Richard LeCounte III to Georgia: Bulldogs Land 5-Star ATH Prospect

Richard LeCounte III announced his commitment to play college football for the Georgia Bulldogs on Sunday.

The 5-star recruit broke the news himself on Twitter with a graphic to signify his impending arrival in Athens:

"

#AllGloryToGod pic.twitter.com/OnuN1Gy5Z9

— Richard LeCounte III (@LilEasy_35) December 13, 2015"

LeCounte is a product of Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia. He is rated as the top athlete prospect and No. 22 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the Class of 2017.

There's a reason LeCounte garners the "athlete" designation as a recruit. He can do it all on the gridiron.

Whether it's lining up at safety and making plays in coverage, coming up to support the run with big hits or making opposing defenses look silly as an offensive playmaker or return man, LeCounte is truly a special player.

Often lining up at quarterback and taking off as a ball-carrier, the 17-year-old phenom shows uncommon vision and the knack to change direction and make defenders miss. He is a human highlight reel who does sport a 5'11", 174-pound frame but plays bigger than his size, as footage courtesy of PrepForce.com shows: 

In addition to LeCounte finding success as a running QB, he is strong at the catch point and has sure hands to play receiver. He could well be a lethal slot weapon for the Bulldogs should they opt to play him at that spot.

It may actually be a challenge for Georgia to find LeCounte a spot in the lineup, but that's a dilemma new head coach Kirby Smart should be fortunate to have.

LeCounte has the type of open-field prowess to excel as a return man even as a true freshman. What will be key against SEC competition is making the first man miss and not trying to do too much early in returns.

The speed of the game won't allow LeCounte to pull off what he does at the high school level as often, but if he can hit the field early in Athens and adapt his game to the college level, he has all the tools to make a tremendous impact and could be a legitimate star by the time he's a sophomore.