5-Star Julian Rochester Adds to Georgia's Already-Stacked Defensive Line Class

Georgia's quest for the top spot in the 2016 class recruiting rankings took a major turn for the better when in-state, 5-star defensive tackle Julian Rochester gave his verbal commitment on Thursday.

As the nation's No. 10 overall player and the nation's No. 3 defensive tackle, Rochester was considered a Georgia lean for quite some time. In recruiting, however, nothing is set in stone until a player signs his national letter of intent.

The next-best feeling of relaxation for any college program is to have a solid commitment—and a commitment from a player of Rochester's caliber is worthy of jubilation.

"First, I told Coach Mark Richt in his office, [and] then he went down the hallway telling the other coaches," Rochester told Dawgs247. "It turned into a big parade."

The commitment from the 6'5 ½", 315-pound lineman means Georgia has two of the nation's top 10 players committed. Rochester is expected to spearhead the defense, while 5-star Jacob Eason, the nation's No. 1 pro-style quarterback, is expected to be an offensive catalyst.

One glance at Georgia's defensive line class may send chills down an opposing coach's back. Rochester joins 4-star defensive end Chauncey Manac and 4-star defensive tackle Tyler Clark in the class.

Truthfully, the Bulldogs may not be done at the position, but Rochester is a golden get if Richt and his staff are unable to land any other players at the position. Rochester is a first-rate run-stopper in the trenches who had 116 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior. Of those 116 tackles, 25 were behind the line of scrimmage.

In short, Georgia is getting an impact playmaker who can be a star instantly in the SEC. Throw in the fact that nine of Georgia's 13 overall commits are at least 4-star players, and it's easy to see why Bulldogs fans are excited about the future of the program—with several months still left before signing day to land additional stars.

Rochester, a stud at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, made the less-than-two-hour trip to Athens with his parents Thursday, and before leaving campus, he chose to pull the trigger. Rochester, however, told Dawgs247 that his college plans became clearer just in time for his summer break from McEachern.

"It did not hit me until I got out of school," Rochester told Dawgs247. "Just sitting around the house, this past week, I was like, 'Man...I've got to get up there to Georgia and do it.'"

Georgia has been in the running for several of the nation's best defensive tackles. Getting Rochester, the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia, was huge, and the Bulldogs are hoping to land the state's top-ranked player, 5-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown, as well.

Brown on Wednesday told 247Sports' Hank South that he no longer had Georgia as a favorite in order to give other schools a chance. The Bulldogs, however, are still very high on his list of options. Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee are Brown's top four, per South.

The Bulldogs also are in the running for 5-star Dexter Lawrence and 4-stars Antwuan Jackson and Michail Carter at the position. Landing any combination of those three could give Georgia arguably one of the best defensive lineman classes in the country.

And if that doesn't make Georgia smile, this might: Rochester told Dawgs247 that he already has a list of players to help sway their decisions.

"I plan to work on Mecole Hardman Jr., Antwuan Jackson, Nigel Warrior, Jordan Smith...all those dudes," he said.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles