Georgia Football is going to be recruiting the best players in the country for the 2019 class. Bill Norton is a defensive lineman who could make a big impact should he come to Athens.
Who said there was such as thing as a ‘lull’ in recruiting. Yes UGA just landed the best class in their history but recruiting never stops. Not for this Georgia Football team and certainly not for Kirby Smart. With G-Day on the horizon, we’re going to start a quick little series about some of the potential 2019 recruits that Dawg fans could be cheering for one day.
While there are plenty of higher rated recruits, I’m going to start with a guy who I have been hearing quite a bit of buzz about recently. Bill Norton is a talented defensive end out of Tennessee. It might seem like an odd place to start because he’s not a 5-star or a local kid. He’s rated as a top 150 player, but I’ve heard quite a few people talk about his film recently so I decided to take a look.
Looking at the tape:
When I put the tape on, I have to admit that I was pretty impressed. Norton is a big and physical guy. He really does look like he’s all of 6-6 and close to 280lbs. Some prospects put out ‘less than accurate’ measurements to generate hype early on. Based on the video, I’d say that Norton is not one of those prospects. Now Tennessee is not known for offering the best competition in high school football. Still, the way that he absolutely dominates games cannot be ignored.
I think I’ll start by saying that this is a crazy long highlights package. Most of these videos are about 4 minutes and normally, by the time you get halfway through, the plays become less explosive as the kids want their best stuff to be shown first.
That’s not the case with Norton. His tape is nearly 9 minutes long and the final play is as good as the first. This is basically a collection of total and utter domination from start to finish. It’s been a while since I saw someone look this good, this often and still only be a junior in high school.
Seeing as he’s still young, we can’t be sure exactly what position he’ll play on Saturdays. However, right now, I’d say that Norton looks like exactly what Kirby Smart likes from a defensive end. If he bulks up a bit more, he could also become a fantastic defensive tackle. Both are positions of need for UGA in the 2019 class.
Could we see him in Athens?
It’s still very early in the recruitment process. Remember that this time last year, Georgia’s 2018 class was basically barren and some fans were in panic mode. However, I think there is a good chance that Kirby Smart could pull in Norton.
Several of the recruiting boards have Georgia high on Norton’s list right now. 247’s Crystal Ball system has UGA neck and neck with the in-state Vols right now. That’s a good place for Georgia to be right now with a kid who is out of state and close to an SEC rival.
Norton is a player that Jeremy Pruitt will desperately want in his first full cycle as a head coach. I think Norton will end up as the best player in the state of Tennessee in 2019. Add in the fact that he looks like a prototype DE in the Saban/Smart/Pruitt defense and he’s someone the Vols simply cannot allow to go elsewhere.
This is the kind of battle that will tell us a lot about how recruiting is going to go with Pruitt now in Knoxville. Kirby Smart will want to keep cherry picking Tennessee for top players and if he can, the Vols might have some issues down the line. If they aren’t winning the top guys in their own state, it’s unlikely they’ll be taking them from elsewhere.
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I’m a believer that Smart and this coaching staff are going to get most of the guys they want each year. If Norton continues to develop, he should be a priority for the 2019 class even if he’s not from Georgia. He’s a prospect to keep an eye out for over the next few months that’s for sure.