Georgia gets good recruiting news as 2018 SEC Media Days gets underway

Not long after league commissioner Greg Sankey announced the opening of SEC Media Days, Georgia received some good news elsewhere.

In less than a 24-hour time span, the Bulldogs landed a second commitment to its 2019 recruiting class. Brunswick offensive lineman Warren McClendon announced his intention to play college football at Georgia. McClendon is a four-star prospect and is already 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds. He is the second offensive lineman to commit to Georgia in the 2019 class.

With McClendon, Georgia’s offensive line continues to improve.

“Blue-collar kid with all the tools,” Dawgs247’s Jake Rowe said. “Really long and athletic guy who comes from a football family and is just going to get better.”

This followed Sunday’s news, when the Bulldogs landed a commitment from three-star defensive lineman Zion Logue. And that came a day after Georgia landed a transfer addition from California receiver Demetris Robertson. The Bulldogs now have 12 commitments in what is considered the eighth-best recruiting class in the nation in the 247Sports.com composite.

That sort of news is welcoming for a Georgia program coming off of a national championship appearance. And Georgia will stay in the news cycle when it takes center stage Tuesday on the second day of SEC Media Days. Head coach Kirby Smart is bringing receiver Terry Godwin, center Lamont Gaillard and safety J.R. Reed to preview the upcoming season.

While Georgia got good news from south Georgia, the week’s main event, SEC Media Days, kicked off in Atlanta on Monday afternoon for the first time ever. Sankey said he has wanted to host this yearly event in Atlanta for some time.

Following Sankey’s time at the podium, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher took the stage in his inaugural SEC Media Days appearance. Fisher coached Florida State from 2010-17 and won the national championship in 2013. But after a 7-6 season with the Seminoles in 2017, Fisher left and signed a 10-year, $75 million contract with Texas A&M.

While previewing his team, Fisher was asked what kind of timeline he has for delivering the Aggies a national championship.

“I think your timetable is as quick as you can put things in place and everyone buys into what you’re trying to do,” Fisher said. “You have a timetable, your timetable is now. You want to win immediately and that’s your place. But is that realistic? I don’t know.“

Following Texas A&M’s appearance, Kentucky came through with head coach Mark Stoops, running back Benny Snell Jr., tight end C.J. Conrad and linebacker Josh Allen. While the Wildcats finished 7-6 a season ago, they are returning two of the better players in the conference in Snell and Allen. Allen was recently slotted in as a top-15 pick in a 2019 NFL mock draft by CBSSports.com.

Snell is the SEC’s leading returning rusher after totaling 1,333 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2017. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said he is expecting more from his program with the returning talent on his roster.

“We’re tired of being close,” Stoops said. “We want to get over that hump.”

This story was originally published July 16, 2018 at 3:16 PM.