Georgia Recruiting Notebook: Names to Know on the Trail

It's the offseason here in the state of Georgia, and that means camps, workouts, 7on7s, recruiting events, and all the works. Here's our running notebook and names to know.

Brooks Austin | Mar 12, 2023

The University of Georgia is atop the sport of college football for a variety of reasons far too complex to list here. Though, under head coach Kirby Smart arguably the biggest reason for the unprecedented success of consecutive national titles for the first time in the CFP era has to be talent acquisition.

They've won at an unprecedented rate the last two seasons, but they recruited at an unprecedented rate for half a decade prior to the championship success. A large reason for that recruiting success is a result of their proximity to the nation's best.

So, it's the offseason here in the state of Georgia, and that means camps, workouts, 7on7s, recruiting events, and all the works. I'll be on the road all spring and summer and figured this year, we'd keep a running blog. Enjoy.

March 11th

It's officially 7on7 season on the recruiting trail which means plenty of new names and faces to get to know. Saturday's circuit brought out some familiar faces with even more new ones to get to know. The day began at Lakepoint in Emerson, Georgia for Pylon ATL where the Jeremiah Smith and Peyton Woodyard-led South Florida Express were on display. Jeremiah Smith stands 6'3, 195 pounds, and simply does everything extremely well. He's as polished of a big receiver as I've evaluated at this age. As for the Bulldog commit Woodyard, the ball seems to find him on the defensive end and he's fluid despite being a larger safety. The South Florida Express team then spent the afternoon in Athens, according to sources.

TopShelf Performance brought out the latest 2026 offer on the recruiting trail in the form of Peyton Zachary. The slot receiver showed exactly why he's a rising sophomore worthy of an offer from the national champion. He's QuickTrip, always open and convenient for your choosing.

The night day concluded at DR7 in Marrietta where new faces arrived yet again, and this time much younger than normal. We have our first 2027 name to know here on Dawgs Daily, yes a current eighth grader...

Joshua Jones is a 2027 WR out of Jacksonville, Florida. He's 14 years old, already stands 6'2, 185 pounds and I'd venture to say the offers start to roll in rather quickly here.

Hustle Inc. has been a feature in this article previously (scroll down), and they were out in force again on Saturday night. The usual suspects were on display, but I left further impressed with Jivan Baly out of Meadowcreek. He's not a new prospect to me, but his newfound focus at the cornerback position is paying off. He was in lock-step with receivers all night and found the football at the high point several times.

February 19th

Daniel Calhoun, a 2024 5-Star offensive lineman out of Walton High school should be a name Georgia fans are already familiar with. The must-have in-state product for the Georgia Bulldogs has official visits set up with Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas and has told Dawgs Daily there will be a fifth visit taken during the season as well. Though sources have indicated this battle remains between Georgia and Alabama for the most part, with a handful of schools fighting to creep their way in. Calhoun was essentially flawless in Sunday's 1on1 reps at Velocity in Canton, Georgia.

Malachi Toliver is a name in the 2024 class that Georgia fans might not know just yet. Though you'd better get acquainted quickly. The 6'5 offensive tackle from Cartersville, Georgia has recently picked up a Georgia offer, and the mutual interest seems to be growing between him and offensive line coach Stacy Searels.

Mal Waldrep, a 2025 utility offensive lineman from Brookstone High school impressed me on Sunday. He's 6'4.5, 297 pounds with offers from Georgia Tech and Penn State, I highly doubt Waldrep will make it out of the summer without racking up the remaining Power-5 offers he's in search of. Sources have indicated that Georgia has been in contact with Waldrep during the most recent contact window, as well as Alabama who worked Waldrep out privately back in January. He's going to be a fast riser once the big offers start to officially pop.

I happen to have a soft spot in my heart for a vertically challenged offensive lineman who is an absolute dog. Bradley Smith is him. The 6'1.5, 278-pound center out of Woodward academy didn't lose a rep on Sunday. He's calm, his lateral ability is staggering, and his technique is flawless. I don't know if Georgia is into recruiting centers this small anymore, but he's arguably the best in the state in 2024. He and Waltclaire Flynn out of Grayson High school are eerily similar prospects. Smith would be a useful addition to this Georgia roster considering their depleted corps at the center position.

February 12th

Attending Hustle Inc. 7on7 practice over the last several years would have exposed you to the likes of Gunner Stockton, De'Nylon Morrissette, and Oscar Delp in years past. Sunday's practice was a great look into the future of the Peach State, however, particularly the likes of Blake Stewart. Stewart, a 6'1, 165-pound defensive back in the 2026 class was an Adidas All-American as a freshman this fall and though he doesn't have offers just yet, he soon will.

February 10th

Friday nights at the bubble will be a mainstay feature in this article. The combination of Oliver Davis II — a defensive back specialist who trains Jaycee Horn, Eric Stokes, and Kamari Lassiter just to name a few — and Quay Mack, known as Routemaster here in Atlanta, provides one of the more unique environments to see some of the best DBs and WRs compete.

This week's participants? Well, apart from mainstays Ethan Nation (Nebraska) and Branden Strozier (Clemson) there were a few new faces as well.

Tevis Metcalf, a 2024 DB from Pinson Valley, Alabama made the trip over to the Westside of Atlanta on Friday. The 5'11 defensive back's older brother TJ Metcalf plays at Arkansas and his older cousin DK Metcalf plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He has a phenomenal pedigree, and broad shoulders that display potential for the additional weight he will undoubtedly put on. A potential move to the slot could be in the future, but he's fresh off a junior season that featured 4 interceptions and put together solid tape.

I was also impressed by Daniel James, a 2024 defensive back out of McEachern high school in Powder Springs, Georgia. The 5'11 corner has offers from Tennessee, Duke, and Wake Forest. He's an 11.1 100-meter runner but is expected to place Top-3 this spring in the 110 hurdles. In a world of recruiting where track speed holds precedence at the skill positions, it will likely be a big spring for James as well.

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Published Mar 12, 2023

BROOKS AUSTIN

Brooks Austin is a former college football player turned journalist and broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter @BrooksAustinBA