Georgia Bulldogs 2021 recruiting class breakdown, stars and sleepers

Sixteen of Georgia’s 20 new players who put pen to their national letter of intent Wednesday will enroll early. They’ll arrive on Georgia’s campus over the next few weeks and get their first experience with SEC football.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of the volume of midyear enrollees. “Maybe someone else has done it in the country, and it’s certainly the new trend. I think it will continue to be that way. I think COVID probably caused some of that, as well. But it’s a very well-rounded class.”

Georgia, through the challenges and roadblocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and an NCAA dead period for in-person visits, landed the No. 3 class nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. It’s a class with plenty of Peach State products. It has its per-usual share of five-star prospects.

The Bulldogs addressed some needs with two five-star outside linebacker additions. It might’ve found its signal caller of the future. There are some questions, too, including unproven additions at defensive line and defensive back.

“We get the groceries because we know what we need,” Smart said. “I’m going to guess we do as much numbers crunching as anybody in the country. We don’t just take people to take people. We have targets, and we have needs for every roster spot on our team. We try to fill a certain type of player, and I feel like we were able to do that across the board.”

Let’s break down the first 20 additions to Georgia’s signing class. The Bulldogs ended their regular season, so Wednesday’s signing festivities put a spotlight on the future of the program.

STARS OF THE CLASS

—— Quarterback Brock Vandagriff ——

Five-star | Prince Avenue Christian Academy, Bogart, Georgia | 6-foot-3, 205 pounds

Georgia plucked its quarterback from the backyard. Brock Vandagriff, the local kid and high school coach’s son, committed to UGA long ago as a former Oklahoma pledge. He has been the 2021 class’s leader ever since. Vandagriff is known as a dual-threat option due to his running abilities. He has thrown for 3,638 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in his senior season.

What Smart said: “He’s a really good athlete. He’s tough. He’s a competitor. He grew up playing the game. [He’s] not afraid to take a hit, to deliver a blow. One of the first stories I heard about him when I got here was how he covered kickoffs maybe in the eighth or ninth grade and wasn’t afraid to hit people. When you look at a quarterback nowadays, that’s one of the things you have to say and that’s the new deal when you look across the NFL.”

—— Outside linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. ——

Five-star | IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida | 6-foot-3, 214 pounds

Georgia held off Alabama and Florida for the outside linebacker known as “The Barber.” Smart sees Sorey as a developmental athlete with great potential with his athleticism. Sorey is the top-ranked outside linebacker in the country.

What Smart said: “He’s extremely athletic, talented but raw. He’s a developmental player, meaning we think he’s got size, we think he’s got speed, athleticism. He played at a really small school, which I am very familiar with and grew up near down there. I got to watch him play a basketball game, one of the few guys I got to watch basketball and just thought he was a really good athlete on the basketball court, dunking, very talented and he’s really a good kid. He made the decision to go to IMG for his senior year, which I think put him in a position to be more successful in college because he got exposed to other players like him.”

—— Offensive tackle Amarius Mims ——

Five-star | Bleckley County High School, Cochran, Georgia | 6-foot-7, 315 pounds

Mims is a homegrown, dominating presence with potential to make an immediate impact on the Bulldogs’ offensive line. He was coached at Bleckley County High by Von Lassiter, who coached former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm and current starting center Trey Hill. Mims chose Georgia over Tennessee and other top programs.

GEORGIA CLASS SLEEPERS

—— Wide receiver Jackson Meeks ——

Three-star | Central High School, Phenix City, Alabama | 6-foot-2, 190 pounds

Meeks’ height gives Georgia an option at the perimeter receiver spot to grab 50-50 opportunities. He could also be a versatile option and play inside receiver with speed and athleticism. Meeks committed to Georgia late, as the Bulldogs offered on Oct. 30, and he gave his pledge shortly thereafter.

—— Tight end Brock Bowers ——

Four-star | Napa High School, Napa, California | 6-foot-3, 225 pounds

Bowers isn’t a sleeper because of his recruiting status. He’s the No. 3 tight end in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s someone who could emerge in Georgia’s loaded tight end room, however. The Bulldogs have Darnell Washington and John FitzPatrick in the unit. Ryland Goede, who has seen minimal playing time as a young player with injuries, could be an option in 2021.

—— Defensive tackle Marlin Dean ——

Three-star | IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida | 6-foot-6, 265 pounds

Dean’s name is No. 1 in the signing class, but he could be a player to watch for his on-field talents, too. Georgia has had luck with three-star defensive linemen in the past, namely All-SEC star Jordan Davis. Dean hails from Elbert County High School, same as former Bulldog receiver Mecole Hardman, but went to IMG Academy to develop against enhanced competition. A haul of 2021 signees come from the high school football powerhouse.

UGA SIGNEES BY POSITION

• QB: Vandagriff
• RB: Four-star Lovasea Carroll (IMG Academy)
• WR: Meeks, three-star Adonai Mitchell (Cane Ridge High School, Antioch, Tennessee)
• TE: Bowers
• OT: Mims, four-star Marcus Morris (Camden County High School, Kingsland, Georgia)
• OG: Four-star Dylan Fairchild (West Forsyth High School, Cumming, Georgia), three-star Jared Wilson (West Forsyth High School, Clemmons, North Carolina)
• DT: Dean, four-star Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (Gaffney High School, Gaffney, South Carolina)
• DE: Four-star Jonathan Jefferson (Douglas County, Douglasville, Georgia)
• ILB: Four-star Jamon Dumas-Johnson (St. Frances Academy, Baltimore)
• OLB: Sorey Jr., five-star Smael Mondon (Paulding County High School, Dallas, Georgia), four-star Chaz Chambliss (Carrollton High School, Carrollton, Georgia)
• CB: Four-star Nyland Green (Newton High School, Covington, Ga.), Four-star Kamari Lassiter (American Christian Academy, Tuscaloosa, Ala.), three-star Javon Bullard (Baldwin High School, Milledgeville, Ga.)
• ATH: Four-star David Daniel (Woodstock High School, Woodstock, Ga.)