Georgia football signed another no. 1 recruiting class last week. Several stars are expected to shine early, but there are some players arriving with little expectations that may end up being star players in Athens.
Georgia football is back on top of the recruiting rankings. Kirby Smart and his staff signed Georgia’s second consensus No. 1 class in three seasons last week, finishing the 2019 recruiting season with four five-star prospects and 14 players ranked in the top 200 nationally.
Most of the attention is on those elite prospects. A few will likely shine as true freshmen this season. But there are a few signees flying under the radar that fans shouldn’t forget about.
Justin Robinson – wide receiver
The former three-star prospect from Eagles Landing Christian is perhaps the most overlooked player in Georgia’s 2020 class. Justin Robinson was the first wide receiver to commit to Georgia in March of last year. After Marcus Rosemy, Arian Smith and Jermaine Burton committed and subsequently signed with Georgia, many forgot about Robinson.
However, the keyword of that last paragraph is “former.” By the end of Robinson’s recruitment, he earned his fourth star. He climbed the recruiting rankings after a 903-yard season in which his team won the Class-A Private State Championship.
The 6-4, 200-pounder adds more size to Georgia’s receiving corps, filling the void left by Lawrence Cager. Robinson’s history of improving and impressing will likely continue in Athens. It might not come to fruition in 2020, but Robinson’s name is one to keep an eye on for the future.
Nazir Stackhouse – defensive tackle
Georgia will have a huge hole to fill at nose guard next season. Jordan Davis will likely turn pro and Julian Rochester will exhaust his eligibility. It’s a good thing the Bulldogs signed the massive Nazir Stackhouse.
At 6-3, 306 lbs., the Columbia High School hoss doesn’t need to gain too much weight to match up in the SEC. Stackhouse was ranked as the No. 27 defensive tackle in the nation, two spots above where 247Sports Composite ranked Davis in the 2018 class. Like Davis’ Stackhouse is somewhat of an afterthought, he’s only ranked No. 247 nationally and No. 25 in the state.
Fortunately for Stackhouse, he has plenty of time to gain the size and hone his skills. He has a year to learn from Davis, one of the nations best nose guards and Rochester, a fifth-year senior with 39 games of experience. More importantly, he’ll learn from underrated defensive line coach Tray Scott. In Scott’s three season’s at Georgia, his unit has become one of the most dominant defensive lines in the nation, capable of rotating two or three guys at each position. Scott will have Stackhouse ready to play at the nose in 2021.
Daijun Edwards – running back
No running back signee will ever be a sleeper within the Bulldog Nation. Outside of Athens however, Daijun Edwards seems less like a future superstar and more like filler in the 2020 class.
But even afterthought running backs have a way of shining in Athens (Brian Herrien and Danny Ware, among others). To know why Edwards will be a breakout star, you only need to watch his highlight tape. Edwards goes one direction, forward. He doesn’t get caught moving sideways, his eyes are on the prize.
If his attitude in practice matches his style of play, expect a great college career from the Colquitt County Packer. He might have to wait his turn behind Zamir White, James Cook and Kenny McIntosh, but give him a year, and Edwards will start chiseling his name among those synonymous with the name “Running Back U.”