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Georgia Football Recruiting: 2019 Commit Jadon Haselwood

By Alistair Penny

ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 2: Wide receiver Javon Wims #6 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a pass for a first down during their game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Sanford Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Athens, Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers 31-10. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 2: Wide receiver Javon Wims #6 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a pass for a first down during their game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Sanford Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Athens, Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers 31-10. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Georgia Football is going to be recruiting the best players in the country for the 2019 class. Jadon Haselwood might be the best play-maker Georgia fans have seen in some time.

Continuing on from the series I’m writing about 2019 prospects, I didn’t want to ignore some of the kids that are already committed to Georgia Football in that cycle. Now we know that not all commitments stick in this day and age. It’s important that fans don’t start taking these guys for granted or consider them Dawgs no matter what. But I think there is a really good chance that most if not all of the current commits do end up in Athens.

We’re going to start with the highest rated player of the bunch and that’s wide receiver Jadon Haselwood. If you haven’t heard of him yet, then it’s time to start watching some tape. Haselwood is the best wide receiver prospect to come out of Georgia in I don’t know how long. He’s also been committed to UGA for nearly a full year. So let’s take a quick look at a guy who is genuinely in the running right now for the top player in the country.

Looking at the tape:

When you put the film on, Haselwood is a kid who literally jumps out of the TV and screams LOOK AT ME!! That sounds a little extreme, but honestly, it isn’t. The guy is absolutely special when the ball is thrown his way. While he isn’t a burner, Haselwood is very quick for his size, particularly over the first 5-10 yards of his routes. When you combine that with a 6-3 frame and incredibly long arms, the physical tools are there for him to be special.

What separates Haselwood from his peers, however, is his all the intangibles that go into playing the receiver position. He’s one of the smoothest route runners I’ve seen in a very long time. One of the comps you hear all the time is AJ Green and I can understand why. I’m not saying he’s going to be AJ, but he plays the game in the same way. He just makes everything look effortless. Whether its a jump ball, a fade or a slant, he just glides past cornerbacks with ease.

However, the thing that I absolutely love most about Haselwood, more than the talent, more than the routes, is his nastiness. I’ve never seen a receiver with this type of talent throw blocks like he does. The guy plays safety for his high school and absolutely blows people up at times. In the running game, he’s a legitimate weapon for the offensive team. How many number 1 receivers out there is also their teams best blocker? Because Haselwood is and he makes blocking as fun to watch as catching bombs.

Will he stick with his commitment?

Haselwood is rightly one of the most coveted players int he entire country. He has been heavily pursued by pretty much every single program out there. Because of that, UGA cannot just count on him being a part of this class. They are going to need to keep on top of him and make him continue to feel wanted.

I do however think that is going to happen. Haselwood is going to take his visits. He’s going to see other schools and he’ll entertain other offers. However, the guy has repeatedly talked about how much he wants to be at Georgia. He comes to Athens regularly and remains a leader for this 2019 class.

Justin Fields has been close to him for a long time and they played 7-on-7 together. Haselwood was one of the commits working on Fields before he made his decision. Knowing that a guy that he respects so much will be throwing the ball to him makes a big difference here. Schools like Ohio State are going to try and flip him because he’s a huge talent, but I just don’t see it happening.

James Coley sticking around was a huge deal when it comes to this kid. Coley was a huge part of his recruitment and having him become more involved in offensive game plans is good for the receivers in general. He also has two former teammates in Netori Johnson and Justin Schaffer in Athens right now.

Next: Checking out 2019 prospect Bill Norton

I also think that new WR coach Cortez Hankton will be a big draw for Haselwood. He knows how to take Jadon where he wants to go and that’s the NFL. This is a kid with clear 1st round potential if he’s developed in the right way. With the O-line, the QB’s, the running backs and the coaching that’s in place, I think Athens is the place for that to happen. That’s why I see him being a Dawg come signing day.

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