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Clemson recruiting success putting more pressure on Georgia football

Georgia doesn’t need to be worried about how well Clemson is recruiting just yet. But that time might be coming at this rate. The Tigers doubled their 5-star count over the weekend as it landed the nation’s No. 2 running back in Demarkcus Bowman on Friday and the No. 1 quarterback on Sunday as DJ Uiagalelei committed to Clemson.

This comes just weeks after landing the nation’s No. 1 defensive player in Bryan Bresee. And if you’ve been paying attention to DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell, you know the Tigers are in very good standing with 5-star defensive end Myles Murphy. He also happens to be the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia for the 2020 recruiting cycle.

This is the kind of recruiting bump that comes with winning a national championship. It’s part of the reason why Alabama has been able to have so many No. 1 overall recruiting classes over the past decade.

It’s very much a chicken and egg analogy. Winning leads to getting better recruits, which then leads to more winning. Georgia football has already checked off the first two boxes, as it reached the College Football Playoff in 2017 and signed three straight top-three recruiting classes.

Georgia fans shouldn’t be overly concerned with how well the Tigers are recruiting as of late. They’ve had no problem landing 5-star quarterbacks and defensive linemen in recent years. They’ve also had a good amount of success recruiting the Atlanta area. They’re able to recruit at this level because they’ve proven that can win national titles and develop players for the NFL.

Georgia is still going to reel in its fair share of 5-star recruits in the 2020 recruiting cycle. It already has a commitment from 5-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

It’s also in very good standing with 5-star linebacker Mekhail Sherman, 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert and 5-star cornerback Kelee Ringo. Georgia is also likely to land at least one 5-star running back this class as well.

Related: 5-star OLB Mekhail Sherman shares rare insight on recent UGA visit

How well Georgia does during the upcoming season may not have a huge impact on the 2020 recruiting class. But another College Football Playoff appearance or even a national championship is going to open more future doors for the program. It’s going to make things easier for the 2021 and 2022 recruiting cycles.

Georgia football will have a team that is every bit as good as Clemson — and Alabama — for the 2019 season. That’s why all three teams seem to be the consensus top three teams coming out of the spring football period. If the Bulldogs want to keep up and even pass Clemson and Alabama, they need to start winning those really big games. Georgia needs to hold on and beat Alabama. It needs to show that Trevor Lawrence isn’t the greatest quarterback prospect of all-time.

Kirby Smart routinely said that pressure was a privilege in 2018. That mantra is going to apply again in 2019. And if Georgia can come through under pressure, it should no problem doing what Clemson is doing right now: Recruiting at an elite level AND winning championships.

Saquon Barkley, Todd Gurley impressed by D’Andre Swift highlights

Georgia running back D’Andre Swift produced a number of thrilling highlight runs last season. The now junior tailback rushed for 1,049 yards last season and 10 touchdowns.

Swift’s most impressive games came during the final stretch of the season. In three consecutive SEC games against Florida, Kentucky and Auburn, Swift topped 100 yards each time.

Some of those highlights were floating around Twitter this weekend and happened to catch the eye of one of the best running backs in the NFL. Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants took note of some of Swift’s more impressive plays from the 2018 season.

Barkley and Swift both hail from the state of Pennsylvania and has said in the past that Swift is going to be a very good player.

“I got to see him play high school ball,” Barkley said. “That guy is special. I think in a couple years you will be looking at him as a top 5, top 10 pick.”

Barkley himself was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and went on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.

Related: Kirby Smart details how D’Andre Swift has ‘set himself apart’ this spring

Todd Gurley also showed Swift some love on Twitter this weekend. He quote tweeted another batch of Swift highlights and called him the best running back in all of college football.

Gurley is coming off a great season and was a key reason why the Los Angeles Rams were able to make it to the Super Bowl. Swift could no doubt help some NFL team do the same one day.

Another strong season from Swift could see him as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Georgia will have to replace Elijah Holyfield, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season. And while Georgia has capable replacements in Brian Herrien and Zamir White, Swift could also stand to see an increased workload this coming season.

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