Five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter chooses Georgia on National Signing Day

There is always some drama on National Signing Day, and the Georgia Bulldogs were a glorious beneficiary late on Wednesday afternoon.

Five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter selected Georgia over such programs as Florida, Florida State, and LSU on Wednesday, and this is a huge get for Mark Richt, Jeremy Pruitt and company. Carter was the consensus top player at any position in the state of Georgia, and the #14 player in ESPN’s top 300 for the class of 2014.

In addition to ranking that high for ESPN, Carter was virtually an across-the-board 5-star recruit, and was even recognized by Rivals.com as the number one defensive end prospect in the country. There is widespread speculation that Carter could play outside linebacker in Athens, but at just over 230 pounds as a high school senior, he terrorized local talent at Norcross High School as a pure pass rusher.

All reports indicate that Carter’s decision was a minor surprise, but Mark Richt’s ability to put up a virtual wall around the state of Georgia is enormous in recruiting, and this was a welcomed end to an already productive day. At last check, ESPN had Georgia with the 9th-ranked class in the nation (still updating throughout the day), and we’ll have a full recap when the day is complete.