Georgia officially lost offensive line coach Stacy Searels to Texas on Thursday, but the Bulldogs revived their hopes of assembling what head coach Mark Richt has labeled a “Dream Team” of in-state recruits.
Valdosta High teammates Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell committed to Georgia, giving the Bulldogs a double dose of desired news. Rome (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) is rated by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 4 tight end and the No. 56 overall prospect, while Mitchell (6-1, 187) is the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 30 overall prospect.
The concept of Richt’s “Dream Team” had been mocked in recent weeks after LaGrange all-purpose running back Quan Bray committed to Auburn and Griffin defensive end Xzavier Dickson announced Alabama as his choice at the Under Armour All-American Game. Rome and Mitchell catapulted Georgia to No. 9 in Rivals.com’s team rankings with their declarations, and they leave Thomasville defensive end Ray Drew (6-5, 243) and Columbus tailback Isaiah Crowell (5-11, 210) as the state’s top undecided prospects.
“If they will stay in the state and come together, we can prove to the United States of America that we have the best football in the country here in the state of Georgia,” Richt said in November of the “Dream Team” concept. “We need these Georgia kids to stay at home and do that thing for the Bulldogs, and I think everybody is going to get excited about that.”
Rome had been favoring Georgia throughout the process, referring to it as “Tight End U” during his Thursday announcement on ESPNU, while Mitchell had been an Alabama-Georgia battle. Though he has been projected as a cornerback, Mitchell had 77 receptions for 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns this past season.