Todd Hartley's Hiring Paying Dividends
When former offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Jim Chaney accepted the offensive coordinator job under then-head coach Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee, it was a move that could be described as a welcomed change for Georgia fans.
Many were hoping following the disappointing end to the 2018 season that Georgia would shake things up offensively and "modernize" along with the remainer of college football. However, as we all know now, things would not change all that much as James Coley was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Coley came from Miami after having been the offensive coordinator for the Hurricanes from 2013-2015, and along with him came tight ends coach Todd Hartley.
Hartley spent three seasons with former Georgia head coach Mark Richt at Miami as the tight ends coach and special-teams coordinator. It was at Miami where Hartley began to show his recruiting prowess and overall coaching ability.
The Hurricanes landed top-ranked tight end Brevin Jordan in 2018 because of Hartley. In Jordan's freshman season, he showed the potential that we've all seen as he recorded 32 receptions for 287 yards and four touchdowns.
Jordan is now in the NFL with the Houston Texans, where they selected him in the fifth round after Jordan's successful career in college at "the U."
Since coming to Athens, Hartley has shown his recruiting ability as he has successfully recruited all of his top targets over the last few seasons. The only "miss" on Hartley's record is now a receiver for the Bulldogs, as Arik Gilbert originally signed with LSU before transferring to Georgia at the end of the 2020 season.
Hartley has brought in one three-star, two four stars and one five-star at the tight-end position in his first three recruiting classes. Here's a look at his recruiting over the last three years:
2019
- Ryland Goede, four-star
- Brett Seither, three-star
2020
- Darnell Washington, five-star
2021
- Brock Bowers, four-star
Not a bad track record for a position that has consistently brought his guys to Athens. Gilbert may be considered a miss by some, but now that he is in Athens, some of the credit needs to be given to Hartley for keeping the door open to Gilbert.
While the recruiting is on par for some of the best on staff, the only criticism that may be thrown Hartley's way is the production over the years. Many have been begging for Georgia to start using their tight ends more in the passing game instead of only making them an extension of the offensive line.
We saw hints of that in 2020 as true freshman stud Darnell Washington came on late in the season as a deep threat for Georgia in the passing game. Washington's freshman season ended with seven receptions for 166 yards. While those numbers may not be enough to satisfy the fan base, it is a step in the right direction for Georgia going forward, and it has certainly not hurt the Dawgs on the recruiting trail.
Hartley was able to reel in four-star Brock Bowers from Napa, Calif., in the 2021 recruiting class. Bowers was the only target on the board for Hartley in the 2021 class, and he again brought his top target to Athens. Bowers is another pass-catching tight end that could see time on the field in Year 1.
With two young high-ceiling prospects already in the tight-end room, 2021 could be a make-or-break year when it comes to Georgia's success going forward at the position. Hartley's No. 1 target in the class of 2022 is four-star Oscar Delp, and Georgia is locked in a battle with schools like South Carolina.
Delp is seen as another must-get in the tight-end room for the 2022 class that Georgia has lost some serious momentum in on the trail in recent weeks. That's mostly due to the fact that South Carolina has sold Delp on the idea that he's going to get plenty of targets and receptions.
Hartley has already landed his lone target in the 2023 class, Pearce Spurlin.
Time will continue to tell if Hartley can keep his red-hot recruiting streak alive.
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