The University of Georgia rests in the heart of one of America’s most fertile recruiting grounds as it relates to high school football.
Each year, the Bulldogs reel in some of the nation’s top recruits. In fact, in five of the last six recruiting cycles, Kirby Smart has landed a signature from a top-five player in the country.
It was a daunting task to narrow Georgia’s top recruits of all-time to four, but we gave it a go. Remember, this list is solely based on how high-profile the player was coming out of high school and does not take into consideration the players’ collegiate or professional careers.
More Mount Rushmore’s from the College Wire Network:
Bama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC
NEXT: Let the debate begin with honorable mentions
Honorable mentions:
Nolan Smith (defensive end):
Class of 2019 | Bradenton, Florida | Nation’s No. 1 ranked player
Brandon Miller (defensive end):
Class of 2004 | Coolidge, Georgia | Nation’s No. 6 ranked player
Matthew Stafford (quarterback):
Class of 2006 | Dallas, Texas | Nation’s No. 6 ranked player
Isaiah Crowell (running back):
Class of 2011 | Columbus, Georgia | Nation’s No. 6 ranked player
NEXT: Who’s the top Dawg??
Here’s Georgia’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits:
(All rankings are via 247Sports)
Jacob Eason (quarterback)
Class of 2016 | Lake Stevens, Washington | Nation’s No. 5 ranked player
Jacob Eason may have started only one season for the Bulldogs, but when he signed with the Dawgs in the class of 2016, he may have had the highest expectations of any UGA signee ever.
After enduring a few rough years during the post-Aaron Murray era, Eason was expected to be UGA’s savior. His first year was in 2016, the same season Kirby Smart made his head coaching debut. It had its ups and downs, but it was clear the future was bright for Eason, who, at 6-foot-5 and with a cannon of an arm, simply looked the part.
Eason suffered an injury in the season opener of his sophomore season, however, and was replaced by Jake Fromm. Fromm never looked back, and Eason transferred to Washington before becoming a fourth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2020.
NEXT: Here we go again…
2. Justin Fields (quarterback)
Class of 2018 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Nation’s No. 2 ranked player
Georgia fans had been longing for a dual-threat quarterback since the days of DJ Shockley — and Kirby Smart delivered. The problem is that’s all he was able to do since Fields followed Eason out the door, transferring from Georgia after having to ride the bench behind Fromm. Similar to Eason, when Fields signed with the Bulldogs, the hype was incredible. Fields ranked as the nation’s No. 2 ranked player, behind only Trevor Lawrence. He had a highlight reel that was out of this world and was the headliner of Smart’s No. 1 ranked 2018 class. After sitting behind Fromm, Fields transferred to Ohio State and was a Heisman finalist in his first year with the Buckeyes. He is regarded as one of the nation’s top players.
NEXT: Georgia’s first No. 1 recruit in a long time
3. Trenton Thompson (defensive tackle)
Class of 2015 | Albany, Georgia | Nation’s No. 1 ranked player
Trent Thompson was Georgia’s first No. 1 ranked prospect since the onset of modern-era recruiting rankings. Coming out of Westover High School in Albany, Georgia, Thompson was a monster in high school and had a ferocious highlight tape. At Georgia, though he had a solid career, he never lived up to the hype that surrounded him. He made plays and was a member of UGA’s 2017 national championship-contending team, but injuries also plagued Thompson throughout college. Undrafted in 2018, Thompson spent time with the Cleveland Browns before testing out the Alliance of American Football and most recently the Canadian football League.
NEXT: A legend is born…
4. A.J. Green (wide receiver)
Class of 2008 | Summerville, South Carolina | Nation’s No. 7 ranked player
Probably the only player on this list that lived up to the hype at Georgia, A.J. Green came to UGA as an athletic, lanky, 6-foot-4 superstar out of Summerville, South Carolina, who excelled in football and basketball. His sensational one-handed catch in high school made him a legend before ever stepping foot on campus.
His freshman season was outstanding in Athens. In the fourth game of his college career, against Arizona State, he had eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 27–10 victory. That was his coming-out party, and he never looked back. Green finished his college career with 2,619 receiving yards, third all-time in Georgia history. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, with whom he has spent his entire career. Green made the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven years in the league, and he is the only player other than Randy Moss to record 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his five seasons.
More Mount Rushmore’s from the College Wire Network:
Bama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC
