A Conversation With Dad About Georgia Football Recruiting

There is a quiet consternation in Bulldawg Nation regarding the nascent UGA 2018 recruiting class. My Dad and I had a conversation about it. That conversation was telling.

When you go home the conversation can be enlightening. Sometimes the conversation is serious. At times the conversation is all that and wrapped in humor. Such was the conversation I had with my Father tonight regarding the 2018 recruiting class for Georgia Football.

A little background is needed here. I currently live in Tennessee. I do sports talk radio there. As a born and bred Georgia boy, and a lifelong UGA fan, that experience has been interesting. As a college football fan, and a radio dude, I follow college football recruiting closer than most grown men probably should. Frankly, I have multiple degrees in History, can speak three languages, and can tell you as much, or more, about the 2017 UGA recruiting class as I can the Defenestration of Prague. It’s embarrassing, really.

My Dad, however, doesn’t. He loves Georgia Football. But, he’s never been a “recruitnik”. And truthfully, he’s had some health issues. Heart issues. Life intrudes.

Why is this important? Only because he asked a question of me tonight that many are asking around Bulldawg Nation: Should we be worried about recruiting this year?

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This question was born from a conversation with a dear friend of his, and of our family, one Mickey Hicks. Mickey is a genuine dude. One of the “salt of the earth” dudes you hear about. Maybe you know one. He’s a solid individual. He’s also unique. He’s also a vehemently ardent Tennessee Vols fan. In that sense, he is quite “normal”.

Apparently, Mr. Hicks had informed my Dad that UGA is currently 59th in class ranking for 2018, according to 247Sports. Tennessee is currently 6th. My Dad had questions.

Hence, this article. Naturally, I had to explain the nature of recruiting. An explanation that there is a difference between rankings in August and February, you know, the actual time when high school kids commit to go to a school and play.

Then the conversation turned to expectations versus reality. The difference between fanbases and the idea of a “rightful place”. The difference between what looks like what is happening, what is happening, and what might happen.

That’s where Dawg Nation is right now. Yeah, the numbers aren’t pretty now. But, does that matter? How much does it matter?

There is an underlying theme evolving with regards to this 2018 class. One that probably should give Dawg fans pause. There are a lot of “blue chip” players who have yet to decide, and they are deciding between a lot of quality programs. These are incredibly important decisions. Important for them, their families, and the schools involved.

The theme with Georgia Football recruiting right now seems to be that many of these kids need to see a product on the field this year from UGA before they make a decision. Who can blame them?

Yet, it is a strange dynamic to hang big expectations on a coach, and his staff, in year 2 of their regime. Generally speaking, and rightfully so, you shouldn’t do that until year 3.

But that is where reality meets expectation. Reality is that, if Georgia sprints out to a 4-0 start, this writer believes that the 2018 recruiting class will finish top 10, and maybe top 5. If they stumble, then that very well could directly affect the 2018 recruiting class. That direct correlation is a strange dynamic (See: Butch Jones’ 2nd recruiting class).

This writer also believes that the Tennessee Vols’ recruiting class will be lucky to finish top 15. That would be in February 2018. You know, when actual signing day occurs (yes, I am aware of the early signing period). And that is also assuming that Coach Butch Jones is still there in February.

The point here is that, while paying attention isn’t a bad thing, drawing conclusions in August of 2017 about something that will happen in February of 2018 seems silly.

What isn’t silly, though, is that it is apparent that Coach Kirby Smart and his Dawgs need to win this year. Not only because of the kids who are there. By all accounts, they are fantastic kids and fantastic players. But they are showcasing the promise of the future with the present product they are putting together.

Next: Can the Quinn “Effect” Change Atlanta Falcons Culture?

59th in August doesn’t look good. But 10 wins come December will be the only number that will matter.

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