Should Georgia Worry 5-Star Derrick Brown Will Visit Auburn, Tennessee?

The recruitment of 5-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown is sure to have fans of a handful of SEC programs on edge until signing day. 

According to Kipp Adams of Dawgs247, the 6’4”, 318-pound Peach State product has announced his official visit plans.

Mississippi State and Alabama are scheduled to receive visits before the end of the year, while Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee will occupy his last three weekends before national signing day. 

As Rusty Mansell of Dawgs247 detailed in September, the trio of programs getting his final visits are the schools who are aggressively recruiting him the hardest.

The Bulldogs have been the overwhelming favorite to land the nation’s No. 3 defensive tackle and the No. 8 recruit overall in the 2016 class.

However, with both the Tigers and Volunteers getting the last cracks at Brown, should ‘Dawgs supporters start to get nervous? 

Despite the confidence that Brown ultimately lands in Athens, recruiting is a phenomenon in which nothing is certain until a player signs a letter of intent or enrolls at the school of his choice.

With that said, discounting Auburn and Tennessee’s chances at this stage would not be wise.

According to Keith Niebuhr of AuburnUndercover, Brown attended Auburn’s game against Ole Miss last weekend, and he enjoyed his latest trip to the Plains.

“Definitely getting a chance to talk to the coaches again and have a great time up here is big to me,” Brown told Niebuhr on the highlights of his visit. "We’re just talking and they’re getting to know my family more and more."

As Niebuhr notes, the Tigers have been pitching Brown on their need for impact players at the defensive tackle position. It’s something not lost on Brown and his decision-making process, and it’s a safe bet that that message will be hammered home again when he returns for his official visit on Jan. 22.

He also took a visit to Tennessee last month for the Vols' thrilling 38-31 win over Georgia.

The atmosphere inside Neyland Stadium and on campus left an impression on Brown, according to Ryan Callahan of GoVols247.

“[Tennessee is] definitely still one of my top teams,” Brown told Callahan. “I mean, (I like) just the atmosphere up there. It’s a family atmosphere, and that’s what I like most about it.”

The Vols will get his final visit before signing day on Jan. 29.

Still, if there’s one thing that is working in the Bulldogs' favor, it’s the fact that head coach Mark Richt and his staff have also done a great job in making Brown’s parents feel comfortable with the plan they would have for Brown on and off the field, as detailed by Adams.

"Every time we go to Georgia, it is always a great experience," Brown’s mother, Martha, told Adams. "I tell everybody that every time we sit in Coach Mark Richt's office, we always enjoy it immensely. He is just so calm and collected, on and off the field. I see that as being genuine, and I like that." 

While Brown seems to be keeping an open mind and letting the process play out, given the signs pointing in Georgia’s favor, it would still be a great shock if he landed anywhere other than Athens on 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