Three 2020 Defensive linemen projections for Georgia Football

Georgia football already has four defensive tackles for the 2020 recruiting class, however, how many more additions will there be? We look at three guys that could make that list.

One of Georgia football’s most significant areas of need in the 2020 class is defensive linemen. Well, the Dawgs are in luck as 2020 has to possess some of the best defensive line talents in one group that I’ve seen in a long time.

Georgia has Jalen Carter, Nazir Stackhouse, Jamil Burroughs, and Warren Brinson. The Bulldogs rank on 247Sports Composite as the No. 4 overall and No. 3 SEC recruiting class.

Carter is a 4-star from Apopka, Fla. and ranks as the No. 74 overall, No. 7 DT and the No. 9 player in Florida. Stackhouse is a 4-star from Decatur, Ga. and ranks as the No. 23 DT and the No. 27 player in Georgia. Burroughs is a 4-star from Powder Springs, Ga. and ranks as the No. 28 DT and the No. 34 prospect in the peach state.

The final d-line member of the class is Brinson who is a 4-star from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. that ranks as the No.28 DT and the No. 52 prospect in Florida. He is the latest tackle to commit to the Dawgs after pulling the trigger on June 1.

The current tackles aren’t your run of the mill tackles either. All four of them have great qualities and bring something to the group. However, of the four currently committed, one of them may not finish with Georgia’s class.

With the talent left on the board and those individuals interest in the Dawgs increasing, there may have to be some casualties to get the best players at Georgia.

Some fans may not agree with this, but I don’t mind it as long as those players the staff’s making room for want to play for the Dawgs and not bring prima donna drama to the team.

As of today, I don’t see Jamil Burroughs staying with the Bulldogs 2020 class. Unless he has an incredible senior season, I don’t know that he will be in Athens next fall.

However, he could still end up with the class, but I feel like one of the three guys I mention below could take his spot.

Georgia could very well five or more guys on the defensive line depending on how other positions play out and scholarships available.  Here are three guys that could end up on this list. I will say there are a lot of names on Georgia’s defensive line board and these are three guys that I believe are the highest on the Dawgs list.

Zykeivous Walker

Zykeivous Walker is a 4-star defensive end from Schley County High School in Ellaville, Ga. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he ranks as the No. 129 overall player, No. 7 SDE and the No. 15 prospect in Georgia.

On April 17, he released a top five that includes Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee.

Walker visited Georgia on Sept. 1 and Sept. 29 last year for those two games. He went to Tennessee on Nov. 17, Alabama on Feb. 28, Florida on May 18 and Auburn on June 1.

I expect his next visit to be to the Classic City and that visit will likely have the red carpet rolled out for him.

Georgia needs another big defensive end to add to the depth chart, and well after this season, Walker could have a great chance at some playing time.

The Bulldogs are the hometown school, and Walker isn’t one to miss out on. After getting Travon Walker last class, Georgia needs to get this one so it can have Walker squared on the line. I  can already imagine the call from Scott Howard, ‘and another combined sack for Walker squared.’

Georgia’s biggest thing right now is to get him on campus and show him what the Bulldogs show every recruit, how great Athens and the university is.

Walker could be an easy sell with him being from the Peach State, but the Dawgs must make him a priority.

I’m 50/50 on him right now, but I  could see him joining this class by early signing day if all goes well on the next few visits.

Jacolbe Cowan

Jacolbe Cowan is a 4-star defensive tackle that’s 6-5 and 277 pounds. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, the  Charlotte, N.C. native ranks as the No. 152 overall, No. 12 DT and the No. 7 prospect in N.C.

A once defensive end prospect, the 4-star continues to grow, so the rankings and projections shifted him to more of a defensive tackle.

Cowan visited Georgia on May 30 for the scavenger hunt weekend seemed to have a good time. His most recent trip was to Ohio State for his first official visit on June 15-17. Cowan took another trip to Columbia, S.C. on June 7 as well.

He is close friends with Mekhail Sherman, who is already committed to the Dawgs and Kendall Milton, who is a HUGE prospect for Georgia. I’ve seen Cowan tweet both of them about their Georgia visits and how they went. Then when he visited the Classic City, Cowan seemed to have a great time.

Cowan carries his weight well but would like to see him slim down some to increase his speed a tad. He is sure-footed and smart on the football field.

I like what he brings to the table and could be a good one for Georgia’s defensive line. If I had to pick who would replace Burroughs on the class list, I believe it could be Cowan.

He told Jeff Sentell and DawgNation that Georgia solidified an official visit spot for him and that was the only school at the time that had solidified an OV, which is huge for Georgia.

While Cowan continues to take visits and such, look for the date of his OV to Georgia because in my opinion, if that goes well, he could pull the trigger.

I  believe it’s only a matter of time before he could commit to whatever school he chooses. However, right now, I like the Dawgs chances.

Jordan Burch

Jordan Burch is my wildcard on this projection list. He is a 5-star defensive end from Columbia, S.C. and sits at 6-5 and 250 pounds.

According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he ranks as the No. 1 overall prospect, No. 1 SDE, and the No. 1 player in South Carolina.

Burch visited Georgia on May 18 and April 20, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him back on campus again either before or after the dead period in July. He did, however, visit South Carolina on April 6, March 30, and March 23.

While most believe this is a Clemson/South Carolina battle I don’t know that is the case. Burch is extremely quiet and doesn’t say a whole lot about his recruitment. On his 247Sports crystal ball projection, Clemson holds a 62 percent advantage while South Carolina holds a 12 percent. That other 25 percent left, has an undecided label on it, but in my opinion, it’s Georgia.

If you look at what Clemson already has with  5-star DT Bryan Bresse, 5-star SDE Myles Murphy, 5-star DT Demonte Capehart, and 4-star DT Tre Williams as on its 2020 defensive line class.

That list has a ton of talent on it, and I’m not saying Burch doesn’t want to compete, but that’s a crowded D-line room. While Clemson’s had a ton of success on the defensive line, it could be a turnoff that they have all those commitments already.

Then you look at the Gamecocks. South Carolina snagged 5-star defensive end/tackle Zacch Pickens in 2019. For 2020 the Cocks have 4-star DT Alex Huntley, and 3-star Makius Scott committed.

Like Burch, Pickens is from Carolina and chose to go with the school his mom did, but I have a different feeling about Burch.

While the Dawgs have four defensive line commitments of their own, Burch has a better opportunity to earn early playing time. Georgia desperately needs guys like Burch on its defensive line if it wants to stay at the top of college football.

It’s hard to read Burch and where he is in his recruitment. However, for now, I would say that Georgia’s right in the mix of things for the 5-star.

The Dawgs need to get him on campus for one of his official visits and just, in general, to show him how great it is. I think that Burch would make an excellent fit for the Dawgs defense and it would put Georgia’s defensive line back on the map.

I’m going to be bold here with this one and say he ends up at Georgia and part of the Dawgs 2020 class. Burch is a phenomenal athlete and if the Bulldogs land him, it Georgia’s second No. 1 overall recruit two recruiting cycles in a row after landing Nolan Smith in 2019.

So if your question to me that there’s a chance with Burch, I will have to say that there is a chance with him. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Dawgs lant at least two of the three guys I highlighted.