Georgia Football: Will Mark Richt Regain Recruiting Momentum at Dawg Night?

Georgia is going the wrong direction on the recruiting trail of late.

In the last two months, the Bulldogs have lost the commitments from 5-star running back/athlete Derrick Henry, 4-star wide receiver Kyrin Preister and weren't able to flip linebacker Reuben Foster—the nation's No. 2 overall player.

What can Mark Richt and his staff do to regain the momentum on the recruiting trail on Friday night? Here are a few things to keep an eye on:

Get Back in the Good Graces of Derrick Henry

Georgia needs Derrick Henry...bad.

Henry was the centerpiece of the Class of 2013, but the Yulee, Fla. native decommitted from the Bulldogs in early June after making an unofficial visit to Alabama. Henry then named Alabama as his leader on his Twitter account. He will be in Athens this weekend, though, according to DawgPost.com and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

With Henry on campus Friday night, that gives the coaching staff in Athens the opportunity to put the full-court press on the 6'4", 240-pounder.

How do they do it?

It's simple, play off the Reuben Foster news. Foster flipped from Alabama to Auburn, and while Henry wants to play running back in college, Foster's decision makes it even more likely for the Tide to move Henry to linebacker if he signs with Alabama.

Alabama may say that it will play Henry as a running back, and that may even be true, but the loss of the nation's No. 2 running back can't be ignored if you're Henry.

True freshman Keith Marshall may be a stud, but the running back position is a big-time question for Georgia, and having a guy like Henry on the roster would be a huge benefit.

Close on Alvin Kamara

A commitment from Henry may be a long-shot when compared to the likelihood of Alvin Kamara, the nation's third-ranked all-purpose back, according to 247Sports.com.

Kamara is considering Georgia, Alabama and Clemson, and will make visits to all three campuses this month. The 5'10", 195-pounder plays a different game than Henry and Georgia needs him whether Henry commits or not.

With three visits lined up this summer, Georgia needs to make a big impression on Kamara, because he is absolutely the kind of guy that can re-spark that momentum.

Cement Tray Matthews' Commitment

Reuben Foster's flip from Alabama to Auburn sent shock waves throughout college football and the recruiting services. Once the initial shock subsided, all eyes turned to safety Tray Matthews, a 6'1", 192-pound safety from Newnan, Ga.

Not only is Matthews a 4-star prospect, but he is good friends with Foster and the two have stated on several occasions that they want to play on the same team at the next level.

Matthews' tweets since Foster committed to Auburn have to concern the Georgia coaching staff.

"

Just talked to my boi Reuben. got alot going on. This process sum serious

— Tray Matthews (@Trigga_Tray28) July 13, 2012"

Matthews has been a Georgia commitment since last August, and Georgia needs to re-affirm whether his commitment is stronger with Georgia or with Foster.

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