Dawgs Land a Big Prospect, Finally

Da'Rick Rogers committed to Georgia today at Calhoun High School. He is considered the state's top prospect and one of the top wideouts in the country. Remember when we couldn't get a gamebreaker on campus? With A.J. Green, Marlon Brown, and Rogers, we've hauled in a top receiver for three years running, assuming Rogers sticks with us. The staff outduelled the Gators, Bama, Mississippi State, LSU, and USC for Da'Rick. Here's ESPN's evaluation (provided by Scouts, Inc.):

"The more you watch Rogers, the more impressive he becomes. He is big, knows how to use his size and displays explosive straight-line speed in the open field. He has a tremendous size-to-speed ratio and he is strong. Rogers has the ability to out-muscle defensive backs in contested matchups as well as ward off tacklers after the catch. Drives defenders off the ball with nice a surge and is an imposing figure off the line. Shows a long, but explosive stride. He does a great job tracking the ball, while its in the air and possesses excellent body control to make acrobatic catches.

He has excellent size and very good strength after the catch. Will stiff arm defenders and drag them for extra yards. He can win footraces and flashes the ability to be a legitimate home run threat. He is a huge threat on the fade and vertical routes He is very difficult to defend in the red zone. Presents a huge problem for smaller corners who try to cover or tackle him. He has very big, soft hands and shows the ability to pull the ball away in jump-ball situations. He is elusive for his size and shows a second gear in the open field. He has a wide wingspan that creates huge throwing windows. As impressive as his physical tools and upside are, he does not show a lot of wiggle or flexibility in his change-of-direction. Has some stiffness in the hips. You can see it as a route-runner and ball-carrier. His strength and first-step quickness can help him avoid the first guy, but he isn't a guy that will put multiple moves together in space to make people miss. Overall, Rogers is an impressive physical specimen and at times looks like a Calvin Johnson-type player. He is aggressive, makes plays and presents some difficult one-on-one mismatches for opposing defenses. Excellent prospect."

I've vowed to stop following recruiting this year for several reasons, but one can't ignore a commitment this big. Until today, UGA's recruiting efforts haven't gotten any commitments from the highest profile recruits, although Jalen Fields is a huge get for us at a position of need.

This is a departure from our normal efforts of having the entire class sewn up by September 1. That's not a bad thing, but you have to have some recruits left to get. A couple of guys (Tai-ler Jones and Jawuan James) have already gotten away because we've offered them after they established relationships with other schools. That's rattled some parts of Bulldog Nation. Maybe the Rogers commitment will quell some of those shouts.

Quinton