Georgia is Picking Back Up its Momentum After Missing on Legacy Recruit Justice Haynes
After a decision that shocked nearly everyone in the recruiting industry- a truly rare occurrence in this day and age- many began to question where does Georgia go from here? Some even wondered if Kirby Smart and his staff were "losing their touch?"
There is no downplaying or spinning the significance of Justice Haynes picking Alabama over Georgia. The son of former Georgia running back, Verron Haynes, grew up around the red and black; adding in the fact that he is one of the nation's best backs this cycle made it seem very likely that Georgia and running backs coach Dell McGee would land their "legacy recruit."
Fast forward nine days later, and Georgia is coming off a very successful week; between SEC Media Days and the inevitable long-term contract extension for head coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs picked up three commitments to its 2023 class, which now sits 3rd in the country, according to the 247Sports team rankings, with 16 commits.
The narrative surrounding Georgia's recruiting is starting to sound a lot different. First, landing Jamaal Jarrett, the massive defensive tackle out of Greensboro, North Carolina, gives them a true nose tackle in this class after missing out on Sydir Mitchell. He suddenly committed to Texas early in July.
After adding to the trenches defensively, Georgia added on offense with Kelton Smith. A current four-star in the 247Sports composite, he projects as an interior offensive lineman, joining Bo Hughley (four-star) and Joshua Miller (three-star) as the three linemen in Georgia's class.
Finally came the decision that many Georgia fans were waiting for, after missing out on Kamari Wilson, a highly-rated safety in last year's class to rivals Florida, as Wilson shocked many on signing day. Instead, this time, Georgia closed the deal, landing one of the best safety prospects in the Kirby Smart era with the commitment of Joenel Aguero.
After hiring former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal this offseason, the Miami Hurricanes made a late push for Aguero after Cristobal hired away former Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae from Athens.
As the recruitment came to a close, Aguero, a long perceived "Georgia-lean," ultimately picked the Dawgs over heading to South Beach, giving Georgia arguably its biggest win last week.
As the season continues to inch closer, so does early signing day, and as of right now, Georgia is looking to have another strong recruiting class on the defensive side of the ball. Georgia has only a few spots to fill with three linebackers, four defensive backs, and one defensive lineman already in the class.
Offensively, Georgia is still looking for answers, especially in the playmaking positions, running back and wide receiver specifically. Luckily, as the more rationale fans say, it is only July, meaning Georgia has some time as some of its top targets have yet to decide.
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