Here is the June 26 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
It’s heating up for two defensive linemen
When it comes to Georgia’s pursuit of defensive linemen, two lead the pack.
The Bulldogs continue to be in heavy pursuit of Travis Shaw (Grimsley/Greensboro, N.C.) and Walter Nolen (St. Benedict/Cordova, Tenn.) as they look to bolster the interior front. Blayne Gilmer offered up the latest with both of the prospects.
“Yes, Walter Nolen is in town today and Georgia desperately wants to have Nolen as part of this class, but UGASports is hearing that there is nobody higher on the wish list than Travis Shaw,” Gilmer wrote. “Shaw is blessed with an extremely uncommon combination of strength and athleticism. At 325 pounds Shaw is capable of being a true two-gap nose and a force in stopping opponents' run games. Shaw is also quick enough to slide out head-up to an outside shade of a guard and beat them on a pass rush with ease. If Georgia is able to convince both Shaw and Nolen to commit and sign, then it will truly be a historic class.
“The more likely scenario is that one of the two ends up at Georgia. UGASports has been told by sources Georgia feels very strongly that they are in good positioning with Shaw. North Carolina seems to be the biggest threat currently to Georgia. Jalon Walker did his part in recruiting Shaw to Georgia last weekend and other sources tell UGASports the (official visit) to Georgia moved the needle for Shaw in a meaningful way.”
Gilmer also wrote in depth about Nolen and what his visit means for Georgia.
“Having Nolen on campus once again is a big deal for Georgia. Nolen has racked up the mileage in the month of June,” Gilmer wrote. “Michigan is actually one of, if not the biggest threats to Georgia at the moment. The Georgia staff can sell early playing opportunities to Nolen on the visit with three interior defensive linemen at least exiting the program after the 2021 season. Jordan Davis, DeVonte Wyatt, and Julian Rochester will all be moving on. There is certainly room to take both Nolen and Shaw, but the likelihood of that is admittedly not great. Getting one of these two immensely talented defensive tackles is crucial for Georgia in the Class of 2022.
“Nolen is set to come back to Georgia this fall for an official visit, but the staff could turn up the heat and push for a commitment on this visit. UGASports will provide details on this latest visit as soon as possible. There is momentum here for the Bulldogs for sure, but that can be said for a handful of programs with Nolen. Especially, Michigan and even Florida.”
Gilmer wrote about six other prospect on the defensive line. However, since this post is on the UGASports Vault, it is only available to subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed, please do so today!
Thomas commits
Georgia picked up a commitment from four-star safety Ja’Corey Thomas (Boone/Orlando, Fla.) on Friday.
"Georgia feels like home," Thomas said. "All of the coaches have been great to me. Coach (Jahmile) Addae and Coach (Will) Muschamp have been texting me every morning before a workout and they believe in me. I told Coach (Kirby) Smart a little while back. He's hyped right now!"
Thomas became the 11th player to commit to Georgia in the class of 2022. He is also the eighth four-star prospect in the class.
Pope talks UGA visit
Thomas said he’s hoping to be able to convince athlete Jake Pope (Buford/Buford, Ga.) to join him at UGA. Pope recently visited the program and had plenty of great things to say.
"It was good to get back to Athens," Pope said. "Coach Smart and Georgia wanted me to come back out. I was able to watch the team, and I got to talk to Coach Smart for a while. I hung out with several players I know who are already on the team at Georgia, too."
Pope, who will be on a visit to Alabama this weekend, said Smart made sure to make him feel wanted when he was in town.
"Coach Smart was telling me I'm the hometown kid," Pope said. "He said not just he and the staff, but the Georgia community would love it if I'd come to Georgia to play. They (Georgia's staff) like how I'm a smart player, and Coach Smart wants me to come and be a leader on the defense. He showed me the numbers of defensive backs drafted to the NFL out of the SEC versus ACC as well. It broke down to something like 16 to 5 for the SEC in the first round over the last couple of years. So he definitely had a clear message on Georgia and how I would fit."
UGA stands out for Madison
Back when class of 2024 receiver James Madison II (St. Thomas Aquinas/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) was in the seventh grade, one of UGA defensive coordinator Dan Lanning’s coaching friends told him to check up on him.
Years later, UGA has extended Madison an offer. The two were able to reconnect during Madison’s visit.
"He was a very stand-up guy; he was very nice," Madison said. "He got to meet with my mom. He met us out at the car—he was a very, very nice guy."
Madison spent most of his visit with receivers coach Cortez Hankton, who became the one to extend the scholarship offer.
"He’s a coach, obviously, but I feel like he’s more than that to all the players," Madison said. "I don’t even know how to explain it. I feel like he takes his job more seriously than a coach. It’s like he’s watching you grow up, he’s going to be with you for the rest of your life. He’s more than a coach, I feel like."
Aguero feels the love from UGA coaches
Class of 2023 athlete Joenel Aguero (IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.) came away with a great perception of Georgia’s coaching staff during his recent visit. Aguero was able to spend some quality time with both Smart and Addae.
"The hospitality they showed me, meeting all the coaching staff for every position—it was just great all around," Aguero said. "Then getting to hang out with some of the players, it gave me a sense of what Georgia was about."
Scouting Arkansas
Anthony Dasher spoke with Hawgbeat.com’s Andrew Hutchinson about how Arkansas is expected to look in 2021. Hutchinson laid out what he thinks are realistic expectations for the Razorbacks.
"I touched on it earlier, but I believe this team really needs to make a bowl game this season to continue trending in the right direction. As Georgia fans know, (Sam) Pittman is an excellent recruiter, but you can only do so much if your program doesn’t have positive results on the field. Non-conference games against Rice, Georgia Southern and UAPB should be wins (although Georgia Southern’s triple-option sandwiched between marquee games against Texas and Texas A&M worries me). I wouldn’t be shocked if the Razorbacks find a way to knock off Texas, but I’m probably not going to predict that to happen.
"Reaching a bowl game will likely depend on how Arkansas does against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Missouri, with Auburn and LSU the two wild cards. It very well could go 5-7, which isn’t ideal and would probably put a lot of pressure on the staff and team for 2022, but 6-6 and 7-5 are also possible. Barring something unexpected, anything more than seven wins would be a great season for the Razorbacks, but I don’t see that happening at the moment."
Follow Jordan Davis
Remembering UGA’s win over Missouri
Outside the Vent
Is Tennessee in trouble at the quarterback position?
The top five defensive linemen at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge.
The Rivals’ 10 new four-star prospects in the class of 2023.
Nebraska AD Bill Moos is retiring.
About JFQ Lending
JFQ Lending, INC is a residential mortgage company licensed in nearly 40 states across the United States. They already have nearly 3,000 five-star reviews in less than three years, including nearly 1800 on the Better Business Bureau (where they carry an A+ rating, see here: BBB LINK).
Right now, interest rates on a 30 year fixed are under 3%, with 15 year fixed rates in the 1’s. As an exclusive offer, JFQ will cover any appraisal costs AND add an additional $500 credit for all Rivals members.
Here’s how you can reach them:
Website: JFQlending.com
Contact Info: Mcaldwell@jfqlending.com
Phone number: 480-447-6852
