Where Will Xzavier McLeod Land?

Georgia is a top contender for another highly touted defensive player. However, the competition will once again be stiff.

Xzavier McLeod, a 4-star DL out of Camden (SC) is nearing a commitment. Georgia is one of the top candidates, but they will have to hold off SEC east foes South Carolina and Florida for one of the top prospects in SC.

McLeod visited schools like Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, and others this summer before trimming his list to six. Georgia made the cut, and so did South Carolina. This one is shaping up to be a South Carolina-Georgia battle barring any sudden late changes with Florida. 

For South Carolina, they seem to have a lot working in their favor. Not only is McLeod right in their backyard, but they have also done a good job of keeping some top talent instate. 

McLeod has also visited South Carolina multiple times, so the familiarity is there.

However, UGA has emerged as of late and has put itself right in the picture. In fact, the Dawgs might have a slight edge heading into decision day, according to sources. There are a couple of things working in Georgia's favor here. McLeod is coming off a recent visit to Athens, and the Dawgs have had precedented success with defensive linemen like McLeod in recent years.

At around 6'4 324, McLeod is a massive human being that seems like a perfect fit for Kirby Smart and the Georgia defense. The Dawgs have had plenty of success in recent years with larger defensive linemen, look no further than Jordan Davis as an example.

While the Dawgs are right in this one, it will be a battle until he commits. South Carolina has worked McLeod hard, and the instate school might be considered the favorite to the general public. However, Georgia has made some moves behind closed doors and might have recently emerged as the favorite. 

According to the 247 Composite Rankings, McLeod is the 25th best defensive lineman in the nation and a top 175 player nationally. If he does commit to the Dawgs, the commit list will grow to 19 and he would join Jamaal Jarrett to round out a high-caliber defensive line class for UGA. 

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