Georgia Recruiting: Why signing Darius Slayton is as important as Terry Godwin
The Georgia recruiting machine has been cranking out some impressive commitments, but if those guys don’t sign then it’s all for naught.
More from Georgia Football Recruiting
- Georgia Football Recruiting: Hits and Misses this Weekend
- Georgia Football Recruiting: Did Kirby Smart use the media to talk to a recruit?
- Georgia Football Recruiting: Georgia adds Highest rated LB ever in Program History
- Georgia football recruiting: 5-star Justin Williams is set to commit tonight
- Georgia Football Recruiting: 4-star safety Jalen Heyward Decommits
While much of Georgia’s fan base and the rest of the nation will be waiting to see what 5-star athlete Terry Godwin does on National Signing Day, another one of Georgia’s commits will be just as important to how this class is viewed, and how Georgia’s offense can improve.
Wide receiver is a position where the Bulldogs have a need. It’s not desperate, not yet, but it’s not as comfortable a position as it once was for the Dawgs. Gone are Chris Conley, Michael Bennett and Jonathon Rumph, and oft-injured (or suspended) Justin Scott-Wesley and Malcolm Mitchell are left to lead the way.
It’s certain that Georgia fans will get to see more of Isaiah McKenzie this season, but the depth chart at wide receiver could still use a little boost.
Enter, Darius Slayton. A guy so crucial to this recruiting class that Mark Richt sent practically every coach, trainer and mascot that could be found to Slayton’s school for a visit. This happened after Slayton made a surprise visit to Auburn and raised a few eyebrows in the process.
Yeah, he’s that important.
As NSD approaches, there have been questions about whether or not Slayton was a solidly committed to Georgia as once thought, and Dawgs247’s Rusty Mansell confirmed that things may be a little (emphasis on little) shaky.
"“I just spoke with Darius Slayton and he told me he is not going to be in Athens this weekend.This is really a case of young man that is “confused” from what I am hearing from people close to this.I am NOT saying he will not sign with UGA in the end, but I told you this am and yesterday I am hearing a lot of noise around Auburn right now.”"
Georgia needs to land Terry Godwin, and chances are, they’ll get him. But a guy like Slayton, who looked to be as locked-in a commit as possible, can’t slip away – especially after two different wide receiver/athlete prospects already flipped before National Signing Day ever arrived.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution recruiting reporter Michael Carvell summed it up quite succinctly.
And that’s the truth of it right there. If Georgia loses one or the other of those two recruits, the whispers will start about how Richt can’t hang on to guys who were supposedly solid commits, and that the Georgia recruiting class should take a big dip in the rankings.
Most have Slayton sticking with his commitment and coming to Georgia. Like Godwin, chances are that he will. But National Signing Day surprises have a way of blindsiding folks…both for the good and the bad.
Georgia needs no surprises with these two.