The Georgia football coaches and staff have done a good job thus far in recruiting offensive lineman for the 2016 class.
Related: Georgia Football: Breakfast with Eason
Currently, Georgia has two seniors and two juniors starting on the offensive line. After this season they will lose Kolton Houston and their glue that keeps the line together in John Theus.
Fast forward to one year from now and veterans Brandon Kublanow and Greg Pyke will be packing their bags for graduation. These departures make this upcoming draft class extremely pivotal in terms of future depth in the trenches.
The Bulldogs have compiled a top five recruiting class heading into the big months of December, January, and February. Out of the 17 commitments, three are offensive line prospects.
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
The Dawgs first OL commitment was perhaps one of their biggest in the entire class nabbing Ben Cleveland (6’7’’, 322 pounds) out of North Georgia’s Stephens County High School. Listed as a four-star recruit on 247Sports, Cleveland is a monster of a young man. His great relationship with Jacob Eason was placed into the national spotlight when the two committed to play for the Bulldogs on the same day (June 19, 2014). He could wind up being the leader of this unit in years to come, opening up big holes for the array of talented running backs on the team.
Another local talent, Aaron Dowdell picked UGA in February of 2015. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive guard is finishing up his amateur career at Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia. Dowdell is a big body that can get out in space on screenplays and act as a pulling guard in certain situations.
The final commitment of the OL trio is Chris Barnes, an offensive tackle from South Georgia’s Lee County High School. His April commitment provided the Dawgs with a 6-foot-5, 270-pound force who chose UGA over the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Clemson.
More from Dawn of the Dawg
- Georgia Football: Top 5 Nick Chubb Moments at Georgia
- Georgia Football: Know the enemy UAB Blazers
- Nick Chubb is America’s running back, and he will return
- Georgia Football: Should laundry list of injuries be a cause to panic?
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
Trying to pick up more steam and attract more talent, Georgia has a few OL targets still on the market that they will continue to try to nail down. Those include:
Tremayne Anchrum, OG (Powder Springs, Georgia)
Terrance Davis, OG (Hyattsville, Maryland)
E.J. Price, OT (Lawrenceville, Georgia)
Gregory Little, OT (Allen, Texas)
Anchrum is a local talent out of McEachern High School whose teammate Julian Rochester has already committed to Georgia. Currently, it seems like Georgia is in the bottom half of his top five, but persuasion from peers has worked in the past.
Davis may be the biggest long shot out of the three. Being from the state of Maryland, Davis is being recruited by not only SEC schools but also powerhouses from the North, Midwest, and West. Tracking down a commitment from him would be a surprise, but there is still a few months left in the process.
Price was a UGA commit until he de-commitment back in June. The local talent who plays for state-powerhouse Archer still considers Georgia to be a top choice. Among the other schools vying for his talents are Auburn, Michigan State, and Tennessee.
The nation’s second overall prospect Gregory Little (6’5’’, 305 pounds) took his official visit to Athens in early October. A product out of the state of Texas, The Dawgs will have to compete with national powers Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, and Auburn for Little’s services. Georgia remains a top choice for Little, but the big-time recruit has not given much into where his head is at.