2021 Recruiting Cycle Not Out of Surprises Yet
The 2021 Georgia football recruiting class is almost complete.
The Bulldogs opened the early signing period with a bang, signing 20 players throughout Wednesday.
There are still two months left in the recruiting cycle and many SI99 prospects are still on the table. Some are announcing their decisions on Jan. 2, while others are waiting until closer to the final signing day.
Korey Foreman, Defensive Line
Three members of the SI99 top 10 have yet to announce their commitments and one has Georgia in his top five. Foreman, the No. 4 overall prospect, plans to announce his commitment Jan. 2. He recently narrowed down his list to Georgia, Clemson, Southern California, Arizona State and LSU.
Georgia is considered the dark horse pick for Foreman, as most sites have the Corona, Calif., native staying home to attend USC or traveling across the country to play for LSU or Clemson. But as of late, it's Arizona State that there has been the most buzz about. However, Georgia wouldn't be in his top five if he wasn't interested and the Bulldogs poached California in the 2020 class, signing two of the state's best players.
Of course, without Maason Smith being a member of this class, things look rough for Georgia.
Late push for one top prospect
After Foreman, there aren't many with Georgia at the top of their lists, but the recruiting cycle doesn't end until February. Since the early signing period began, Georgia has typically been good for a late-cycle surprise, especially at positions it deems a priority.
After the Zach Evans debacle last season, head coach Kirby Smart wanted to make sure he signed a second running back. Enter Daijun Edwards, the seldom talked-about back from Colquitt County. His name wasn't on the radar despite Georgia's Dell McGee having recruited him since his freshman season. Edwards committed late in the month and he's already showing why Georgia brought him in.
The best example of the "late push" came in the 2019 class when Georgia flipped wide receiver George Pickens, who had been committed to Auburn for 19 months. Despite taking a few visits to Georgia, Miami, and Tennessee, no one thought Pickens would actually decommit from Auburn. Yet, he spurned the Tigers for the Bulldogs on national signing day and is now Georgia's best receiver.
In this vein, keep an eye on SI99 safety Terrion Arnold. He isn't announcing his decision until Feb. 2 and he recently declared his final five schools: Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama.
The Bulldogs are once again the dark horse, but Pickens showed two years ago that anything can happen recruiting-wise in six weeks. Arnold is close with Xavian Sorey, Georgia's only most recent commitment from Wednesday, and the pair is considered a package deal. Out of everyone left, Arnold looks like Georgia's best chance at a late-cycle surprise.
One Time Transfer
Everybody is grabbing their pole and fishing in the transfer portal this year. The NCAA has announced that the one-time transfer rule has been approved. If Georgia is unable to find another running back or defensive back they could look for depth in the portal.
