With the SEC season just a few months away, here’s a look at the potential impact freshmen for each team. Recruiting rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite, which calculate the average of all four major recruiting websites (247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and Scout.)
Today we’ll take a look at Georgia
2015 Record:
10-3 (5-3 SEC), Third in SEC East
2016 Team Ranking:
National Rank No. 7
SEC Rank: No. 4
Class Breakdown:
5-star: 3
4-star: 10
3-star: 8
Top Incoming Prospects:
- PRO Jacob Eason- 5-star, Lake Stevens Sr (Lake Stevens, WA), No. 2 PRO, No. 5 overall
- TE Isaac Nauta- 5-star, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL), No. 1 TE, No. 12 overall
- ATH Mecole Hardman Jr.- 5-star, Elbert County (Elberton, GA), No. 1 ATH, No. 13 overall
- DT Julian Rochester- 4-star, McEachern (Powder Springs, GA), No. 10 DT, No. 68 overall
- OT Ben Cleveland- 4-star, Stephens County (Toccoa, GA), No. 10 OT, No. 92 overall
Class Overview:
Jacob Eason is, without question, Georgia’s most talked about signee. Eason rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 5 overall prospect for 2016. His hype is so big that many Georgia fans want him to start immediately, ignoring the fact that they have a solid returning starter in Greyson Lambert.
But with Kirby Smart entering his first season as head coach, all positions are up for grabs. Sure, Lambert’s experience will likely give him an advantage, but Smart doesn’t have to play favorites with former coach Mark Richt’s recruits. If Smart thinks Eason is ready, he’ll start him. It also doesn’t hurt that Eason enrolled in January, allowing him to adapt to new coordinator Jim Chaney’s offense early.
That said, Eason has a world of potential, but should probably be eased into the college level. There’s no reason to force him into a starting role and mess with his confidence early. Eason will be a huge impact player for the Bulldogs, but that’s more long-term. Smart will likely redshirt him so he can have an extra year of eligibility when there isn’t a more experienced quarterback on the depth chart. Or, he could decide to play him in his first season. It really depends on whether Lambert is good enough to keep Georgia’s offense afloat.
When Eason does take over at quarterback, he’ll have a monster tight end to throw to, even if it’s after Jeb Blazevich’s departure from the program. Isaac Nauta is the No. 1 tight end and No. 12 overall prospect from the 2016 signing class.
At 6-foot-3, 244 pounds, Nauta possesses the size, speed and skill to make an immediate impact at his position in the SEC.
“I am going to bring a competitive edge and an attitude with me that I always want to win and I always want to beat whoever lines up across from me,” Nauta told GoDawgs247 after his commitment. “I am going to give Georgia my all every week.”
Like Eason, Nauta enrolled early, which makes him more likely to see the field as a true freshman. However, having a proven veteran like Blazevich on the depth chart likely guarantees that Nauta starts his first season as the team’s No. 2 tight end.
Georgia’s biggest National Signing Day commitment was Mecole Hardman Jr., a five-star athlete who chose the Bulldogs over Tennessee, Michigan, Florida and Clemson.
Hardman has elite speed and can excel on both sides of the football. He is expected to play cornerback — a position that returns both starters from 2016 — at Georgia, but could also excel as a wide receiver or return specialist if needed as a freshman.
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