Locking down the state… Again
One of the reasons that it was so important for Georgia to land Walker was to once again lock down the state of Georgia. It remains one of the most talent-rich states for high school players in the country. UGA simply has to keep getting the lion’s share of players from their home area.
Walker’s commitment now means that it has 3 of the top 6 players in the state of Georgia committed to it. They also have Nolan Smith who really is from Georgia even though he’s listed as a Florida prospect. As the number 1 player in the country, he would mean that UGA currently has 4 of the top 7 guys in their state committed, all of whom are 5-stars.
Have there been some misses, sure, but there are also reasons for them. Wanya Morris is a very talented OT that Sam Pittman wanted. However, he made it clear that he want’s to start on day 1 and that isn’t an option at UGA, no hard feelings. Owen Pappoe looked to be trending towards UGA for a long time before his surprise commitment to Auburn in May. I doubt Georgia has given up on him however and Walker mentioned that both he and Smith will be working to flip Pappoe every chance they get.
Last but not least, there is Chris Hinton, another defensive line prospect. Hinton is a very smart kid whose family really value education. Michigan is a great choice for him in that perspective, but if the Wolverines have another disappointing season under Jim Harbaugh, will that change things? Dominick Blaylock, JD Bertrand, and Ryland Goede have been close friends with Hinton for years. If anything changes, the Dawgs would be well positioned to land another top guy.
Once again, the Bulldogs are going to find a way to bring in the best possible talent is Kirby Smart is around. Walker’s addition will help with that because, by the sounds of it, he’s very close to Nolan Smith. No commit has worked harder than Smith to build this 2019 class and with Walker now on board helping him, things could get interesting.