Georgia Football Recruiting: Meet the Bulldogs' 2015 Class

Though Georgia's 2015 national signing day may be remembered for its frantic chaos, the members of the Bulldogs' 2015 class should not be overlooked. 

Head coach Mark Richt and his staff assembled a large class that addressed a need for defensive depth while also targeting offensive playmakers. In the process, the Dawgs signed the nation's top overall recruit, according to 247Sports, Trent Thompson, and 15 prospects who rank among the nation's Top 25 at their respective position, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Here's an introduction to the Georgia Bulldogs 2015 signing class.

Player	Rating	Position	Position Rank
Trent Thompson	5-Star	DT	1
Terry Godwin	5-Star	ATH	1
Jonathan Ledbetter	4-Star	SDE	5
Natrez Patrick	4-Star	WDE	5
D'Andre Walker	4-Star	WDE	8
Rashad Roundtree	4-Star	S	5
Rico McGraw	4-Star	CB	20
Chauncey Rivers	4-Star	WDE	9
Jackson Harris	4-Star	TE	5
Patrick Allen	4-Star	OT	18
Jayson Stanley	4-Star	WR	29
Michael Barnett	4-Star	SDE	15
Gary McRae	4-Star	OLB	25
Michael Chigbu	3-Star	WR	48
Juwuan Briscoe	3-Star	CB	40
Sam Madden	3-Star	OT	47
DeVondre Seymour	3-Star	OT	6 (JUCO)
Sage Hardin	3-Star	OT	51
Shaquery Wilson	3-Star	ATH	51
Deandre Baker	3-Star	CB	62
Johnathan Abram	3-Star	S	46
Chuks Amachi	3-Star	ILB	2 (JUCO)
Juwan Taylor	3-Star	ILB	24
DaQuan Hawkins	3-Star	DT	38
Justin Young	3-Star	DT	40
Kirby Choates	3-Star	S	60
Jarvis Wilson	3-Star	S	61
Tae Crowder	3-Star	RB	212

Defensive Numbers

Filling up coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's defense was obviously a top priority for Georgia this year. Of the 28 new Bulldogs who enrolled early or signed this week, 18 will play on the defensive side of the ball. Additionally, Jake Ganus, a transfer from UAB who was introduced as part of the class on Wednesday, will play linebacker.

Further, the most impressive facet of this group is the strength of the defensive front. Thompson, a defensive tackle, signed as the best player in the country, but he wasn't the only big name brought in to bolster the defensive line. Georgia added five 4-star defensive ends (Jonathan Ledbetter, Natrez Patrick, Michael Barnett, D'Andre Walker and Chauncey Rivers) and two more defensive tackles (DaQuan Hawkins and Justin Young) to the mix.

The linebacking unit was also bolstered beyond Ganus. Chuks Amaechi (a JUCO transfer) and 4-star outside linebacker Gary McCrae could play right away. And, there's still a possibility that Roquan Smith, the nation's fifth-best outside linebacker, could sign with Georgia, according to the Macon Telegraph's Ron Seibel (h/t Dawgs247's Jake Rowe).

Photo courtesy of 247Sports.com.

In the secondary, Rashad Roundtree (safety) and Rico McGraw (cornerback) are poised to fight for serious playing time this fall, but several other prospects could benefit tremendously from Pruitt's educational coaching style.

Offensive Pieces

Obviously, Georgia's offense returns a lot in the backfield, and as such it was both hard and somewhat unnecessary to bring in a big haul of running backs. That being said, Georgia's lone running back of this class, Tae Crowder, has a unique element to him that Richt compared to another versatile Bulldog, via GeorgiaDogs.com:

"

Well, he does have the ability to do a little bit of what Quayvon Hicks is doing as far as an H-back type guy, even possibly tight end type guy, enough of a body to do that. But he's a pretty good runner in his own right.  He is a very physical guy, big tackle breaker, guy that we think could hold up well in our league, got a great stiff arm, just down after down after down, just stiffing guys into the ground and running them over. Very impressed with him.

"

Given that assessment, it's hard not to be optimistic about what Crowder can add to the offense, despite a 3-star rating and only one additional SEC scholarship offer.

Photo courtesy of 247Sports.com.

In the passing game, 5-star athlete Terry Godwin could be a breakout star at receiver—even as a true freshman. His elusiveness and ability to attack the football and snag passes will make him a college-ready threat when Georgia opens its schedule in September.

Jayson Stanley is a good receiver with good size and could also work into a rotation desperately looking for ways to replace four-year contributors Chris Conley and Michael Bennett.

While this class doesn't have a plethora of offensive weapons, it does have players with tremendous upside. And it's important to remember that there's more to an offense than game-changing running backs and big-play wide receivers.

Georgia signed four offensive linemen (Patrick Allen, Sam Madden, DeVondre Seymour and Sage Hardin) who combine for an average size of 6'6" and 305 pounds, according to 247Sports profiles.

Additionally, Jackson Harris (a tight end and early enrollee) could be the most underrated member of this Georgia haul. Harris, a Tennessee native, was regarded as the fifth-best tight end in the country and one of the 200 best prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Photo courtesy of 247Sports.com.

General Assessment

This class was better than good but less than great for the Georgia Bulldogs. While a top-10 class is nothing to scoff at, it's also somewhat expected for Georgia. After all, the Dawgs haven't finished lower than 12th in any year since 2001.

A few narrow misses on players like Van Jefferson (Ole Miss) and Darius Slayton (Auburn) hurt, as did the leaking out of several in-state prospects. As of this moment only four of the state's top 10 prospects signed with Georgia. Roquan Smith could bump that number up to five, but losing elite talent to the likes of Clemson, Southern California, Tennessee, Oregon and LSU still hurts.

And that trend continues down the list. Only nine of the top 35 players in the talent-rich state of Georgia chose to stay at home with the Bulldogs. And unfortunately, far too many chose to play with rivals like Tennessee, Auburn and South Carolina.

But those negatives should not overshadow the positives. Thompson and Godwin are stars. The defensive front is flooded with talent. The offensive line has bolstered depth.

Georgia addressed needs and got better on national signing day.

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