Alabama-Georgia recruiting battles numerous and entertaining

Kirby Smart will resume his duties as Georgia's head football coach this week after working one more time Monday night as Alabama's defensive coordinator.
Kirby Smart will resume his duties as Georgia's head football coach this week after working one more time Monday night as Alabama's defensive coordinator.
photo New Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has been observing the Crimson Tide during recent practices but is recruiting for the Crimson Tide after recruiting the past two years for Georgia.

SEC RANKINGS

Where the Southeastern Conference football recruiting classes stand according to 247Sports.com (including national rank):1. LSU (1)2. Georgia (5)3. Florida (6)4. Ole Miss (7)5. Alabama (8)6. Auburn (10)7. Texas A&M (19)8. Arkansas (23)9. Tennessee (24)10. Kentucky (29)11. South Carolina (31)12. Mississippi State (43)13. Vanderbilt (56)14. Missouri (58)

Alabama's 38-10 win at Georgia in early October was the first regular-season football meeting between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs since 2008.

The next scheduled encounter isn't until 2020, but there are multiple recruiting battles between the two programs every winter, and this year is no different. What is different is that Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is now Georgia's head coach and Jeremy Pruitt left his role as Georgia's defensive coordinator to replace Smart.

"I kind of liken the Georgia-Alabama rivalry to a Cold War rivalry," longtime recruiting analyst J.C. Shurburtt said. "They don't play each other very often, but there is always stuff that's going on. There are elite prospects in Georgia every year, and Alabama always goes after them and gets its share.

"Now it's almost like a spy swap has taken place. Seeing the battles between these two schools and where these guys end up is going to be one of the biggest storylines as far as SEC recruiting goes."

When Alabama takes the field Monday night in the national championship game against Clemson, the Crimson Tide will be well-represented by Peach State players. Running back Kenyan Drake, kicker Adam Griffith, defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, linebacker Dillon Lee and safety Geno Matias-Smith are among those who left the state of Georgia for the chance to play for Nick Saban, with Smart having played an influential role.

Since Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007 and quickly hired Smart, the Tide have opened four seasons at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta and have signed 18 Peach State players in their past five classes.

"Alabama didn't cross the border and recruit Georgia heavily until Saban and Smart got there," Shurburtt said.

The top two prospects in Georgia this winter according to Rivals.com are also the top two athlete prospects nationally according to 247Sports.com: Mecole Hardman (5-foot-10, 170) of Elberton and Demetris Robertson (6-0, 175) of Savannah. Hardman has Alabama and Georgia as his top two choices, while Robertson appears to have it down to the Bulldogs, Crimson Tide and Stanford.

Defensive tackle Derrick Brown (6-4, 315) of Buford, regarded as the state's top prospect by 247Sports, favors Georgia over Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee.

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens," Shurburtt said. "Kirby Smart was Alabama's best recruiter in the state of Georgia, and Jeremy Pruitt was probably Georgia's best recruiter when he was on Mark Richt's staff."

The Bulldogs picked up a commitment Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Game from Isaac Nauta (6-3, 245) of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Nauta, originally from Buford, is rated by 247Sports as the nation's No. 1 tight end.

Smart and Pruitt have been together in Tuscaloosa the past few weeks, with Smart prepping for the Cotton Bowl and now the national championship. He briefly recruited for the Bulldogs and has assembled most of his first staff in Athens, while Pruitt has been an observer of Crimson Tide practices and honing his focus on recruiting's stretch run.

A foreshadowing of things to come may have occurred with Jaleel Laguins of Watkinsville, Ga., the No. 10 inside linebacker nationally according to 247Sports and a Georgia commitment since August. Pruitt had helped recruit Laguins to Athens and showered him with attention after he committed, but that dried up when Smart became coach and had a taxing schedule.

Smart contacted Laguins twice to reinforce Georgia's desire to have him but did not have time for an in-home visit. Pruitt contacted him as well and invited him to Alabama, but Laguins is sticking true to the Bulldogs after Smart told him, "Don't get your butt hurt with recruiting and everything," according to 247Sports.

Georgia isn't the only battleground state for the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide this winter, as the two also are vying for the top talent in Alabama. Ben Davis (6-3, 240) of Gordo, the nation's No. 1 inside linebacker, visited Athens during the fall and is intrigued by the change.

"Coach Smart recruited me at Alabama," Davis recently told al.com. "We have a great relationship, so I think when they hired him to be head coach that really boosted them on my list."

The Bulldogs snatching Davis from Alabama would send gargantuan shock waves, especially given that his father, Wayne Davis, was a Crimson Tide linebacker (1983-86) and is the program's all-time leading tackler with 327.

The nation's top outside linebacker, Lyndell Wilson of Montgomery, is scheduled to visit Georgia next weekend, Alabama on Jan. 22 and Florida on Jan. 29. With Smart having spent nearly a decade in Tuscaloosa, could Georgia continue being a recruiting factor in Alabama?

"There is more opportunity to go into Alabama for a lot of schools," Shurburtt said. "Auburn will go after the top guys in its state but is also entrenched in Georgia and Florida. Alabama goes completely national. Their string of No. 1 classes averages 25 guys from 13 different states.

"It wouldn't be a bad strategy for Georgia, but I don't know if it's one they are going to pursue since its own state is fourth nationally in terms of producing players. It may be where Alabama is open more for Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Louisville."

Despite the potential for fireworks, this could be a winter in which Georgia keeps the top undecided prospects in its state and Alabama does the same. Yet given the proven recruiting track records of Smart and Pruitt, does anyone expect either of them to back off any time soon?

"It's sort of fascinating, because recruiting is all about relationships," Shurburtt said. "Those two are two of the best in the business at building relationships, and they just sort of flipped teams in a major battleground state."

Royal treatment

Five-star quarterback Jacob Eason of Lake Stevens, Wash., will enroll at Georgia this week.

Eason visited Athens last month to get to know Smart and new Bulldogs offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, with junior linebacker Ryne Rankin serving as his host. Rankin said Eason was like a "rock star" and that it wasn't just the women taking an interest.

"There were a lot of guys, too," Rankin said. "They were all trying to touch him and give him high-fives and say, 'I touched Jacob Eason.' It was a good time."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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