The Dawg Walk: Weekly Notes on Georgia Recruiting
ANALYZING THE FLIP THAT WASN'T
It appears Lovasea Carroll toyed with the idea of flipping to Florida, or at least he said that he did in a statement yesterday. However, one thing that we've come to know here at Dawgs Daily on SI.com is that these players are still kids, growing into young men and trying to make the best decisions for them and their families. Sometimes that comes with indecision and trepidation.
We are only privy to so much of their thought processes and can, and will, only communicate to you, our audience, what we have been told by the players themselves and sources that are both close to them and, or the Georgia program. There is no speculating when it comes to what prospects will do and there is no freelancing. It is all based on source-based conversations.
Having said that, we can analyze and speculate on decisions and actions after the fact. If Carroll's statement is to be taken at face value, if it's not a more covert and elaborate way of trolling the Gators, then it says a lot about the state and direction of the two programs and is devastating for Florida. The statement that Carroll put out essentially concludes that Florida is less talented, not as deep, and that he knows he would likely be able to play a major role year one in Gainesville.
At the same time, and despite the promise of early PT as a Gator, he knows that by staying committed to Georgia he's in a better position long term. Better the longevity of his playing career, his physical development, and the opportunity to grow and develop his personal brand. Also, he knows Georgia gives him a better chance to win a championship. It all makes for the added drama that fuels the rivalries that make college football great.
GEORGIA, 5-STARS, & ACC LEGENDS
Georgia finds itself in head-to-head battles with two ACC programs for two 5-Star defensive backs. Georgia is battling Miami for safety and Opa Locka, Florida native James Williams, and North Carolina for cornerback Tony Grimes. Both of the Bulldogs' adversaries in these respective recruitments are employing and utilizing program legends to trying and secure these superior talents.
Miami has Pro Football Hall of Fame Safety Ed Reed as their 'Chief of Staff' and he has developed a growing relationship with James Williams that carries a lot of weight. North Carolina's Cornerback Coach is Dre Bly, a two time Pro Bowl player in his own right, and he's been the primary recruiter of Tony Grimes for the Tar Heels. Bly is also a Virginia sports legend and shares a lot of common ground with Grimes and Grimes's Father.
James Williams is getting the absolute full-court press from the Georgia staff and is likely getting personally recruited by Kirby Smart harder than any other prospect. Smart even included a veiled tip of the cap to the phenom from Opa Locka dating all the back to his live-tweeting during Georgia's Virtual G-Day.
It is worth mentioning that Kirby Smart was a heck of a player in his own right and his status as a First Team All-SEC Safety certainly boosts his credibility with players he's recruiting as well. Based on what program sources are saying and talking to those very close to this situation, we at Dawgs Daily believe Georgia is the favorite here, but don't count out Ed Reed and the Hurricanes by any means.
Tony Grimes is a prospect that seems much harder to read. We've had conversations with sources that fall on both sides of this one. Grimes told Dawgs Daily on SI.com in an interview earlier this year that the visit to Georgia was both an incredible and impactful one and also that he desired to play across from another "elite" corner. Five-star 2020 signee, Kelee Ringo certainly fits that bill.
However, Tony Grimes is also a big family guy. He and his Father have a special relationship, as Deon Glover is also his high school defensive back coach. Spending that much time together both at football and away creates for a special bond and adds a unique perspective to the recruitment process. Dre Bly's playing experience, coaching style, and his ties back to the '757' all hit very close to home for this tight-knit family and could be enough to put the Tar Heels over the top.
I'm sure phone calls and communication will continue all the up until the announcement, but if we were handicapping it at this point, we at Dawgs Daily on SI.com would say UNC is a 60/40 favorite over Georgia.
