Georgia Football: Recruits React to Bulldogs Loss to Alabama

Last weekend’s showdown between Alabama and Georgia produced another SEC clash that was a must-see event for a number of star recruits around the country. 

As BamaOnline’s Hank South detailed, there were elite prospects on hand from the 2016 class as well as a handful of stud underclassmen who made their way to Athens. 

Both the Tide and the Bulldogs have gone head-to-head for a number of top recruits in previous years, and the two SEC titans are likely to have many more battles in the current cycle and beyond.

Despite a rainy afternoon that made the conditions anything but pleasant, and Alabama’s commanding performance in its 38-10 win, the Bulldogs were still able to make an impression on a number of top targets.

What are recruits saying about the game and their thoughts on the Bulldogs moving forward?

Let’s take a look at what a few elite prospects are saying about their visits to the Classic City over the weekend.

5-Star Hardman Feeling the Love from UGA

One player whom Georgia head coach Mark Richt and his staff have identified as a top priority is 5-star athlete Mecole Hardman Jr.

Hardman has been a fixture on the UGA campus during the spring and summer, so it’s no surprise that he was anticipating his latest visit between the hedges.

Despite the loss, Hardman said his feelings toward the Bulldogs haven’t changed.

“Coming into it, you knew this was a big game with a lot of hype leading up to it,” Hardman told Bleacher Report. “I enjoyed it. I loved seeing both teams play. Georgia lost, but it doesn’t change anything. It just shows how good ‘Bama is and that they came in ready to play.” 

Hardman said he was able to speak with Bulldogs coaches a bit before the game. He said their message to him was fairly simple. 

“[Georgia’s coaches] know it’s my decision. They are just letting me know they want me and they love me,” Hardman said. “Their big thing is that they want me to stay home and play for the hometown team. It’s really been the same message since they started recruiting me.”

Hardman said its possible that he could see the Bulldogs a few more times this season. He mentioned the ‘Dawgs next home game, Oct. 17 vs. Missouri, as one of a handful of games he could attend later this season. 

Hardman plans to make his announcement on national signing day.

In-State OL Still High on Bulldogs

Another target familiar to Georgia is 4-star offensive lineman E.J. Price. The 6’6”, 311-pounder was once committed to the Bulldogs before reopening his recruitment.

However, Price has consistently stated that Georgia is still a major player in his recruitment and will be until he makes a final decision.

The Bulldogs loss did nothing to change their standing with Price.

“It was good. The visit was great,” Price said. “I got up there a little early to visit with some of the other recruits. We had a great time. It was a great visit. We got to the game and it was a little rainy, but that’s how football is. I still have an incredible amount of respect for Coach Richt and UGA. The same goes for Alabama.”

Price recently named a Top Eight with Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Tennessee joining the in-state Bulldogs on his list.

The nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle and the No. 55 player overall in the 2016 class maintains that he is still high on those programs because of the relationships he’s established with the coaches at each school.

“Overall, for all of the schools, they have great head coaches, great offensive line coaches, and there are staffs in place at each one of those schools that I have built a relationship with,” Price explained. “Also, the education at those schools is great. I see how players are getting their degrees. They are not just worried about getting them into the NFL. They have players earning their degrees in three or four years.”

Price noted that he is still in the process of lining up his official visits. However, a return trip to Athens is a possibility, and he also noted that he would take an official visit to USC in December.

He also has a timeline on when he wants to make a final decision. 

“I’m going to take my official visits and sometime after that, my plan is to commit in January.”

Georgia Pushing Top CB to Be First Commit in 2018 Class

One area current Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has emphasized since arriving in Athens is upgrading the Bulldogs talent in the secondary.

He’s already identified a potential future star in 2018 corner Christian Tutt.

The 5’11”, 171-pounder—who is rated as the nation’s No. 1 corner and No. 12 player overall in the 2018 cycle by 247Sports—recently named Georgia his leader, as noted by Kipp Adams of Dawgs247.

His subsequent visit to Athens gave him a chance to see the Bulldogs up close for the first time since that declaration.

“It was my first time going up there this year for a game. A couple of my boys, [2017 4-star corner] Richard LeCounte and [2018 5-star athlete] Tyreke Johnson, we hooked up while we were there. I had a great experience up there. I got to talk with the coaches and things like that. The game didn’t turn out like most people thought it would. The weather was crazy too. But it was still a great game to go see.”

Tutt, who has more than 20 offers to his credit, has another tie to the Bulldogs program. His uncle is former Bulldogs linebacker Danny Verdun-Wheeler—who played for Richt from 2003-06.

That connection has helped Richt and his staff establish a strong relationship with Tutt.

“Georgia is telling me that they really want me. I’ve been building a strong relationship with them since they started recruiting me,” Tutt said. “My uncle played for them so I’ve known some of those coaches for a long time. They want me to be the first to commit in 2018. They want me to take charge of Georgia’s 2018 class.”

If there is one school pushing the Bulldogs for the top spot, it’s USC. Tutt visited the Trojans during the summer and returned to attend their season-opening win over Arkansas State.

However, he’s in no rush to make a decision.

In fact, Tutt said he will either commit following his junior season or take his process all the way until signing day.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani