Georgia Bulldogs' 2016 National Signing Day Wish List

It’s 2016 and the Georgia Bulldogs want to get off on the right foot. They will look to do that by having a strong recruiting class, which is a challenge because new head coach Kirby Smart is still working for Alabama, a team that is getting ready to play in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday.

As it stands right now, the Bulldogs have the No. 15 recruiting class in the country with 14 commitments.

Once Smart has completed his duties with the Crimson Tide, expect the Bulldogs to make a very hard push for their top targets until national signing day, which will be on Wednesday, February 3.

So here’s a look at the Bulldogs’ wish list for national signing day.

Getting Derrick Brown

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The Bulldogs already have one elite defensive tackle prospect in Julian Rochester. But they would love to have another one in Athens next season, specifically Derrick Brown.

The 5-star prospect from Lanier, Georgia is the top-rated player in the state, and he’s also the third-best defensive tackle prospect in the country.

Brown is also being recruited by Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee, so the competition for Brown will come down to the wire. However, according to 247 Sports, Brown will likely sign with the Bulldogs when it’s all said and done.

Getting Ben Davis

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Jake Ganus played only one year for the Bulldogs at inside linebacker, and he made an impact as he led the team in tackles. He will be missed, and the Bulldogs hope Ben Davis can fill the void.

Davis is listed as the best prospect in the state of Alabama and he’s also listed as the best inside linebacker in the country. The problem is Alabama has been recruiting him hard and 247 Sports is predicting the Crimson Tide will end up with Davis.

However, according to Jeff Sentell of Dawgnation.com, Davis said UGA was his leader. So Davis will be another player to watch on national signing day.

Signing an Elite Receiver

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Mecole Hardman Jr.

In reality, the Bulldogs need size at receiver, and they have that in Charlie Woerner. However, they need a receiver that can make big plays, which is one of the reasons why the Bulldogs are going after Demetris Robertson and Mecole Hardman Jr.

Hardman is the second-best recruit in Georgia and Robertson is the third-best prospect. Both players are listed as athletes, so they can play receiver or defensive back.

For the most part, the Bulldogs are fine at cornerback and safety, so if the Bulldogs are able to sign one or both of the top athletes in the country, they will likely play receiver, and they will be great targets for the quarterback, which could be either Jacob Eason or Greyson Lambert.

Finishing with a Top-10 or Top-5 Class

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As mentioned earlier, the Bulldogs were listed No. 15 in the 247 Sports Team Rankings. So if they can get a few more of their top targets to sign, they will have a very good chance to finish in the top 10, maybe the top five if they have a really good day on February 3.

Smart was a great recruiter at Alabama. But he has some work to do because when Mark Richt left, quite a few recruits de-committed as well. But once Smart gets his entire coaching staff in place, he should be able to get his top targets, and that will hopefully lead to a strong inaugural class for Smart.

And if that happens, the level of optimism for the Bulldogs will be high for the 2016 season.

All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.