Slowly but surely, the Georgia Bulldogs are adding important puzzle pieces to an already impressive recruiting design. With 15 commitments at the time, including 10 from four-star athletes according to Rivals.com, the rich only got richer last Monday when four-star receiver Rantavious Wooten gave his verbal pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs. Wooten, a 5-foot-10, 158-pound athlete from Belle Glade, Fla., flirted early in the process with Louisiana State and even went so far as to commit to the Tigers in late August. In the end, however, Wooten chose the Dawgs over the Tigers and a whole hoard of others schools, including Miami, Florida, Michigan and Auburn. As for why the ‘Dogs became Wooten’s top choice, in a recent interview with Rivals analyst Chad Simmons the wideout explained it all.
“Everything at Georgia really blew my mind,” Wooten explained. “I loved it up there, I have a great opportunity there, and I felt it was the right place for me. I told [Mark Richt] that I felt very comfortable there and that I wanted to be a Bulldog. It is nothing against LSU, but Georgia is just the place for me. I had a great visit, the coaches are great, and I am definitely committed to Georgia now.”
In Wooten, the Dawgs are getting an absolutely dynamic athlete. On the field and with the ball in his hands, Wooten displays exceptional quickness, great speed, and the ability and moves to take it the distance at any time. Additionally, Wooten is a strong receiver downfield and, at only 5-foot-10, shows a surprising ability to win jump-ball battles and play physical.
Considering the volatile nature of recruiting, some Bulldog fans may wonder just how “committed” Wooten is to Georgia. If his recent statements are any indication, though, Bulldog fans can take a break from worry.
“No, I am not going to be taking that visit to LSU now and I am definitely going to Georgia. Nobody can change my mind on that,” he said. “I don’t even care if the team loses every game the rest of the year, Georgia is where I want to go. I am really excited about it and I am definitely staying a Georgia Bulldog.”
TECH ADDS TO RANKS
While Tech may not have excelled on the field last week, the team certainly had reason to celebrate away from the gridiron, landing a commitment from Fitzgerald athlete Jemea Thomas. In what became a heated battle for his services, in the end, Thomas chose the Yellow Jackets over offers from Purdue, South Florida, Vanderbilt, Troy and Clemson, among others.
On the high school level, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Thomas splits time between the safety and running back positions. On the field, Thomas is highly elusive, shows great quickness, and, while he lacks great speed, is deadly on punt and kickoff returns. In addition, from the safety position, Thomas is surprisingly aggressive for his size, possesses a great feel for the game and has a knack for coming up with the big play.
As for what position he wants to play on the next level, Thomas has little preference: “As a safety, I am good on my feet. I support the run well and play well in coverage. I feel comfortable back there. As a running back, I have surprising power and I do have a little speed. Last year I was our leading rusher and scored 15 touchdowns.”
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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