Georgia's Junior Day Makes Big Impression on Top Recruits

One of the epicenters of the college football recruiting universe last weekend was at the University of Georgia.

Head coach Mark Richt and his staff held their first junior day and had a laundry list of top prospects on campus.

While the Bulldogs have netted a verbal commitment from only 3-star corner Tyrique McGhee, the early returns from the event have been overwhelmingly positive.

"

@iiAm_Mesho @TheReal_Chad4 do the RIGHT thing fam join the movement ! Great things are awaiting #squad16#commitToTheG#DawgsOnTOP

— Tyrique Mcghee (@TyriqueMcghee) February 24, 2015"

One player who is quickly making a name for himself on the recruiting circuit is 2016 wide receiver Elijah Pankey.

Pankey was named the top receiver at the Adidas Georgia Showcase earlier this month and was also named one of the top five performers at the National Playmakers Academy 7-on-7 tryout last weekend, according to Barton Simmons of 247Sports.

Before the NPA event, which was held in his home state of Tennessee, Pankey made his way to Athens for UGA’s junior day.

The 6'1" 180-pounder was impressed with what he saw on campus.

"We took a tour around the stadium and then the locker room," Pankey said. "We also got to look at the dorms and check out the campus and stuff like that. I thought it went good and I really liked the campus."

One of the highlights was his initial interaction with new Bulldogs offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Pankey, who said this was a business trip for him, admitted that the team's new play-caller impressed him.

"I talked to the wide receivers coach [Bryan McClendon] and the offensive coordinator [Schottenheimer] down at Georgia," Pankey said. "We are just beginning that relationship now, but I like those guys. It was my first time speaking and interacting with him [Schottenheimer], and he seems like a nice guy and a coach that will be honest with me."

Another player in attendance who gave glowing reviews of the event was 2016 4-star corner Chad Clay.

Clay, who put the Bulldogs atop his list after returning from Athens, said Richt and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt have done a great job making in-state prospects feel like they are priorities in the 2016 cycle.

"Most of the top guys, we all know each other and we’re good friends because of this recruiting thing," Clay said. "We all had a good time just being around the guys. It was mostly a lot of kids from the Rising Seniors game. For all of us to be around each other, we all had a good time. The crazy thing is that Georgia seems to be in the top group with most of us."

As noted by Rusty Mansell of Dawgs247, top recruits such as 5-star defensive tackle Julian Rochester, 4-star linebacker Tre Lamar and 3-star defensive end Mykelle McDaniel were among the other studs who left with more favorable impressions of what the Bulldogs have to offer.

While the 2016 class is in its beginning stages for Richt and his staff, last weekend’s event laid the groundwork for the Dawgs to reel in another top-10 class when next February rolls around.

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