DawgNation staff @jeffsentell Posted 7 hours ago You want to attack every day with the latest Football Recruitment in Georgia information; This is Intel. This reporter takes a look at how well No. 1 Tennessee and No. 3 Georgia have recruited for this week’s late SEC East showdown in Athens. For the purposes of this report, all rankings discussed are from the 247Sports Composite scale. ================================================= ======= Big game in Athens this weekend. No question. Regardless of rank. It’s one of those matchups that requires a deep dive into how well each program has recruited over the past four cycles. This will give a general impression of which team should have the edge in talent at Dooley Field inside Sanford Stadium on Saturday. This game is set up as a contest that could show that recruiting rankings don’t really matter. Or it could show that they really matter in a game the entire country will watch on Saturday. The information found requires a few quick disclaimers. Case-by-case ranking recruitment creates impressive: Hendon Hooker, the Heisman Trophy candidate for the Vols, was ranked as a 4-star recruit as a high school senior in 2016. He was then rated a 3-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite coming through the transfer gate from Virginia Tech. He has played a lot and above this ranking. The same can be said for its counterpart in Georgia’s Stetson Bennett IV. Bennett was rated as a 2-star senior in 2016. He was then considered a 3-star signee coming out of the JUCO ranks in 2019. Let’s also consider Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt: Ranked as the nation’s No. 33 WR and No. 197 overall prospect in 2020. It’s hard to imagine there were 32 better receivers in the country this cycle than this guy. He is now the favorite to win the Biletnikoff award this season. Outliers will exist, but the big picture is telling: The example of Tennessee OT Darnell Wright looms large here. Wright was a 5-star prospect in 2019. He also has All-American performances this fall. The Bulldogs signed four 5-star recruits in 2020. They are DL Jalen Carter, OT Broderick Jones, CB Kelee Ringo and TE Darnell Washington. These four players will play vital roles for the hosts on Saturday. Georgia holds a strong advantage in 5-star signees over the past four cycles between these teams. The Bulldogs signed 18 recruits from 2019-2022 with this coveted 5-star rating. The Vols only signed two in the same period. The number rises to three if you count a former 5-star in high school who was only a 4-star coming out of the transfer gate. The Vols also saw another 5-star OT transfer away at Oklahoma. The numbers there give a typical 18-2 advantage, but it’s not that simple. The Bulldogs won’t have a single 5-star from their 2019 class available to play Saturday. Removing those five players cuts that margin to 13-2. Nolan Smith, the No. 1 overall prospect this cycle, is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. He was the only one of those five on Georgia’s roster when the season began. The Dawgs sent three of their 2019 5-stars to the NFL last season, including No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker. The examples reinforce the point that prospects play above and below their rank. Some hit the bullseye on their ratings. Others fall short. However, overall, these same recruiting rankings provide a solid blueprint for the types of players these programs have been able to sign over the past four cycles. The big picture findings will reveal a decided advantage for the ‘Dawgs in the following areas:

Average national recruiting rankings over the last four cycles: Georgia: 2.3; Tennessee: 16.5 Average national recruiting ranking from 2021: Georgia: No. 3. Tennessee: 22.5 5-star signees last four cycles: Georgia 18, Tennessee 3* 5-star offensive signees in past four cycles: Georgia 6, Tennessee 3* 5-star defensive signees last four cycles: Georgia 12, Tennessee 0 Top 100 overall prospects signed since 2019: Georgia 39, Tennessee 7 Top 100 overall prospects signed through 2021: Georgia 19, Tennessee 0 4-star signees from 2019: Georgia 59, Tennessee 29 3-star signees from 2019: Georgia 22, Tennessee 45

*-Includes a former 5-star player in HS who was ranked as a 4-star player coming out of the gate If one believes that recruiting rankings matter, these findings show that the Bulldogs have recruited at a level since 2019 that is about two clicks above what the Vols did. That’s the talent equation in the winning formula on Saturday. The Vols have soared this season thanks to Hooker and Hyatt playing above those tags plus their schemes and execution of assignments. However, there is one area where the Vols have been able to close the talent gap on the field. This is a head-to-head area in which they hold a clear edge over the Bulldogs. Did you know that DawgNation.com’s weekly program “Before the Hedges” is available as an Apple podcast? Click to view and download. 072122 Atlanta: Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker takes questions during the SEC Media Days press conference at the College Football Hall of Fame, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Atlanta. “Curtis Compton / Curtis [email protected]” Curtis Compton / [email protected], AJC Freelancer

The Vols have tried to fill out their roster through transfers

Hooker is the prime example to point out here. He’s not the only one. There are transfers from Florida, Kansas, Texas and Virginia Tech throughout Tennessee’s starting lineup. Look at the number of transfers the Vols have brought to their program in recent cycles.

2022: 8 total transfers (Vols signed one 4-star signee and four 3-star rated transfers) 2021: 10 total signings (Five 3-star players including Hendon Hooker) 2020: 4 total transfers (One 4-star player and another 3-star transfer) 2019: 4 total signings (One player was a 4-star catch and two were 3-star signings)

That’s 22 transfers in total. Georgia has made its roster differently. The Bulldogs have brought in a total of just nine players via transfers over the past four offseasons. Georgia did not bring a single player through the gate during the 2022 cycle. Arik Gilbert and safety Tykee Smith are the only two Bulldogs left on the roster who joined the program via the transfer route. The number of signings the Vols brought in shows they are playing the field with an experienced veteran roster. They have signed smaller classes of high school players than the Bulldogs to reach the 85-man scholarship limit. Tennessee has signed 14 fewer high school prospects than the Bulldogs over the last four years. The roster construction method there says something, but we also have to note that 10 of those 14 came in the last two recruiting classes. This is a clear indication that Tennessee coach Josh Hoepel wanted to bring in targeted players that fit the needs of his system. These transfer signees do not factor in a program’s national recruiting rankings that are advertised on National Signing Day and at the end of each cycle. That’s one reason for the disparity in the national recruiting rankings between these two national championship contenders. The other key here for Tennesee is experience. The Volunteers’ defense consists almost entirely of players who have played at least three years of college football. There were nine starters against Alabama who signed in the 2020 class or earlier. The other two were class of 2021 prospects. Let’s boil it down to this: The Vols line up 10 former 3-star recruits on defense, but they win with plenty of adults out there. We can point to half of their defense now at least in their fourth year of college football. This is a great equalizer. The offensive starting lineup against Alabama also reflects the veteran core. There was one player signed with the 2017 class (Hooker), two from 2018, four from 2019 and another four from 2020. It’s no accident, it’s why the Vols execute what they do so well on offense. They have a lot of veterans mixed in with five former 4-star recruits and two former 5-star recruits on that side of the ball. Have you subscribed to the DawgNation YouTube channel yet? If so, you’ll be able to see special 1-on-1 content with 2023 commits CJ Allen, AJ Harris and Jamaal Jarrett. Do 5 stars matter on big race Saturdays? Just take a look at Georgia TE Darnell Washington before you answer that question. (Jeff Sendel/DawgNation) Jeff Sentell, Dawgnation

Georgia vs. Tennessee: What else should you consider?

Let’s face it. These numbers above are based on data. What do they really have to do with a football team winning? Do the Bulldogs simply have a talent advantage? Where are the Vols supposed to be strong? In what areas of the field will they depend on multiple former 3-star recruits to play winning football? Let’s take a few more examples and share them below.

Georgia’s defense has the highest talent here. The Bulldogs had four former 5-star recruits in the starting lineup against Florida last week. They had six other 4-star recruits. The defense was also younger with eight starters signed in the 2020 class or later. Do you think the Vols have struggled to cover receivers this year? A deep scan of their recruiting classes over the past four cycles shows they’ve only signed two safeties and one cornerback who held 4 stars during that span. Tennessee ranks 12th in the SEC and 127th out of 131 NCAA FBS teams in passing yards allowed this season. The Vols are averaging 300 yards per game. The belief here is that the previous dot is directly related to this dot element. Georgia enters this competition…