Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell Set To Announce Decisions: Alabama or Georgia?

In college football recruiting, you usually hear schools and coaches say the very first element to their recruiting strategy is getting the best kids from their own backyard and within their state.

Georgia and head coach Mark Richt have heard some rumblings about their recruiting fence being unstable around the Peach State borders.

Richt has answered the whispers with authority this recruiting cycle, going after all of the very best players around Georgia, and has the Bulldogs poised to haul in a top-tier recruiting class in February.

This Thursday, Georgia waits to learn its fate in the running of both Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell, as the two Valdosta (GA) teammates are set to announce their college decisions.

Rome is a 6'5", 255-pound receiving tight end prospect who is a matchup problem in the passing game. He has a tall and long frame with tree limbs for arms. He uses his length to easily pluck balls out of the air after using his speed to burn safeties and linebackers up the hashes. Rome also has excellent body control to run underneath routes and shield defenders from balls.

He's still developing as a blocker and will need to add bulk and strength to his upper body to steer and control defenders if he's to play in-line. He's heard whispers about disappearing during stretches in games, and that will fall by the wayside once he learns to hone his focus for a whole game.

He's been a rumored Bulldog lock since his recruitment began. However, with his father, Stan, being a former Clemson Tiger and Rome showing love to Alabama, a very small amount of uncertainty has quietly followed Rome around in regards to his recruiting. Tennessee also has been a school linked to the Jay Rome sweepstakes.

Rome took a visit to Alabama, along with Malcolm Mitchell, and certainly enjoyed himself in Tuscaloosa, though another Valdosta teammate going missing made the trip a bit somber. Rome loved the tradition, facilities and various programs the Crimson Tide informed him about and has Alabama as one of his final two schools along with Georgia.

Mitchell is a talented cover corner who stands at 6'1" and 187 pounds. He's been timed as low as 4.4 in 40-yard dash and has tremendous ball skills for a cornerback. Mitchell can mirror receivers on the perimeter, use his long arms to press at the line of scrimmage and use his speed to carry deep. He also has the hips to recover and adjust on the move and agility to come out of his backpedal in transition with ease.

He does play high at times, especially in his backpedal in off-man coverage. This forces him to be sticky in transition at the junction point against receivers. Mitchell does help in run support but the has reputation right now of a high striker, as in he needs to learn to bend his knees and tackle ball carriers lower. Mitchell is also very talented and dangerous with the football and could get looks at receiver and return man.

Along with Georgia, he's looked at schools such as Florida, Clemson, Tennessee and Auburn, yet like Rome, he will decide between the Dawgs and the Tide. He took a visit to 'Bama with Rome this past weekend and also met recruits such as receiver Marvin Shinn and running back Isaiah Crowell, who is another player Georgia is hot for.

Mitchell likes the Crimson Tide's tradition and ability to compete for SEC and national championships routinely. He also has a very strong bond with Nick Saban and Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt.

With both players members of the desired Georgia Bulldog recruiting "Dream Team," a list of players the Dawgs have on their board as "must gets" in the state of Georgia, the Bulldogs sit pretty right now. Yet Alabama is a vaunted threat and is putting together perhaps the nation's top recruiting class this year. The option of playing with such talented players in Tuscaloosa is almost an offer Rome and Mitchell can't refuse.

With that said, our answer to the question of Alabama or Georgia for Rome and Mitchell is Georgia. They've had the Bulldogs as leaders for quite some time and have a very strong bond between themselves and the Georgia coaches, players and other commits headed to UGA. Tomorrow night's scheduled announcement will only be a ceremony to celebrate both talented players heading to Athens.