Want to attack every day with the latest UGA football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel brings. This entry provides an overview of how the recent recruiting service reranks have affected the 2022 commits and the major targets for this cycle. 

Gunner Stockton is a 5-star (247Sports Composite scale) and the highest-rated member of the 2022 recruiting class for Georgia football in 2022.

That statement was accurate a few days ago, but it is now no longer the case.

The recent rankings update for the 2022 class with the ESPN 300 has been plugged into the algorithm. That matrix has meant a few ripples in the pond in regard to the rankings of not only the elite athletes committed to Georgia but also the high-priority targets for this cycle.

Here’s a scan of a few of the bigger moves.

  • Georgia has closed the gap on Ohio State for the No. 1 spot on the 247Sports Team Composite rating. The margin is now 238.84-235.63. 
  • The average rating for Georgia’s recruit also sits bumper-to-bumper with the Buckeyes with an even slighter separation from 95.74 to 95.44. 
  • ESPN has eight Bulldog commits among its top 100 recruits for 2022. That’s more than any other program. The Buckeyes only have six in the top 100. 
  • The rest of the SEC has seven combined commitments among the top 100 at ESPN. The ESPN rankings probably don’t have the reputation they once used to compared to the two national services. That’s largely an issue of manpower, but it is still a prominent brand. 
  • Stockton is the fourth-highest rated Bulldog commit at No. 42 nationally. His drop was determined largely by ESPN assessing the Rabun County star as the nation’s No. 96 overall recruit. That puts him behind seven other Bulldog commits. He’s the nation’s No. 5 QB for ESPN in 2022. 
  • Bainbridge 5-star Deyon Bouie is now the highest-rated pledge at No. 28 overall. 
  • Malaki Starks is the now second-highest Bulldog commit at No. 31 overall. 
  • Prized Texas recruit “The Big Bear” Alexander takes a huge leap from No. 86 to No. 38 overall. He’s now rated as the nation’s No. 5 DT. ESPN’s rating has him at No. 31 overall. Rivals.com also slots him in as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit. Those are worthy elevations to his standing. 
  • Alexander and Tift County star Tyre West are both ranked among the nation’s top 5 DT prospects for ESPN in this class. That bodes very well for Georgia’s defensive front in the future. 

Did you know the weekly DawgNation.com “Before the Hedges” program is available as an Apple podcast? Click to check it out and download it. 

Georgia football: The rankings big picture as of right now

As far as the 247Sports Composite goes, that’s the standard used by DawgNation.com. That’s because it is a blend of the rankings from the three of the major services.

Here’s what we see that stands out: 

  • The power teams cleaning up among the top 100 on the composite scale: Georgia 7; Ohio State 6; Oklahoma 4; Alabama 3; Texas A&M 3; Texas 3.  
  • The Buckeyes still have the edge on UGA when it comes to the bluest of chips. Ohio State has three commitments from prospects ranked among the nation’s top 25 recruits. Georgia has zero.
  • Clemson only has one commitment inside the 247Sports Composite top 150. That’s Texas QB pledge Cade Klubnik at No. 79 overall. 
  • Those Tigers only have four commits at this time and are sitting at No. 24 nationally for 2022. 
  • UGA has six pledges that fall between No. 28 and No. 66 overall. Stockton is the only offensive player among that lot. 

Have you subscribed to the DawgNation YouTube channel yet? If so, you will be able to see special 1-on-1 interviews with Jake Fromm, Gunner Stockton and Brock Vandagriff. You will only be able to find it on the DawgNation YouTube channel. 

Where do the big-name targets sit in the latest ratings?

Since we are discussing the future life’s blood of the Georgia football program, let’s take a look at what might await in the days to come down the recruiting trail, too.

Let’s update the recent “top targets” list for DawgNation.com from the weekly “Before the Hedges” program. Where do those guys stand in the current makeup of the top 100 on the composite?

  • 13. 4-star OL Addison Nichols (Greater Atlanta Christian/Norcross, Ga.): No. 100
  • 12. 4-star OT Tyler Booker (IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.): No. 41
  • 11. 5-star S Kamari Wilson (IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla): No. 24
  • 10. 4-star WR De’Nylon Morrissette (Brookwood/Snellville, Ga.): No. 224
  • 9. 4-star CB Tre’Quon Fegans (Oxford/Oxford, Ala.): No. 75
  • 8. 4-star WR Evan Stewart (Liberty HS/Frisco, Tex.): No. 34
  • 7. 5-star DT Travis Shaw (Grimsley/Grimsley, NC): No. 9
  • 6. 5-star DE/LB Jeremiah Alexander (Thompson/Alabaster, Ala.): No. 14
  • 5. 5-star DT Walter Nolen (St. Benedict at Auburndale/Cordova, Tenn.): No. 4
  • 4. 4-star TE Oscar Delp (West Forsyth/Cumming, Ga.): No. 81
  • 3. 4-star WR Kojo Antwi (Lambert/Suwanee, Ga.): No. 90
  • 2. 4-star RB Branson Robinson (Germantown/Madison, Miss.): No. 70
  • 1. 5-star DE Mykel Williams (Hardaway/Columbus, Ga.): No. 31

Check out this week’s edition of “Before the Hedges” on YouTube. We had a good little chat about the gridiron ball with new punter commitment Brett Thorson. 

