ATHENS, Ga. – The Georgia Bulldogs survived the coaching transition from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart on the recruiting trail.
Now the question will be whether the Bulldogs met their needs.
Georgia assembled a class of 20 signees that was rated No. 7 nationally by ESPN and 247Sports.com as of Wednesday evening, with Scout.com ranking the Bulldogs No. 9 and Rivals.com pegging them at No. 12. No Southeastern Conference team has ever finished as high as seventh amid a coaching change.
“For you guys, today may be about stars and rankings,” Smart said in an afternoon news conference, “but for me it’s about Bulldogs and new members of the family. This class will be judged on how productive they are four years from now and walking across that stage and getting that diploma.
“Going in those in-home visits was a little awkward at first. You’re trying to sell yourself and the program, which is easy to sell here at UGA.”