As he discussed the nation's top-ranked signing class in the 2020 recruiting cycle last month, Georgia football coach Kirby Smart delved into the first-world problem of being coveted by in-state and out-of-state prospects.
Despite the Peach State being loaded annually with top-notch talent, Smart's latest class contained just eight home-grown recruits out of 25 signees, including only one - McDonough receiver Justin Robinson - of the six early enrollees.
"We had more interest from out-of-state kids," Smart said in a news conference. "We had some national interest from players who came to camp and really performed well who, in the past, we might have lost out on. The other part is we lost some great (in-state) battles on some really, really good players.
"There are a lot of good out-of-state players who play here at the University of Georgia, and there is no limitation to your borders, but we respect and understand how good our state is."
Although there is a long way to go in the 2021 recruiting cycle, the early returns show Georgia trending back to a heavier in-state collection. The Bulldogs also landed the nation's No. 1 class in 2018, with that 26-member haul including 15 in-state signees.
Marlin DeanGeorgia has three commitments for its 2021 class, and all three are from within the state. Elberton three-star defensive tackle Marlin Dean became the third on Friday, announcing his nonbinding pledge on social media.
"First off, I want to thank God for giving me the ability to be able to make this decision," Dean said. "Secondly, I want to thank my mom and dad for being behind me through this process, and I also want to thank all the coaches who helped me through this process, from camps to visits."
Dean is a 6-foot-6, 265-pounder from Elbert County, the same high school that sent current Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman to Georgia in 2016. Dean picked the Bulldogs over other scholarship offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
According to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, Dean is the nation's No. 25 defensive tackle and the No. 408 prospect overall.
The Bulldogs previously received commitments from Bogart five-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff (6-3, 199) and Woodstock four-star athlete prospect David Daniel (6-2, 185).
QB switches from Tide to Tar Heels
Four-star quarterback Drake Maye, who committed to Alabama last July, switched his nonbinding pledge on Friday to North Carolina. The 6-5, 210-pounder out of Myers Park High in Charlotte is the nation's No. 6 pro-style quarterback and the No. 56 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings.
Maye is the younger brother of former Tar Heels basketball standout Luke Maye, who was a sophomore on the 2017 national championship team.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.