Georgia football easily lands one of the best 2022 classes

Georgia football came into National Signing Day with a few spots left to fill, and the Dawgs accomplished that goal. There were a few more needs Georgia needed to fill, and they did through the five signees who picked the Dawgs on this hallowed day.

For the fifth time in seven recruiting cycles, head coach Kirby Smart landed a top-3 recruiting class, keeping up the standards he has set for the program.

Georgia nailed signing day, which is one of the easiest ways to put it and most direct ways. The Dawgs were very meticulous in who they added to the 2022 class, and much like the ones before them, it’s full of high-character athletes ready to get to work.

Smart has made it a point to recruit the guys who have what it takes to succeed on and off the field. While he lands some of the best talents in the country, Smart knows some seriously good kids are under-ranked.

Georgia football didn’t need the No.1 overall class to feel like National Signing Day was a success.

According to 247Sports Composite team rankings, the Dawgs signed 29 players, including six 5-stars, 14 4-stars and nine 3-stars.

Georgia addressed all of its needs. It added one quarterback, two running backs, five receivers, five offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, three linebackers, four defensive backs, one athlete, and one punter.

The Dawgs got the biggest steal in the whole 2022 class as Andrew Paul committed to the ‘G.’  Former commit, Jordan James flipped to the Oregon Ducks, and one of the keys to Wednesday was finding a second running back.

This addition gives the Dawgs five scholarship running backs in the room, which is a good number as it’s not too many or too few.

Georgia needed another body in that room to add to the depth. Losing the likes of James Cook and Zamir White, the Dawgs needed one more talented running back.

He was a late addition, but the work Dell McGee put in the last few weeks to get him to Athens is so notable. They feel pretty strongly about the young man and know that a 3-star ranking isn’t always the most accurate.

Adding Christen Miller was also a huge deal for the Dawgs. He is one of the best defensive linemen in the country, and coach Tray Scott made sure to know he was a priority. He could be another guy who isn’t ranked as high but outplays his recruiting ranking.

Georgia needs depth on the defensive line. Even with the studs in front of Miller along with Bear Alexander, Darris Smith, Mykel Williams and others, one more body at this position is always a necessity.

Dillon Bell and Smith stuck with their commitments and signed with the Dawgs, giving them another receiver and defensive end to keep the defense elite.

EJ Lightsey was a former Gator pledge who decommitted and chose the Dawgs. We’ve said it before, but he is a hard-hitting linebacker with Channing Tindall tendencies, and well why wouldn’t Georgia welcome that kind of player.

Georgia finished the 2022 class without any shortcomings in this class. They added what they needed to, and the players they got were the right fit.

Some fans may feel like missing out on 5-star Shemar Stewart was a shortcoming, but Miller has a higher ceiling. When you pair him with Alexander, it’s like another Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt duo that Scott loves on his defensive front.

Georgia earns a big-fat A+ when it comes to grading how they handled the 2022 group because even though they had to go out of state for some of these positions and saw Peach State kids leave, Georgia got the best for how they want to run this program.

Smart strives to find high-character kids who are coachable, willing to work, and earn their playing time. It’s embedded into the Georgia football culture now. There aren’t prima donnas in Athens, and they don’t want those kinds of players. Instead, give this coaching staff a group willing to grow and play for each other. When that happens, bigger paychecks happen for them in the long run.

Georgia may have the No.3 by their team name on the rankings, but they are No.1 in picking up what they needed to reload and contend.