UGA recruiting finished first in the rankings for the 2018 class. Expect the Bulldogs to be right at the top in 2019, too. DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell will answer a Recruiting Question of the Day on Tuesday and Thursday. You can ask him your questions on Twitter or on the DawgNation Message board forum. Find our previous questions and answers here. 

Georgia recruiting question of the day

DawgNation forum user Teddy: With Georgia likely looking to sign two offensive tackles this cycle, who would you say are the top 5 recruits on their board? Along with your best guess as to who actually signs. I’ve seen many tackles that are interested in UGA, but not many that have stated UGA is their leader. And the in-state crop of OTs doesn’t seem very deep, so I’m guessing they’ll probably come from out-of-state.

Teddy offers up a question on a lot of minds right now. There might be some camp evaluations to look for on this topic down the line if a lot of the program’s top options do not work out.

If a top-flight prospect performs well at a summer camp, that could lead to a committable offer.

The big picture is the Bulldogs might only sign two tackles in 2019. If they sign three offensive line prospects, one might be another tackle who looks like he could become a top guard.

The program has an abundance of guards, but not a lot of tackles. Georgia definitely does not have a lot of left tackle prototypes.

That’s not just a UGA problem. The rest of the nation is looking for those guys, too. Nicholas Petit-Frere, the 5-star prospect who signed with Ohio State, was arguably the only true elite left tackle in the 2018 class.

Georgia has offered 21 tackle prospects in the 2019 cycle. Who are the best in the class?

There are a few candidates who have committed to other schools, such as strong Alabama verbal commit Pierce Quick (No. 4 tackle in 2019 per 247Sports composite). Grayson High School’s Wanya Morris (No. 6 OT) is also set to choose between Auburn and Tennessee on May 1.

Devontae Dobbs, a 5-star prospect ranked the nation’s No. 1 tackle, seems likely to wind up at guard. He recently visited Georgia and had a great visit last summer for a camp during which he clicked with line coach Sam Pittman.

Here are the tackle recruits players to watch for right now:

  • Darnell Wright, 5 stars, Huntington, W.Va.: The 6-foot-6, 314-pound prospect is ranked the nation’s No. 3 tackle for 2019. Kirby Smart visited him earlier this year while he was in the Mid-Atlantic region checking in on a couple of prospects.
  • Xavier Truss, 4 stars, Bishop Hendricken/Warwick, R.I.: The 6-7, 325-pound prospect is the 13th-ranked tackle in his class. Truss clearly wants to take some of his official visits to schools in the South. That’s a start. He had a two-day visit to UGA on Feb. 22 and left with a very favorable impression.
  • Amari Kight, 4 stars, Thompson/Alabaster, Ala: Kight, the No. 14 tackle, has already visited Georgia. He is scheduled to be at Alabama for A-Day this weekend. He’s not ready to establish any leaders yet, but Auburn, Alabama and UGA would probably rank very highly on his list.
  • Warren McClendon, 4 stars, Brunswick, Ga.: The McClendon family is filled with Georgia legacies. McClendon, the No. 24 tackle in his class, is a prospect who has been on Pittman’s radar since his freshman year. He visited Athens for the scrimmage last weekend. His versatility stands out as a guard or tackle, but SEC East rivals Florida and South Carolina are after him hard.

I’d look for the Bulldogs to sign at least two tackles in 2019. That’s a must, and it might wrap up the offensive line recruiting for this class.

The most logical options would come from a pool from Dobbs, McClendon, Truss and Wright.

The state of Georgia isn’t providing much help. There are only four tackles among the state’s top 50 players on the 247Sports composite. Morris will not choose UGA. Luke Griffin de-committed and was more aligned to play guard. Grayson 4-star tackle Trente Jones committed to Michigan, but he never had a Georgia offer.

McClendon is really the only in-state tackle option for the Bulldogs in 2019.

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