THE WHAT-IFsIt’d be considered a huge upset, and major surprise on the national landscape, if Geor-gia didn’t get both Isaiah Crowell and John Jenkins. The need is immediate for both and the signatures of the two would push Geor-gia into the top five in the country, if not the top three. Any others after those two would be simply icing on Mark Richt’s National Signing Day cake, as Crowell and Jenkins would fill the Bulldogs’ two biggest voids. The Georgia coaching staff has gone all in on both and appear poised to sign both. How-ever, if Georgia did somehow miss on both, Georgia fans and coaches would undoubt-edly walk away from this class with a bitter taste in their mouth, despite the strength of the remainder of the Dream Team.

RECRUITING CLASS RANK

1 FLORIDA STATE

2 TEXAS

3 AUBURN

4 OHIO STATE

5 SOUTHERN CAL

6 GEORGIA

7 NOTRE DAME

8 ALABAMA

9 LSU

10 OREGON

SCHOOL

RECRUITING CLASS RANK

1 ALABAMA

2 TEXAS

3 FLORIDA STATE

4 LSU

5 SOUTHERN CAL

6 AUBURN

7 GEORGIA

8 OREGON

9 NOTRE DAME

10 CLEMSON

SCHOOL

By TRAVIS RAGSDALEThe Red & Black

Today, Georgia players and coaches will join each other for what they hope will be a joyous celebration of the recruiting suc-cess the Bulldogs have achieved this offseason. As it stands now Georgia has 23 committed pros-pects, two of which have enrolled early, leaving Georgia with room to add four to five more pros-pects to the “Dream Team” recruiting class.

Head coach Mark Richt’s con-cept of signing a recruiting class full of the best players in the state of Georgia to form a so-called “Dream Team” seems to be paying dividends with the prospects of this class, but per-haps even more importantly with the high school coaches of the prospects as well.

“I think it was a great idea,” said head football coach Matt Land of Dalton High School and coach of offensive line recruit Watts Dantzler. “It’s pretty clear that these guys are buying into the idea of coming to play for their home state. I think it will pay off in the years to come as well simply because other in-state players are going to want to join with the great class Georgia has put together.”

For the players themselves, the possibility of playing for their home-state school with other in-state players was too much to pass up.

“I like [the Dream Team]. Georgia boys are about to take the country by storm,” said four-star cornerback Damian Swann of Atlanta.

If Georgia is able to sign the final players on its board today, then the 2011 class would com-pare favorably to the 2006 class, which would eventually lead Georgia to a No. 2 final national ranking as well as a victory in the Sugar Bowl. The 2006 class included the likes of Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Asher Allen and Reshad Jones; all of which are now playing in the NFL.

Rivals.com national recruit-ing expert Barry Every said he feels the recruiting class put together thus far can be success-ful, and there are several players he said he believes will see the field right away.

“I would say Corey Moore because he is ideal for kick cov-erage and is willing to hit and either Ramik Wilson or Amarlo Herrera,” Every said. “Georgia is in need of some tough jokers to bounce around between the tackle box and make plays. They should also excel on kick cover-ages.”

Other likely immediate game-changers will include recently committed defensive end Ray Drew and Malcolm Mitchell, who could play wide receiver or cor-nerback in Athens. Every said he believes that Mitchell can help Georgia win games this year if he sticks with one position.

“I would not be jerking this kid around,” Every said. “Stick with either WR or DB and maybe kick or punt return. Then if he excels at his main position maybe let him see the other side of the ball.”

But it’s two players yet to make decisions — Isaiah Crowell and John Jenkins — that Every said he believes could be the big-gest factors for Georgia if they end up deciding to don the red and black.

“Georgia’s biggest holes this past season were along the defensive front and at tailback,” he said. “It became pretty clear early on that they were going to address those issues this off-sea-son. If Georgia does land Crowell and Jenkins, it will be a step in the right direction.”

Another hole Georgia has sought to address is along the offensive front, where it already have five offensive lineman com-mitted and are waiting to hear from massive left tackle prospect Antonio Richardson of Nashville, Tenn.

“They need offensive lineman badly in my opinion, so Richardson would add some needed depth and improves the chances of someone in this class making an impact early in their careers,” Every said.

Even if Georgia strikes out on all its remaining prospects today, which is extremely unlikely, but signs everyone it already has committed, Richt and the staff will have put themselves into a position to win right away, some-thing that has been missing from Athens for the past several years.

“With the class we put togeth-er, we want to make a dynasty,” linebacker Amarlo Herrera said. “We want to win everything — SEC, National Championship. We got the players now, but we just got to all get to campus and work hard this summer.”

