>Big Recruiting Day For Georgia

>It was just about a week and a half ago when Georgia landed their first three verbal commitments since August in the form of DB Damian Swann, LB Ramik Wilson and WR Sanford Seay. With National Signing Day quickly coming up on us two Georgia targets chose Wednesday to make their verbal commitments. TE Jay Rome, #18 on the ESPNU 150, and teammate WR/DB Malcolm Michell, #45 on the ESPNU 150, both announced their college intentions today but did it at different locations (which caused me to think they might be going separate ways). Jay Rome went first and announced on ESPNU that he would be attending Georgia over Alabama. I was expecting this as Rome has been rumored as a heavy lean towards Georgia for the last several weeks. And why not, Georgia has a really good recent history with TEs making it to the NFL (Leonard Pope, Ben Watson, Randy McMichael, Jermaine Wiggins). I’m not sure what kind of immediate impact Rome will have on the field as Georgia has Orson Charles and Aron White ahead of him but I think he will see the field this year and could set up some good mis-matches if on the field at the same time as Charles.

Next up was Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell announced his intentions at a local restaurant and on a radio show. Jay Rome made it back from his ESPNU trip, which was filmed in Tallahassee, in time to be decked out in Georgia gear for the announcement. Mitchell started off by announcing that Florida was still in the mix and he thanked Georgia coaches (which is the recruiting kiss of death). But in the end Mitchell, who himself said that Alabama had led the whole way in his recruiting, chose Georgia. Mitchell is very interesting because he can go both ways on the field and Rivals has him listed as the #1 CB prospect in the Nation and #30 overall. Recruiting rankings are so subjective but it still feels good when you read that Georgia has Rivals #1 and #3 CB recruits from this years class. But will Mitchell play CB or will he play WR at Georgia? Obviously WR is a little more wide open in the immediate future with the departure of AJ Green and Kris Durham and CB is in decent hands with 3 returning players (Boykin, Commings and Smith). Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 13 TDs in his senior season. His coach called him “the best athlete I’ve ever coached.”

Also this week, Georgia scored a commitment from DB Quintavious Harrow, who just happens to be a friend and teammate of Isaiah Crowell. Harrow did not have any previous offers but did take a visit to Alabama on January 14th according to Scout.com. Harrow is undersized at DB but could be an asset in the kick game and on special teams with his 4.4 speed. Some have said that he didn’t get any offers because his academic standing was in question until recently. Scout has him listed as a 2-star prospect. Harrow is not somebody who looks to contribute immediately but could be a Tim Jennings or Tyson Browning type down the road (although both of them were rated higher by recruiting services).

These two kids (Rome and Mitchell) haven’t even stepped on campus and we don’t know if they will be all they are cracked up to be but it was a feel good moment that Georgia needed. After a dismal season things are starting to look up with the latest flurry of verbal commitments and Texas poaching our OL coach (yes I think this is a positive, the Georgia OL has been awful the last two years and this past season was one of…if not THE…most underperforming units in all of college football). Now we await word on RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew and NT John Jenkins. If Georgia lands 2 of those guys then this really might be the “Dream Team” that the Georgia coaches are touting.