Georgia football just wrapped up an impressive 2022 class, but now it’s time to get on the grind for the 2023 cycle as the Dawgs look to continue their dominance on the recruiting trail.
The Dawgs are always after the top talent no matter where they are in the country if they feel like that player is the best fit from California to Mississippi and the constant battle between keeping in-state kids and poaching as many from Florida as possible. If the kid is worthy of wearing the ‘G’ on his helmet, they will find him.
For the 2023 class, the Dawgs will have so much talent to pick from and could land among the top-ranked recruiting teams. That expectation is there now, to land in the top-5 recruiting classes. It must happen if they want to continue to contend yearly.
The 2023 recruiting class is going to be top-notch talent. This recruiting cycle will be fun because the Dawgs could get another Nick Chubb, Sony Michel running back duo, a new level of receivers with Bryan McClendon back in Athens, and some elite defenders. Not to mention the talent on the offensive line, possibly a legacy named quarterback, and anything in between.
Georgia football will need to land these three 5-stars in the 2023 recruiting class.
According to 247Sports composite team rankings, the Dawgs currently have nine commitments in the No.1 overall class.
Georgia currently has these nine players as the 2023 members:
- Marcus Washington — 4-star CB
- Bo Hughley — 4-star OT
- Pearce Spurlin — 4-star TE
- Raymond Cottrell — 4-star WR
- Daquayvious Sorey — 4-star WR
- Kayin Lee — 4-star CB
- Lawson Luckie — 4-star TE
- RyQueze McElderry — 3-star IOL
- Seven Cloud — 3-star DL
The Dawgs already have a solid class started for this new recruiting cycle, but now it’s time to talk 5-stars and who they could land.
Georgia is after some 5-star running backs in this 2023 class, and then there is Arch Manning, the nation’s No.1 overall prospect. There could be an offensive tackle or two. Brandon Inniss is another 5-star that perked up when McClendon came back, but that one is still in the air, so it’s best to hold off and let that one stew a while.
It’s still early in the recruiting cycle, so time will tell, but the Dawgs have a strong possibility of landing as many 5-stars as they did in the 2022 class, if not more.
Here are three 5-star players not named Manning that the Dawgs need to bring to Athens in the 2023 class. This prediction is an early one, so things could change down the road, but for now, these three are big-time recruits the Dawgs could use.
5-star RB, Reuben Owens — 5-11, 190-pounds
Of course, Georgia football is going after a 5-star running back, and it’s what the Dawgs do. RBU has to continue to reload to keep their title, and it all starts with 5-star running back out of El Campo, Texas, Rueban Owens.
According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Owens ranks as the No. 26 overall player, No. 2 running back, and the No. 3 prospect out of Texas.
He already has 41 offers, including ones from Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, and USC — the Southern California one.
Right now, the Dawgs seem to be in a fight with Texas and Oklahoma for his pledge, and with Lincoln Riley at USC now, so the Sooners will have to fight even harder. As a Texas kid, it’s understandable why he has the Longhorns in the mix too, but the Dawgs need to make this one a priority.
Owens can be shifty and has excellent vision. Some of the best things I saw from his tape were the balance he has through contact, the speed he had through the tackles, and being able to hit another gear in the open space.
He does run a tad high at times, but this guy has a nice long stride that fits in nicely with the running backs Georgia usually recruits.
Georgia is going to take two running backs in this class just in case, and Owens wouldn’t be a bad pickup to have. He will go nicely with another 4-star back with a familiar name in Justice Haynes, yes that Haynes, so hopefully, the Dawgs will land the duo.
5-star EDGE, Malik Bryant — 6-2, 235-pounds
The next 5-star on this list is Malik Bryant out of Orlando, a pass-rushing machine. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Bryant ranks as the No. 20 overall, the No. 2 edge rusher and the No. 7 player out of Florida.
After leaving Jones High in Orlando for IMG Academy to play in Bradenton, Fla., his sophomore and junior seasons, Bryant returns to Jones for his senior year. He already has 38 offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Miami.
The Dawgs need more depth at this position, and Bryant has excellent potential. He will likely grow a little more too, and fill out his frame. However, he is twitchy, and defensive line coach Tray Scott likes those guys off the edge.
He has a lot of moves that he uses already, including a solid spin move to get past the blocker, and his awareness to get to the quarterback is really impressive. His film shows a few forced fumbles and countless sacks. Bryant is a quarterback sacking machine.
Georgia is right in the mix for this kid, but they will have to fight the Gators, Miami, Alabama, and Ohio State for his attention. The Dawgs are right in the mix, and Bryant would provide more depth at this position. He recently visited Athens right before National Signing Day. Before that, he participated in Miami’s Junior Day and took an unofficial visit to Florida.
This recruitment will likely go all the way to December, but Bryant would be great under Scott and could turn heads in the NFL with the proper development.
5-star OT, Kayden Proctor — 6-7, 330-pounds
Kayden Proctor is the last name on this list but certainly isn’t the smallest. He is a massive offensive tackle from Southeast Polk High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Yeah, the Dawgs have officially gone to the corn-fed big-boned recruits in the midwest because they are flat-out talented.
According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Proctor ranks as the No. 5 overall player, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No.1 player out of Iowa. Usually, when an offensive tackle ranks this high, he is going places.
With 33 offers, Proctor will be a hot commodity in this 2023 class, so the Dawgs need to make him a priority now. He has offers from Alabama, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame, to name a few.
You can’t coach size, and at 6-7, 330-pounds, he is already the size of some NFL offensive lineman. Proctor has excellent hip rotation coming off the snap and has extraordinary pass-blocking abilities. He is naturally athletic twitchy, so he can get out in front of plays to make those critical blocks in space.
Proctor has a huge upside and will make whoever’s blindside he protects a happy quarterback. He is a gifted offensive lineman that the Dawgs will need because there is always room for a tackle like him.
On Feb. 8, Proctor announced his top-7 schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and Notre Dame. The Dawgs must show him some love and get him in this 2023 class.
Georgia has a solid chance at all three of these 5-stars right now, and they all could end up Dawgs by the end of this process. There are more out there too, but these three would be home runs for the Dawgs if they got them to come.