Some of you raised questions yesterday about the position allocation in this year’s class, particularly about the number of kids in the secondary. I get your point, but we’re not Kirby Smart, who had a strong idea from the get-go about what he wanted to land. Take a look at these measurements:
Only two of UGA’s 26 additions in the currently class are under six-feet tall. When it comes to the offensive line pledges, the average over 6-foot-5, 334 pounds each. The Bulldogs also signed four cornerbacks who are 6-feet or taller after starting a pair of players in Malkom Parrish and Deandre Baker in 2016 who measure in at 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11 respectively.
There’s this, too.
At 6-6, 304, Demery is the smallest lineman the Bulldogs picked up this recruiting cycle. (I feel like I need to write that twice). At 6-6, 304, Demery is the smallest lineman the Bulldogs picked up this recruiting cycle – the smallest. He’s the average size for what UGA used on the offensive line in 2016, and he’s the smallest in this class. [Emphasis added.]
Kirby knew he wanted size and size is what he got. And when I say from the get-go, I mean get-go.
The Bulldogs were eighth in last year’s recruiting rankings, the highest finish ever for a newly hired Southeastern Conference coach, and Smart said this class started to form when last year’s recruits were faxing their letters of intent.
“I don’t think people know how deep we were into this class last year at this time,” he said. “I remember being at the national championship game (as Alabama’s defensive coordinator), and during the time I was able to recruit, I was on the phone with a lot of these guys.”