Georgia Recruiting: A Look Ahead To 2022

COVID-19 has brought sports action to a stop. However, college football recruiting never stops. Georgia is making some moves in a talented 2022 class.

Like all college football programs, Georgia is doing it's very best to navigate the uncertainty that is football operations and recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The season seems to be in peril or at least delayed, and invaluable on-campus recruiting visits are now restricted through August 31st and likely longer. However, the days continue to roll by, games and visits will one day resume, and each program must continue to recruit and prepare amidst the unknown. 

While the UGA coaching staff is currently focusing on starting preparation for the (hopefully) upcoming season and on completing their 2021 recruiting class, we at Dawgs Daily look ahead to some of the key targets in 2022. The targets mentioned today fall into three categories. The RED (& BLACK) ALERT category consists of players that we know UGA is a current favorite for, or in a very select group of favorites, and action could be imminent. HIGH PRIORITY is a category for players that Georgia has made clear they're going all out for. Finally, NAMES TO KNOW is the category for players that have a ways to go in their recruitment but based on Georgia's needs could end up being solid fits in the class of 2022.

RED (& BLACK) ALERT 

CJ Washington - Washington is a Georgia native hailing from Cedartown. The two-way star Athlete has Georgia squarely in his Top 3 and a commitment is upcoming for him. Georgia looks to be the favorite here. If he does commit to UGA, it adds to seven of nine in-state commits in 2021 and would make Washington the second Peach State commit in 2022 along with Brookwood defensive back Marquis Groves-Killebrew.

Christen Miller - Another Peach State product. This will be a theme folks. Miller is a destructive force for the perennial powerhouse Cedar Grove Saints. Recently at the Elite Underclassmen Showcase in Atlanta, Miller gave Dawgs Daily's Brooks Austin strong indication that Tray Scott and the Georgia Bulldogs should be very happy about where they stack up in the recruitment of this 6'6" 285-pounder.

Tyre West - An absolute phenom. There is no other way to describe a player that dominates as a freshman and sophomore the way West has in Tift County's extremely difficult Region 1 7A. West has turned heads among some of the best competition in the entire country and it definitely seems that Georgia has caught his eye as well. What an addition Tyre West would (and likely will) be to the class of 2022.

HIGH PRIORITY

MJ Morris - Since Todd Monken has come aboard for Georgia, it's become abundantly clear that Morris is the guy that the new play-caller wants in Athens. Morris shows unbelievable arm strength and uses his athleticism to not only gash the defense on QB runs but also to keep plays alive and create explosive gains through the air. There is likely to be some interesting news out of the Morris camp soon, but for now, just know that Georgia is all in here and that Morris is the real deal. (Oh... another in-state player. Currently residing in Carrollton, Georgia)

Daniel Martin - A lengthy outside linebacker from Marietta, Georgia, Martin is a multifaceted player that allows himself to be used in a hybrid, Isaiah Simmons type role. Martin is both natural and instinctive in playing the run, being used in pressures, and dropping to cover the pass. No matter what his assignment, Martin attacks. The Marietta Blue Devil demonstrates a desire and hunger for the game that Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning have to be extremely keen on and when Martin arrives to a ball carrier, he does so with a high level of physicality.

Jake Johnson - Johnson is one of the prospects that get interacted with the most on social media by members of the Georgia coaching and recruiting staff. It's apparent that Jake is a young man that the Dawgs would love to have in their program. Johnson is a monster athlete. Guys that are 6'6" 215 pounds shouldn't run routes as well as the Bogart, Georgia native does. The ability that Johnson shows to control his body and adjust to balls in the air is tremendous and he's deadly in the Redzone. 23% of Johnson's catches in 2019 resulted in touchdowns. Todd Hartley and the UGA staff would love to keep this talented tight end in their backyard.

Tyler Booker - At 6'4" 290, Booker is immensely talented and could be a force at the FBS level on offense or defense. Georgia is recruiting Booker as a defensive lineman and he and Coach Tray Scott have already built up a strong bond. Originally from Connecticut, Booker is finishing out his high school career at IMG Academy and has told Dawgs Daily on SI.com that Kirby Smart and company have a great rapport and relationship with the IMG staff. Also, Booker has gotten insight on the UGA program from former teammate and 2020 signee Warren Brinson. It does not hurt the Dawgs chances in the least that Lovasea Carroll is also currently committed to Georgia and another high profile IMG player could be added to the 2021 class soon. I expect Georgia to be very high in the pecking order to Booker all the way throughout his recruitment.

Shazz Preston - Awareness, toughness, and leadership. These are all qualities that can be attributed to Shazz Preston. Preston is what you could also describe as a glue guy or a chain mover. It seems whenever St. James High School in Louisiana needs a third-down conversation or a clutch play, the ball matriculates toward Shazz Preston and it's usually at or beyond the line to gain before he is stopped or out of bounds. Preston has produced mightily in the first two seasons with St. James and now is looking to be an even more vocal leader for the defending state champs in Louisiana.

Preston is very high on Georgia and has a good relationship with Coach Cortez Hankton who has gotten to know his family well through the recruitment of his older brother when Hankton was at Vanderbilt. Even though Preston's brother Shawn ended up at Mississippi State, Shazz and Hankton are building on that bond and the commonality of their Louisiana backgrounds.

NAMES TO KNOW

Tanner Bailey - Bailey is going to be a nationally renown name soon. The Gordo, Alabama native is a natural passer of the football. He can make accurate throws from a variety of bases. Alabama and Auburn are and will be all over him throughout the remainder of his high school career, but I would not be shocked to see things get serious between he and the Bulldogs. Even with some of the major offers that Bailey has, I believe him to be underrated in this class.

Kojo Antwi - Another in-state prospect for the Dawgs. Antwi is a player that Todd Monken has spoken with and likes a lot. Look for Antwi to have a big year for Lambert High School this upcoming season. Think Malcolm Mitchell here as a comparison.

Nasir Pearce - later today Georgia is trending to gain a commitment from Jamon Dumas-Johnson. Dumas-Johnson attends St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. The program has produced some great players and Nasir Pearce appears to be one of the next in line. At 6'3" 275, he's quick and could end up being versatile along Kirby Smart's defensive front.

Joshua White - White is a new teammate of Red (& Black) Alert prospect Christen Miller and the two are very close. In fact, they often speak to Coach Tray Scott together. In a recent conversation with Dawgs Daily on SI.com, White indicated that his relationship with Tray Scott is great and continuing to grow. At 6'5" 255, White is a terror on the edge and Cedar Grove (Georgia) is going to be ridiculously talented once again.

Raleek Brown - Brown is considered by many to be the top all-purpose running back in the 2022 class. With great speed and agility, Brown is versatile and can be split out at receiver as well. Brown would fit nicely into the way that Todd Monken has used backs in the past. Dell McGee has already begun building a good relationship with the California speedster and Monken's style of offense impacts Brown great. Brown told Dawgs Daily in an earlier interview that he, "loves an offense that spreads things out."

Mykel Williams - Surprise, another prospect from the state of Georgia. A native of Columbus, Williams is a 6'5" 255 defensive end that is going to be a premier target for Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, and LSU along with the Bulldogs. Tray Scott and Dell McGee are both involved here. Look for Williams to have a monster junior year at Hardaway High School.

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