Early Signing Day: How to watch, what to expect from Georgia’s 2020 class
That special time of the year is finally here.
It’s not Christmas, although some football coaches around the country will undoubtedly feel like children seeing presents under the tree. It’s the beginning of the national early signing period, with Dec. 18 being the first day prospects around the country can officially sign with their school of choice.
Georgia enters the early period with the No. 6 recruiting class in the country consisting of 15 verbal commits so far. Several of those commits, including defensive lineman Jalen Carter, offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, receiver Marcus Rosemy and running back Kendall Milton, will be signing on Wednesday.
But the number of commits means there’s room for an already good class to get even better. Several uncommitted prospects will be announcing their decisions either on Wednesday or during the early signing period.
Here’s a look at who to watch for:
WR Arian Smith — 1:00 p.m. ET
With four stars Rosemy and Justin Robinson already in the fold at receiver, a commitment from Smith would give the Bulldogs a talented trio on the outside in this class. The Lakeland, Florida, native received an in-home visit from Kirby Smart last week and spent last weekend in Athens on an official visit. The Bulldogs seem to have been coming on strong late, but Smith will make his final decision likely between Georgia and Alabama at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
DL Jordan Burch — 2:30 p.m. ET
Burch’s announcement may well be the most heavily anticipated one on Wednesday. Checking in at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, the 247Sports Composite rates him as the fifth-ranked prospect in the country. The Bulldogs seem to be fighting mostly with Alabama and Clemson for Burch’s commitment. The Columbia, South Carolina, native was in Athens for an official visit last weekend, but it remains to be seen if the late push by Georgia will be enough to overcome the home-state Clemson.
DB Major Burns — 10:30 a.m. ET
On Dec. 11, Burns announced his decommitment from LSU. A few days later he was in Athens for a visit, and reports surfaced Tuesday that Burns had committed to Georgia. He still has to put pen to paper on Wednesday morning, but Georgia seems to be in a good position to land another talented prospect for the secondary.
QB C.J. Stroud — 12:30 p.m. ET
The Bulldogs already have one quarterback, four-star Carson Beck, signing on Wednesday. But that hasn’t stopped them from pursuing Stroud, the second-ranked pro-style quarterback in the country. His last official visit was to Ohio State and his official visit to Athens was during the Texas A&M game on Nov. 23. Beck’s commitment might persuade Stroud to sign with the Buckeyes, but fans of both teams will know for sure when he signs at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
TE Darnell Washington
Washington plans to sign during the early period, but he’s not going to publicly announce his commitment until the Under Armour All-American game on Jan. 2. He’s narrowed his choices to Georgia, Tennessee and Miami, but the Las Vegas native has also visited Alabama and Florida over the course of the fall. Whichever school lands him will get one of the most dynamic athletes in this class — a 6-foot-7, 260-pound tight end that has also been clocked at a 4.75-second 40-yard dash. Georgia has been searching for players to make plays in the passing game, and Washington could certainly help fill that void as a freshman if he chooses to play in Athens.
DB Kelee Ringo
Like Washington, the nation’s top-ranked cornerback prospect will sign first and announce later, with Ringo waiting until the All-American Bowl on Jan. 4. He too spent the last weekend before the early signing period in Athens, a good sign for a Georgia team that could be poised to land a massive haul in the secondary. Between Ringo, Burns, commit Jalen Kimber and another uncommitted prospect in Dontae Manning, this could form the nucleus of one of the nation’s best secondaries in a few years.