OTHER SECONDARY TARGETS TO WATCH
We expect the Dawgs to take two or three corners in this class and they have none committed yet in 2021. David Daniel is the Lead Dawg of the 2021 and a safety already committed to UGA. Expect one more safety to join Daniel in the class, maybe two depending on versatility of position. With the outcome of Williams and Grimes both up in the air, it's important to know the other prospects that Georgia is targeting to help replenish a secondary that will lose a lot of talent and depth off of the 2020 squad.
CORNERBACKS
De'Jahn Warren - Warren has set an official visit date to Athens on December 11th, just three days before his scheduled commitment date on December 14th. This bodes very well for Georgia to have the last crack at Warren who is the number one JUCO player in the country. Warren has overcome a lot of adversity and has matured a lot at the JUCO level. He would provide a proven entity in the UGA secondary in 2021 amid a changing of the guard in the back end of the Georgia defense.
Isaiah Johnson - Johnson is quietly one of the more coveted players in the 2021 class. Not a guy that does a lot of interviews or tries to draw a lot of attention to himself, Johnson is a cornerback prospect that we at Dawgs Daily believe Georgia has a tremendous shot to land. Much like Tony Grimes, Johnson's visit to Athens made a huge impact on him. Also, he and Coach Charlton Warren have a good relationship and Warren has proven himself an excellent coach of corners, especially ones with the length that the Bluefield, West Virginia native possesses.
Nyland Green - Green is an in-state prospect out of Newton County High School. Georgia has recruited Green hard but it has been assumed that Clemson is the favorite for Green based on conversations Dawgs Daily has had with those close to him and his recruitment. Green is another corner with great length and athleticism. At this point, it would be difficult seeing Green land anywhere but Clemson, however, some events that have occurred during protests of social injustice have given many recruits pause for concern. Auburn is also a school that has gained steam in this recruitment as well. So, there's still plenty of work to be done with Green.
MJ Daniels - A former Ole Miss commit, Daniels is a highly underrated prospect. Daniels has tremendous instincts as a corner and is an electric playmaker overall. Daniels is building a strong relationship with Charlton Warren after receiving an offer from Georgia in early April. We’ve recently spoken with Daniels and will have a full write up on this talented prospect and his recruitment tomorrow on Dawgs Daily on SI.com.
Javon Bullard - Bullard is a Baldwin, Georgia native that is in constant communication with the Georgia staff. Bullard told Dawgs Daily recently that Coach Smart himself has been on Zoom calls with him and has explained the opportunity that lies ahead at Georgia in the secondary with as many as five to six defensive backs leaving the UGA program after 2020. Bullard seems to be enamored with the Georgia staff approach to recruiting and indicates that they focus on much more than football. Bullard also was one of the first to discuss with Dawgs Daily how UGA is focusing on building personal brands for prospects they’re recruiting.
Damond Harmon - A 3-Star corner from Highland Springs, Virginia, Harmon placed Georgia in his Top 5 this past weekend. Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Penn State seem to be overlapping with Georgia in the pursuit of several of these highly sought after cornerbacks like Warren, Johnson, Green, and Harmon. Reserve judgment on any kind of chance of Harmon ending up at UGA until a visit is made and the announcements of Grimes, Johnson, Warren, and Green are official.
SAFETY
Terrion Arnold - Arnold plays on the same 7 on 7 squad as David Daniel and Georgia is making a late push. Alabama and Florida are considered favorites at this point, but Arnold is expected to make a visit to Georgia at some point and that could play a big part in his decision. Arnold is a versatile player and could fit multiple roles in a scheme such as Georgia’s.
Corey Collier - likely to stay in the Sunshine State, but the Dawgs is will continue to push here. Things could really ratchet up a notch if Georiga were to lose out to Miami for James Williams.
Sage Ryan - A very quiet recruitment, much like that of Isaiah Johnson. Ryan places Georgia in his Top 10 back in late March. He has picked up offers from Baylor and Texas since and many consider the Louisiana product to be a sure-fire LSU Tiger. This would be one out of left field for the Dawgs, but stranger things have happened.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDailySI.
