Georgia football: What is the legacy of the 2016 recruiting class?

Bottom of the class

With Eason’s transfer and all of the top players who didn’t live up to their elite build, it’s easy to write off the 2016 class as somewhat of a disappointment. But that class featured some hidden gems who went on to become stars in Athens.

Wide receiver Riley Ridley had a fairly quiet career until the 2018 National Championship game. There he led the Bulldogs in receiving and he ended up leading Georgia in receiving yards throughout the 2018 season, adding nine touchdowns as well.

Defensive end Tyler Clark was not a player most people thought to keep an eye on when he signed, but he went on to have a fantastic career in Athens. Clark started 35 games across his last three years and earned second-team All-SEC honors. Throw fellow defensive lineman David Marshall in that boat as well. Marshall didn’t have Clark’s accolades and he didn’t start as much, but he exceeded all expectations and was a major contributor throughout his career.

JUCO transfer wide receiver Javon Wims proved to be one of the best players of that 2016 class. he led the 2017 SEC Championship team with 720 receiving yards, and there’s no way Georgia accomplishes what it did that year without Wims.

Defensive back Tyrique McGee was a forgettable recruit who had some memorable moments as a Bulldog and really stepped up last year when the defensive backfield dealt with injuries to its star players. Running back Brian Herrien, despite not even being a top 50 player at his position, spent his Georgia football career as a reliable backup who seldom missed a game. The biggest shocker of the 2016 class was Solomon Kindley. He wasn’t even a top 1000 player and yet he started 33 games on Georgia’s great offensive line.