Contributed photo by Steven ColquittHaving trouble waiting until the start of college football season?
In a series on Sundays, the Times Free Press is providing top-three lists on various Southeastern Conference topics. Today’s list contains the most underrated signing classes since Y2K.
1. Georgia’s 2000 class
SuperPrep did not include the Bulldogs among its top 25 recruiting classes nationally and had Georgia Tech 18th. The Yellow Jackets swept the state’s three prized linebackers – Hobie Holiday, Daryl Smith and Keyaron Fox – which led to Bulldogs fans voicing their displeasure to coach Jim Donnan on signing day.
Yet out of that supposedly subpar class came the nucleus of Mark Richt’s 2002 SEC champions – quarterback David Greene, running back Musa Smith, receiver Reggie Brown, defensive end Will Thompson, defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan and safety Sean Jones.
“Sometimes you have blue-chip guys who come in and think they’re something special and that they’ve already proven something,” Greene said last week. “We were just a bunch of Average Joes hoping to play football. A lot of times, those end up being your better teams because they’re humble enough to take coaching and they’re hungry enough to get better.