This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting shares the insight of one of the top defensive line coaches, recruiters and teachers in the game in UGA assistant Tray Scott.
Let’s be honest right off the jump. While it is the goal for Georgia’s Tray Scott to scour game film and the tape of every camp workout to try to find the next Jalen Carter or Jordan Davis, that is one very tall order.
Perhaps the better question would be: What does Scott look for in trying to find the next great Georgia defensive lineman?
That doesn’t sound nearly as daunting.
When it comes to what he looks for his next “Trench Mob” member, Scott makes no bones about what comes first. And even second on his wish list.
“Position versatiilty is a premium,” Scott told DawgNation last month at Sugar Bowl Media Day. “What do I mean by that? The ability to do more than one different thing. Now everybody has their things that they are really good at. You might have a guy that’s a better run defender and a guy that’s a better pass rusher. Or the guy that’s more powerful and strong rather than twitchy and explosive.”
“To answer that the best way, the versatility is the main event and trying to make sure that you don’t have too much of one thing. Because you never know what you are going to have to defend with these offenses. We just try to make sure we have balance created with the versatility that we have in the room.”
Scott has pipelined as many “alphas” to the NFL as any position coach on the Georgia staff of late. He can just point to names like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt to show how he can develop.
As a reflection of his versatilty, that was a former 3-star, a 4-star and two 5-stars that came out of his room to go shake Roger Goddell’s hand on the first-round stage. That’s just since the 2022 NFL Draft.
With the way recruiting has changed over the last two years, how much has that track record helped on the recruiting trail?
Scott doesn’t look at it that way.
It is just different, he said.
“It is different in the sense that it is different individual [these days] but recruiting is recruiting,” he said. “When it comes down to it at the end of the day, you’ve got to build a relationship and that individual they have to trust that you can help them develop. If they don’t trust it, you may not be able to sign them.”
“At the end of the day, with the product that we’ve created here we’re looking for those guys that are willing to come work and come grind with us and they are out there. We just have to find them.”
Georgia found a couple of those in its latest signing class. The Bulldogs signed the nation’s No. 1 DT prospect in Savannah 5-star Elijah Griffin. They also signed 3-star gem JJ Hanne out of California. Hanne has elite first-round traits in his own right, but just started playing football during his junior year of high school.
Hanne moved to America from Germany because he showed a lot of promise based on primarily a soccer athletic background. He had great size and could move well.
If the Dawgs are able to sign Ohio State DT Hero Kanu out of transfer portal this week, Scott will be a big reason. That’s based not only on that previously-mentioned reputation, but also on the relationship he formed with Kanu and his family during the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Kanu’s background and his story mirrors that of Hanne. Both German-born prospects were found by former college player Brandon Collier and his PPI Recruits training group. That group has every right to bill itself as the No. 1 recruiting and placement platform for international football players in the United States.
Scott has maintained an excellent relationship with Collier over the years. That helped pave the way for signing Hanne in this year’s class.
“Tremendous story,” Scott told DawgNation. “Young and new to the game. Quicky study. Willing learner. Tough kid. Looking forward to seeing how he develops. Really excited about it. He’s made some leaps and bounds since high school coming from Germany. I am really excited about what he could be. We’ll see.”
SENTELL’S INTEL
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