote. “Wilson took some big steps in his development and was moved up in the rankings. The future Bulldog finished the rankings cycle as a three-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.7, up from 5.5, and landed at No. 21 in the offensive guard rankings. This small move in the rankings pushed Georgia into the No. 5 spot in the team rankings, passing Texas A&M.”
Nichols down to five
Offensive lineman Addison Nichols (Greater Atlanta Christian/Norcross, Ga.) is down to five schools—Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and USC. Adam Gorney ranked Nichols' teams in this order: Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State, USC, Florida.
Although Gorney believes Georgia is in second place for the time being, he believes it’s a close race at the top.
"An argument could easily be made for Georgia to be on the top of this list as well," Gorney wrote. "The Bulldogs rarely lose top-end in-state prospects they really want and Nichols is definitely a priority on the offensive line in a year where that position is a little fuzzy as to top prospects in the region. The four-star lives close to campus, Georgia’s coaching staff is expected to press hard for his pledge and taking an official visit there as well will be important. One feeling on his recruitment is that if Georgia really wants him, it should get him."
Leading the charge for Lang
Class of 2023 offensive lineman Vysen Lang (Pike Road/Pike Road, Ala.) isn’t a nationally-known prospect just yet. However, some big-time schools are taking notice.
Georgia, among the programs recruiting Lang, is looking to gain a head start when it comes to his recruitment.
“Right now, I'm hearing from Georgia the most. Georgia is showing the most love, for sure,” Lang said. “I talk to coach [Eddie] Gordon, assistant o-line coach, that’s my dog right there. I plan on going up there in June to meet the rest of the coaches, but really it’s been me and coach Gordon just chopping it up.”
Lang has done his research on Georgia as he is a fan of what head coach Kirby Smart has put together to date.
“It’s a winning culture,” Lang said. “I already know that, because as a child I watched Georgia a lot. They've always been one of the best schools, and they consistently send offensive linemen and skill players to the league. So I’ve known for a while that it’s a great school. What sets them apart is the coaching staff. With someone like me, you get a lot of schools in your ear. But the relationship with the coaches is what ends up standing out and Georgia is doing the best job, so far.”
Scott’s going hard after Smith
Class of 2023 defensive tackle Stantavious Smith (Dougherty/Albany, Ga.) said defensive line coach Tray Scott has shown that he is a high priority when it comes to his particular recruiting class.
"They're coming hard, man," Smith said regarding Georgia. "Tray Scott—I love him. It's just his excitement. That's my guy right there. That's all I can really say."
When speaking with Trent Smallwood, Smith didn’t want to rank his top schools. But he did mention the programs showing him a lot of attention.
"All of them are standing out, but I don't want to say too much. I'll drop my top 12 soon," Smith said. "Georgia, Florida State, Bama, and Clemson are showing some love. Out west, it's Oregon and Southern California. South Carolina is showing love, too."
Nation: Addae staying strong in recruitment
UGA secondary coach Jahmile Addae has regularly checked in on cornerback Ethan Nation (Roswell/Roswell, Ga.). The Bulldogs will hope Addae’s consistent recruiting pays off in the long run with the in-state recruit.
“Coach Addae and I are talking most days, every day, and (he) keeps in touch,” Nation said. “His message is that he wants the best of the best, and I believe I’m one of the best.”
Addae forging relationship with Terrell
Addae has also been busy developing a connection with cornerback Avieon Terrell (Westlake/Atlanta), the younger brother of Falcons corner AJ Terrell.
“It’s good and they’re the home team right now. They also recruited my brother,” Terrell said of Georgia. “We talk about, about life and our relationship is close. He (Addae) is good and we talk a lot about my fit in the program and I’d say our relationship is close.”
Hopkins to be busy this summer
Class of 2023 receiver Adam Hopkins (Thomas County Central/Thomasville, Ga.) will be making the rounds to a slew of college programs this summer. Georgia is among the programs on the list.
Part of the appeal is receivers coach Cortez Hankton, who continues to stay on top of the talented receiver.
"They keep me updated and uplifted, making sure I do everything right and stay up on my grades," Hopkins said of the Bulldogs. "They keep in contact with me and always let me know what's going on over there with them and I do the same. Coach Hankton is a great guy, he keeps me updated and keeps me uplifted with good spirits ... it makes me work harder."
Baseball: Bulldogs hope to stick to the same script
For the second time this season, Georgia is facing a No. 1 program.
Earlier this year, the Bulldogs took two of three games from Vanderbilt, then the top-ranked team in the nation. Beginning Friday, Georgia will take on Arkansas, which now sits atop the college baseball rankings.
“It’s the same thing. You’re going in to play the No. 1 team on the road, in a hostile environment, and really nobody outside of our team is giving us much of a shot,” Stricklin said. “We believe we can go in there and win. That’s the only way you can think. We’ll do the same thing. We’ll challenge these kids, we’ve already started that today; we’ll practice in Fayetteville (Thursday) night and we’ll continue to challenge them.
“We’ve got enough older guys that they know what’s at stake. But it's very similar to when we were going up to Nashville. It was us against the world. We’ll just have to play very good baseball and do everything we can to win a series.”
Swimming: Bauerle talks season, Olympic trials
Legendary Georgia swimming and diving coach Jack Bauerle joined Jim Donnan and Dayne Young to discuss how his team remained in shape during 2020 when they could not train on campus. He also recapped the men's and women's seasons and looked ahead to the Olympic trials, where many Georgia Bulldogs are competing to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.
More NFL Dawgs
Bulldogs crack the top five
Outside the Vent
The five biggest storylines of the final update with the recruiting class of 2021.
Should a recent receiver who committed to Ohio State be given a big rankings boost?
The offers are starting to roll in for this UAB transfer.
The brother of QB Sam Ehlinger was found dead in Austin, Texas.
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