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Published Apr 28, 2025
Who is Georgia's best recruiter?
Harrison Reno  •  UGASports
Staff

Another NFL Draft is in the books, and as has been the case the past few years, so is the three-day advertising campaign for the Georgia Bulldogs on the recruiting trail. Thirteen more Bulldogs heard their names called in this year's draft, which is second-most only behind the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

There are plenty of storylines to cover following Georgia's most recent draft class. However, potentially the most intriguing one is the debate about who is the Bulldogs' best recruiter?

This question could be answered more easily if judgment were based on the number of four and five-star recruits they've all landed. However, a more nuanced approach would be to not only examine who they've recruited, but also how those players have performed in the NFL Draft.

Georgia defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann, tight ends coach Todd Hartley, and defensive line coach Tray Scott are the three contenders.

Glenn Schumann

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The longest tenured member of head coach Kirby Smart's staff has been a constant in the acquisition and development of talent. In his years on staff, Schumann has developed three first-round picks, a list that includes Roquan Smith, Quay Walker, and Jalon Walker.

He's also had other players drafted outside of the first round, including Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall, Smael Mondon, Monty Rice, and Tae Crowder.

Of those players, five were four-star recruits coming out of high school, and one was a three-star and another a two-star recruit. However, that two-star, Crowder, was recruited to Georgia as a running back before he later switched to linebacker.

As for Smith, it is up for debate as to whether he can factor into this equation. Schumann did coach him for his final two seasons at Georgia before he went on to become a first-round pick. But Schumann didn't recruit him to Athens.

Todd Hartley

Not much needs to be said about the tight ends coach who has been in Athens since 2019. He is the least tenured coach of the three, yet he's had arguably the greatest impact in that time.

In just six years in Athens, Hartley has had five tight ends get drafted. Brock Bowers is the only one of those to go on Day 1. Meanwhile, he's had four others drafted, with two third-round picks, two sixth-round picks, and a seventh-rounder.

Darnell Washington is the highest-rated prospect Hartley has landed on this list, as he garnered a five-star rating. Bowers, John FitzPatrick, and Charlie Woerner were four stars, while Tre McKitty was a three-star out of high school, who transferred to Georgia from Florida State in 2019.

Tray Scott 

Scott joined Georgia's staff in 2017, replacing Tracy Rocker. While he was once a subject of criticism by fans, he has undoubtedly become one of Georgia's best.

He has coached five first-round draft picks in Mykel Williams, Jalen Carter, Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, and Devonte Wyatt. He has also had three other players being selected outside of the first round.

Williams is the only five-star of those five first-rounders. Carter, Walker, Wyatt, and Davis were four-star recruits. Then there are three more four-stars in Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Warren Brinson, and Zion Logue. The first two were selected Saturday in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.

When taking into account the recruiting rankings and the number of drafted players, it seemingly leans toward Scott or Schumann. That isn't to discount what Hartley has done. He's arguably recruited and developed the best player of the three. But in terms of the overall position group, it seems Scott deserves the nod of being the "best recruiter" for Georgia, right now.

He has the most first-round picks and the most players drafted overall. Not to mention, many of those picks were all in the same room together.

Yet, while Scott may take the crown for now, things could change next year when his two co-workers have more former highly-touted recruits eligible to enter the draft.

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