How do the recruiting services view Georgia’s 2022 class? 

There’s the classic line we’ve all heard about beauty. Depends on the beholder, right? It was interesting to take a look at each of Georgia’s 12 commitments here and see how they are viewed by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and finally the 247Sports Composite.

There are a few fascinating cases of variance here, including the perspective on Cedartown ILB C.J. Washington.

Let’s tick them all off in the order in which they committed to UGA.

4-star CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew (1)

(Committed to UGA on May 27, 2020)

  • 247Sports: No. 12 CB/No. 114 overall
  • ESPN: No. 12 CB/No. 88 overall
  • Rivals: No. 17 CB/No. 130 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 10 CB/No. 96 overall

4-star LB CJ Washington (2)

(Committed to UGA on July 22, 2020)

  • 247Sports: No. 6 ILB/No. 102 overall
  • ESPN: No. 9 OLB/No. 81 overall
  • Rivals: No. 22 ATH/No national ranking
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 6 ILB/No. 136 overall

5-star ATH Deyon Bouie (3)

(Committed to UGA on November 1, 2020)

  • 247Sports: No. 4 ATH/No. 23 overall
  • ESPN: No. 2 ATH/No. 26 overall
  • Rivals: No. 10 CB/No. 67 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 2 ATH/No. 28 overall

4-star DT Tyre West (4)

(Committed to UGA on December 2, 2020)

  • 247Sports: No. 12 DT/No. 158 overall
  • ESPN: No. 5 DT/No. 52 overall
  • Rivals: No. 4 DT/No. 16 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 7 DT/No. 66 overall

4-star EDGE Darris Smith (5)

(Committed to UGA on December 3, 2020)

  • 247Sports: No. 19 weak-side DE/He is outside the Top 247.
  • ESPN: No. 29 DE/He is outside the ESPN 300
  • Rivals: No. 9 weak-side DE/No. 255 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 19 weak-side DE/No. 311 overall

3-star EDGE Donovan Westmoreland (6)

(Committed to UGA on January 22, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 20 OLB/No. 223 overall
  • ESPN: No. 45 OLB/He is outside of the ESPN 300
  • Rivals: No. 38 OLB/He does not have a national ranking
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 31 OLB/No. 390 overall

4-star QB Gunner Stockton (7) 

(Committed to UGA on January 28, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 2 dual-threat QB/No. 40 overall
  • ESPN: No. 5 QB/No. 96 overall
  • Rivals: No. 1 dual-threat QB/No. 15 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 2 dual-threat QB/No. 42 overall

4-star DT “The Big Bear” Alexander (8)

(Committed to UGA on February 3, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 7 DT/No. 100 overall
  • ESPN: No. 4 DT/No. 31 overall
  • Rivals: No. 2 DT/No. 4 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 5 DT/No. 38 overall

5-star ATH Malaki Starks (9)

(Committed to UGA on March 25, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 2 ATH/No. 13 overall
  • ESPN: No. 3 ATH/No. 30 overall
  • Rivals: No. 5 ATH/No. 76 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 4 ATH/No. 32 overall

4-star LB Jalon Walker (10)

(Committed to UGA on March 28, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 4 OLB/No. 65 overall
  • ESPN: No. 4 OLB/No. 41 overall
  • Rivals: No. 9 OLB/No. 73 overall
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 4 OLB/No. 55 overall

4-star RB Jordan James (11) 

(Committed to UGA on March 29, 2021)

  • 247Sports: No. 8 RB/No. 134 overall
  • ESPN: No. 18 RB/No. 191 overall
  • Rivals: No. 28 RB/He does not have a national ranking
  • 247Sports Composite scale: No. 17 RB/No. 178 overall

P Brett Thorson (12)

(Committed to UGA on March 31, 2021)

  • 247Sports: N/A
  • ESPN: NR
  • Rivals: NR
  • 247Sports Composite scale: N/A

SENTELL’S INTEL

(the recent reads on DawgNation.com)