Georgia Football: Bulldogs' 2015 National Signing Day Wish List

The Georgia Bulldogs are in good shape as national signing day approaches, but there's still plenty of wishful thinking going on in Athens. A sure-fire top-10 class and the signing of Trent Thompson, the nation's top overall prospect, per the 247Sports composite, would certainly signify a collective recruiting victory for head coach Mark Richt and his staff.

And yet, there's reason to believe Georgia could accomplish even more.

Here's a look at the Bulldogs' 2015 national signing day wish list.

Keep Commitments Firm

There's never a bad time to quote Bon Jovi, and a savvy veteran coach like Richt has to be preaching to his staff that "we've got to hold on to what we've got." Fortunately for Richt, a man of faith, strong relationships with talented recruits should leave him with a little more than a prayer to live on.

In that regard, some of the work is already done. With seven early enrollees, Georgia hauled in four 4-star prospects in Jonathan Ledbetter, Natrez Patrick, Jackson Harris and Michael Barnett. The other three commitments, Chuks Amaechi, Jarvis Wilson and Johnathan Abram could also contend early for playing time on defense.

But Georgia's work is not yet over, and keeping commitments firm will be a challenge until papers are signed.

After all, longtime Georgia commit Van Jefferson decommitted recently and is now headed to Ole Miss, according to Barton Simmons of 247Sports. He may not be alone in his change of heart.

Georgia's lone running back commit in this class, Chris Carson of Butler Community College, is hearing good things from Oklahoma State. Carson told Rusty Mansell of 247Sports that the Cowboys are selling him on immediate playing time and the idea of getting NFL draft-ready in "one year or two." He added, "There is no doubt it is one of my goals to get to the league."

Photo courtesy of 247Sports.com.

According to Mansell, Carson says the race is close between Georgia and Oklahoma State. "It may just be the end vibe I get at the end," he offered while explaining his decision-making process.

Georgia's 2015 recruiting class is particularly heavy on defensive players. That emphasis is merited. But that means holding on to offensive players is of utmost importance. Georgia's first wish is to keep offensive talent in the fold.

Finish the Drill

The most important drill to finish for Georgia right now is the push for uncommitted in-state talent.

Roquan Smith, a 4-star outside linebacker, tops this priority list as the nation's 47th-best prospect, according to the 247Sports composite. Smith plays most naturally as an outside linebacker but could contribute immediately at the inside linebacker position in obvious running situations thanks to his hard-nosed, physical style of play.

His recruitment seems to be down to two schools, Georgia and Michigan, and new Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh appears to be making a strong push, based on Smith's recent official visit and the hiring of defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who's recruited Smith in the past, according to MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner. Fending off such a presence as Harbaugh is not easy, but Georgia had a great head start with Smith thanks to a 2013 scholarship offer.

Next on this list is Arden Key, another Top 100 prospect. Key is still entertaining a slew of offers from the likes of Miami and LSU, but South Carolina and Auburn appear to be the leaders. But Georgia is not out of the running.

A number of recruiting experts, including Shannon Terry (CEO of 247Sports) and Michael Carvell of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, project Key to Georgia, according to the Crystal Ball Predictions tracker on 247Sports.

Getting Smith and Key would be an absolute coup for Georgia.

Rabbit out of a Hat

On February 2, 2014, Isaiah McKenzie was a relative unknown to Georgia recruiting experts. The next day he received a scholarship offer from the Bulldogs. On February 5, he signed with Georgia.

The unexpected Bulldog was a spark plug on special teams, scoring three times as a true freshman and a highlight reel waiting to happen on offense, averaging more than 11 yards per rush attempt and tallying 145 receiving yards on 13 catches.

Georgia needs another Isaiah McKenzie on national signing day in 2015. No, the Dawgs don't need another return specialist or another versatile offensive threat—at least not necessarily. But the Bulldogs need a commitment to come seemingly out of nowhere and demonstrate the draw the program still has for elite recruits.

It's hard to predict who this might be, because the pattern established with McKenzie last year was one of frantic hunting and gathering. But if Georgia can make a last-minute push for a 4-star talent, national signing day could be something special for the Bulldogs.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand, all stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.