5STERLING BAILEY, OLB

Hometown: GainesvilleHigh School: East HallMeasureables: 6-foot-4, 230 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Bailey could project at outside linebacker or defensive end in Georgia’s 3-4 scheme, depending on how much weight he adds. But either way, he’ll need to add strength.

The Red & Black | Wednesday, February 2, 2011 | 5 4 | Wednesday, February 2, 2011 | The Red & Black SIGNING DAY

National Signing Day crucial for Bulldogs

MAPPING IT OUT

CHRISTIAN LeMAY, QB

Hometown: Matthews, N.C.High School: ButlerMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: This talented quarter-back prospect didn’t play football his entire senior year after being sus-pended from his high school and will likely redshirt his freshman year.

2

DEVIN BOWMAN, CB

Hometown: RossvilleHigh School: RidgelandMeasureables: 6-foot, 175 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Bowman is blessed with tremendous change of direction that should allow the high school running back to make a quick transition to cornerback.

3

WATTS DANTZLER, OT

Hometown: DaltonHigh School: DaltonMeasureables: 6-foot-7, 310 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Dantzler has college-ready size but needs to get stronger in the weight room before waging war in the trenches on the collegiate level.

4

CHRIS CONLEY, WR

Hometown: DallasHigh School: North PauldingMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Conley has all the tools and is the most likely of the wide receiver group to see the field as a true freshman.

6

1HUNTER LONG, OG

Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.High School: Briarcrest SchoolMeasureables: 6-foot-4, 290 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Long is the brother of Georgia offensive tackle Austin Long, although Hunter projects best on the interior of the offensive line, likely as an offensive guard prospect.

DAVID ANDREWS, C

Hometown: NorcrossHigh School: Wesleyan SchoolMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 276 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Andrews projects at the center position, where he can use his intelligence to make the offensive line calls, but needs to add weight before seeing the playing field.

7

AMARLO HERRERA, ILB

Hometown: College ParkHigh School: North ClaytonMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 215 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Herrera is a physical inside linebacker that loves to hit and will bring some needed toughness to the teeth of the Georgia defense.

8

CHRIS SANDERS, S

Hometown: TuckerHigh School: TuckerMeasureables: 6-foot, 175 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Sanders is a blazing safety prospect that projects best at the free safety position, where he’ll need to add 15-20 pounds before he sees the playing field.

9

21

Regardless of what happens today, this recruiting class will go down as one of the better efforts of head coach Mark Richt’s tenure, especially coming off an extremely disappointing 6-7 season.

For the first time in a while, the Geor-gia coaching staff has focused all its efforts on protecting the Bulldogs’ home turf first, and it’s paid off in a big way.

— Nick Parker

DAMIAN SWANN, CB

Hometown: AtlantaHigh School: GradyMeasureables: 6-foot, 175 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Swann has great speed, perfect for cornerback, but is electric with the ball in his hands and will like-ly see time on both sides of the ball and be a factor in the return game.

10

CHRIS MAYES, DT

Hometown: GriffinHigh School: SpauldingMeasureables: 6-foot-5, 295 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Mayes is an athletic specimen, but has only been playing football for two years and will need to work on his technique before seeing the field at Georgia.

11

COREY MOORE, S

Hometown: GriffinHigh School: GriffinMeasureables: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Moore is a physical safety prospect that has all the tools, but will need to get stronger and put on weight at Georgia.

12

NICK MARSHALL, CB

Hometown: RochelleHigh School: Wilcox CountyMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 186 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Marshall is an athlete that could play multiple positions, but projects to cornerback. He should have little trouble making the transi-tion to the defensive backfield.

13

QUINTAVIOUS HARROW, S

Hometown: ColumbusHigh School: CarverMeasureables: 5-foot-10, 180 pounds; 2-star recruitAt a glance: Harrow is the high school teammate of Isaiah Crowell that received an offer from Georgia late in the process. He possesses a great deal of speed but is undersized.

14

SANFORD SEAY, WR

Hometown: LeesburgHigh School: Lee CountyMeasureables: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Seay was an unheralded prospect that received an offer from Georgia after blowing up his senior season with 1,180 yards receiving.

15

XZAVIER WARD, OT

Hometown: MoultrieHigh School: Colquitt CountyMeasureables: 6-foot-7, 245 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Ward has the athletic, massive frame that colleges covet in offensive tackles, but he’ll need to put on a lot of weight before he ever sees the field.

16

JUSTIN SCOTT-WESLEY, WR

Hometown: CamillaHigh School: Mitchell CountyMeasureables: 6-foot, 202 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Scott-Wesley is a track star that is widely regarded as the fastest player in the state, but he’ll need to work on his route running to see the field at Georgia.

