Want a daily lap through Georgia football recruiting? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. We’ll cover the news and which way a prospect like Terrell Perriman or Dorian Thompson-Robinson might lean plus add some perspective to help fans figure out what it all means.
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South Florida receiver Terrell Perriman dropped the L-word when talking about his interest in Georgia.
He said the Bulldogs are his top school at this time.
The 3-star junior prospect from Miami Central only stands about 5 feet, 11 inches and weighs in at 180 pounds. If size matters, then he’s likely one of the rare slot receiver candidates that Georgia’s recruiting emphasis on size will allow for every 1-2 seasons.
Perriman is only rated as the nation’s No. 95 wideout, but he’s also the nephew of former NFL receiver Brett Perriman.
Perriman played 10 seasons of pro football and he was roughly the same size as the UGA target.
“He’s told me that I was much better than he was at this age,” Terrell Perriman said. “He’s told me that I was much stronger and much faster than he was at the same age.”
Perriman ran a 4.61 laser time in the 40 last weekend at the Miami Opening regional. He clocked a 4.20 in the shuttle and flung the power ball 37 feet.
“I know I could have done better in the 40 but I pulled my hammy during the run and I let up at the end,” he said.
It is important to note that Perriman continued to work out at the camp despite that issue. When does he plan to decide?
“I don’t have a specific date in mind because I am trying to build a relationship with Georgia right now,” he said. “Maybe more will come. Maybe more schools will come. I don’t know. I just have to keep working hard.”
There have been conflicting reports about Perriman. Some have stated that Georgia was his leader. Others have said that team to beat was UCF.
What’s up with that?
“Actually, it was the opposite for me,” Perriman said. “My leader was UCF at first because I felt like that would have been a good program for me. You know my cousin Breshad Perriman (he of the 4.25 in the 40-yard dash) went there. He told me they work hard and told me they would be straight-up with you and let you earn your spot. I told them that’s what I want to do.”
But that was before he got in touch with Georgia receivers coach James Coley.
“I felt like I was at home talking with him,” Perriman said. “He told me not only would I play receiver but I would play other positions on the field like special teams and even other positions on defense.”
Perriman said the Isaiah McKenzie role was mentioned. He said that the Bulldogs are now recruiting him harder than any other school.
“Coach Coley told me that he liked that I was elusive and quick,” Perriman said. “He told me that’s exactly what he needs. He said I would be great at that slot position.”
If he had to decide tomorrow, he said he would choose Georgia. UCF would be a distant second.
Perriman plans to visit UGA on March 24.
“I will commit when I feel the need to commit,” Perriman said, who aspires to be a defense attorney one day.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s mother on UGA
My SEC Country colleague Chris Kirschner spoke to the mother of 4-star QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and shared the following insight about Georgia.
The clear takeaway here is Thomspon-Robinson was pleased to net the UGA offer. But that didn’t match his joy when the Crimson Tide did the same.
A quick reminder: Thompson-Robinson rates as the nation’s No. 4 dual-threat QB for 2018. We had an extensive overview of the recruiting for that position in Thursday’s blog.
He rates as the nation’s No. 51 overall prospect despite backing up Ohio State freshman Tate Martell last season. (Consider me an old hard-liner here that still believes in the merits of playing the game. The young man has the skills to march Bishop Gorman to another national title this fall. But I want to see a prospect throw more than 48 passes over his last two seasons before reaching that lofty of a ranking.)
How did he react to the UGA offer?
“Not like the Alabama offer — in terms of calling me and things like that,” his mother Melva Thompson-Robinson said. “He was very excited to get the Georgia offer, though. That’s one school he’s had an interest in.”
Thompson-Robinson had Georgia among his final 12 even before he received an offer from offensive coordinator Jim Chaney.
But the Crimson Tide offer elicited much more glee.
“It was very different,” his mother said. “I wasn’t home at the time. I was out with my daughter. He called me and was just like, ‘Ahhhh! I got the Alabama offer!” He was already texting me when he was on the phone with Coach Saban that he had gotten the offer.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect hasn’t visited Georgia. Kirschner reports that UCLA, Michigan, UNLV, USC, South Carolina and Texas are the schools he has the most contact with.
The visit plan is undefined.
“Anything is possible,” she said. “We are in the process now of trying to finalize our visits for the spring. We are not 100 percent confirmed with any plans. One of the things, for example, with my discussions with a coach from Miami, is that they picked up a commit over the weekend. Even though our plan was to go see them this spring, there was a commit. With quarterback, it’s different because most schools are only taking one quarterback. We now have to reassess what we’re going to do. Anything can happen. Somebody else may pick up a commit where we were thinking about visiting, so maybe we need to see somewhere else.”
His mother said to look for his commitment sometime between the end of April and the end of July. Thompson-Robinson has an interesting career pursuit.
He aspires to be a dentist.
Nation’s No. 14 CB talks UGA
Asante Samuel Jr., the nation’s No. 14 CB for 2018, plays for the powerful St. Thomas Aquinas program in Florida’s sunny Fort Lauderdale.
His father played 11 seasons in the NFL, was named first-team All-Pro at cornerback and even made four Pro Bowls. So the DNA is definitely there for the nation’s No. 108 overall prospect.
But the mutual interest between Samuel and Georgia is not there. Especially when he plans a summertime commitment.
It appears to be an example of Georgia shopping elsewhere at cornerback.
His schools are FSU, LSU and Ohio State. He said there is slight interest in Alabama as well, but it would be very likely that he picks a school with a 3-letter nickname.
Those three schools contact him more than any others, but he said the Seminoles are on him the hardest. He hears from the entire coaching staff. A lot.
He knows Sony Michel and Isaiah McKenzie but stated he does not hear from Georgia.
“Not at all,” Samuel Jr. said. “They are getting a lot of good guys in there who are changing that program’s whole foundation around.”
It is interesting Georgia has prioritized out-of-state recruiting in South Florida but appears its chances are better with other prospects.
Samuel checks in at 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds. He played at 160 pounds last season. Why is this information important?
It is just more evidence that the Bulldogs under coach Kirby Smart and Mel Tucker are prioritizing more height and length at the cornerback spot moving forward. Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.