Georgia begins early signing period with strong message to rest of SEC

Georgia appeared to have a tremendous day of recruiting wrapped up. Seventeen players -- six being five-star prospects -- decided to sign their letters-of-intent on the first day of the inaugural national early signing period. In a news conference, head coach Kirby Smart expressed his excitement as national reporters lauded over the class he and his staff put together.

Little did anyone know, as late as 6:30 p.m., that the Bulldogs weren't done.

At 6:38 p.m., Georgia announced on Twitter that it had received its 18th national letter-of-intent from four-star defensive back Nadab Joseph, a player who entered the day committed to Alabama. Nearly two hours later at 8:30 p.m., Georgia landed a verbal pledge from four-star outside linebacker Channing Tindall. Tindall's commitment moved Georgia to the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

Flipping commits from Alabama wasn't something Georgia did often, if ever, a few years ago. Since Smart took over the program, a handful of players previously pledged to the Crimson Tide have looked East to Athens instead, with quarterback Jake Fromm being the most prominent one to do so.

Being able to snag Joseph and Tindall served as the proverbial cherry on top to what is easily Georgia's best recruiting class in the online star-ratings era.

The previous high for Georgia in terms of five-star players signed was four in 2012. The six in this class are the most in the country at the moment. Quarterback Justin Fields (No. 2), running back Zamir White (No. 6), offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer (No. 10), offensive lineman Cade Mays (No. 16), outside linebacker Adam Anderson (No. 18) and outside linebacker Brenton Cox (No. 22) are all ranked in the top-22 overall, according to the 247Sports.com composite.

What's wild about how Georgia is finishing its recruiting haul is that it started slow. Over the summer, Georgia, as a team, was ranked in the 60s nationally. Smart heard plenty from the fan base during his speaking circuit when it came to the recruiting start.

But Smart issued a directive to them six or so months ago: Relax.

"We were never concerned," Smart said. "I said repeatedly to people where I spoke that we don’t worry about that. We are working on us. We are working internally on our organization and our development of our team. If you take care of your team, if you take care of what is inside your house, then things outside your house will do well. And we played well. You say, 'How do did we get from that point to this point?' We played well. I think people saw the success we had and they saw a lot of the games we played and they want to be part of that winning program."

Entering the early signing period, Georgia signed 14 players who were already committed, which included five-stars Fields, White and Anderson. But being able to add three additional five-stars to the mix in Salyer, Mays and Cox showed the strength in Smart's ability to recruit.

Georgia added five highly sought-after offensive linemen, which includes Trey Hill, Warren Ericson and Owen Condon. It brought in two elite running backs, with James Cook joining White. In addition to Anderson, Cox and Tindall, four-star pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari adds depth to a position that loses Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy at the conclusion of this season.

Receiver Kearis Jackson and tight end John FitzPatrick are four star prospects to bolster depth. Four-star cornerbacks Christopher Smith and Divaad Wilson are prized recruits in the secondary. After a season in the junior college ranks, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, originally a member of the class of 2017, is now with the program officially. Signee Jake Camarda is considered one of the top place-kickers in the country.

And this class isn't finished yet either.

It wouldn't be out of the question for Georgia to add a player by the end of Friday, which is when the early signing period ends. And after that, there could be additional opportunities to add players once the traditional National Signing Day arrives on Feb. 7.

"We’re excited about this group but I’m not ready to call this the greatest class ever or anything like that because it doesn’t matter," Smart said. "So many people want to win the recruiting war. I really care nothing about that. I care so much more about how they behave and how they learn and how they grow when they get here. We have to grow these guys when they get here and we have to get them better."

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Georgia begins early signing period with strong message to rest of SEC."