17

RAY DREW, OLB

Hometown: ThomasvilleHigh School: Thomas County CentralMeasureables: 6-foot-5, 255 pounds; 5-star recruitAt a glance: Drew is an explosive pass rusher that figures to factor into the outside linebacker rotation immediately and may even start as a true freshman.

18

JAY ROME, TE

Hometown: ValdostaHigh School: ValdostaMeasureables: 6-foot-6, 240 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Regarded as one of the nation’s top tight ends, Rome is a talented pass catcher but needs to add weight to become a complete tight end.

19

MALCOLM MITCHELL, CB/S

Hometown: ValdostaHigh School: ValdostaMeasureables: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: The biggest question mark for Mitchell may be which side of the ball he plays on, as he figures to factor into the rotation immediately at wide receiver or in the secondary.

20

NATHAN THEUS, snapper

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.High School: The Bolles SchoolMeasureables: 6-foot-3, 252 pounds; 2-star recruitAt a glance: Theus is considered one of the elite long snappers in the country, and it doesn’t hurt that his little brother is a five-star junior of-fensive tackle.

21

RAMIK WILSON, LB

Hometown: Tampa, Fla.High School: Jefferson SeniorMeasureables: 6-foot-3, 228 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Wilson is an athletic linebacker prospect that could project inside or outside on the next level depending on Georgia’s needs.

22

ZACH DeBELL, OT

Hometown: Tarpon Springs, Fla.High School: Tarpon SpringsMeasureables: 6-foot-7, 265 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Debell is intense and has great athleticism and footwork for an offensive tackle but needs to put on weight.

23

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5

6 7

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21

19, 2018

1617

15

14

13

11, 12

8, 9, 10

Georgia’s recruiting class unanimously ranks among the top 10 in the country and could move into the top five if Isaiah Crowell and John Jenkins decide Athens is where they want to spends their college years. Either way, this class is poised to become the best class for head coach Mark Richt since 2006. Here’s how the recruiting experts have ranked the top 10 recruiting classes this year:

‘Dream Team’ two big-time prospects away from reality

rivals.com

RANK ’EM

scout.com

• Check in with our Dog Days blog throughout the day for full coverage of National Signing Day •

ISAIAH CROWELL, RB

Hometown: ColumbusHigh School: CarverMeasureables: 6-foot, 215 pounds; 5-star recruitAt a glance: Crowell can make an im-mediate difference for Georgia and has drawn comparisons to South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore. He could be Geor-gia’s most important signature in years.Chances he’ll be a Dog: Crowell’s long-awaited decision is down to two schools: Alabama and Georgia. With his cousin and teammate Quintavious Harrow committed and a gaping hole at

running back, it’s hard to imagine Crowell not ending up in Athens.Announcement time: Today at 1:30 p.m.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

JEOFFREY PAGAN, DE

Hometown: Asheville, N.C.High School: AshevilleMeasureables: 6-foot-4, 270 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Pagan is one of the country’s top defensive end prospects, but he tore his ACL during his senior season, which caused some schools to back off.Chances he’ll be a Dog: Pagan previ-ously committed to Florida, then later Clemson, and now it looks as if he will land at either Alabama or Georgia on signing day. Whoever he ultimately

selects won’t feel secure until the ink is dry on his letter of intent.Announcement time: Today at 9 a.m.

KENT TURENE, ILB

Hometown: Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.High School: Boyd H. AndersonMeasureables: 6-foot-2, 235 pounds; 3-star recruitAt a glance: Turene has a college-level ready body and looks tailor-made for one of the two inside linebacker positions in Georgia’s 3-4 defensive scheme.Chances he’ll be a Dog: Turene decommitted from Southern California, but could still choose the Trojans over Georgia and Nebraska, who are also vy-ing for his signature on signing day.

Announcement time: Unknown

ANTONIO RICHARDSON, OT

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.High School: Pearl-CohnMeasureables: 6-foot-6, 310 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Physically, Richardson looks ready to play right away, with the type of size offensive line coaches covet. But he’ll need to work on his footwork and technique.Chances he’ll be a Dog: Richard-son is set to decide between Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. But it should be tough to pull him out of the Volunteer State.

Announcement time: Today at 10 a.m.

JOHN JENKINS, DT

Hometown: Perkinston, Miss.Previous School: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeMeasureables: 6-foot-4, 340 pounds; 4-star recruitAt a glance: Jenkins is the massive space-eater up the middle that Todd Grantham needs for his 3-4 defense to be successful and could be a huge difference-maker as a freshman. Chances he’ll be a Dog: Jenkins vis-ited four schools, but brought his mom on only one visit: Georgia. The Georgia coaches have made it readily apparent

how much he is needed, and it’d be a surprise if went elsewhere.Announcement time: Saturday, Feb. 5