Georgia finished with the second- or third-best recruiting class in the SEC 10 times between 2002-17. Thanks to the commitment of four-star running back James Cook on Thursday, the Bulldogs might be the verge of finally grabbing the top spot.
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Cook, the brother of Minnesota Vikings' running back Dalvin Cook, picked Georgia over Florida, Florida State and Louisville. The Miami Central running back was committed to the Seminoles from March 2016 through July before decommitting and taking official visits. The 5-foot-11, 181-pounder is a four-star prospect, the third-ranked running back in the country and No. 35 overall prospect (247Sports).
Cook is the fourth top-50 2018 recruit to commit to Georgia, joining four-star linebacker Adam Anderson (No. 44) five-star running back Zamir White (No. 6) and five-star dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields (No. 1). Kirby Smart also has pledges from eight other four-star players, including defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, the eighth-ranked JUCO prospect in the country.
The 18-man class ranked fifth in the FBS and first in the SEC (258.14 points), and while it's still early (and their average prospect rating of .9062 is lower than past years in which they've finished second and third), Cook's commitment gives Georgia a good chance of finishing with the top class in the conference.
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Florida sits just behind with 249.7 points (.9041 average) and 10 four-star recruits (but zero five-star) but the most legitimate contender, unsurprisingly, is Alabama. The Tide's 11-commit class is ranked ninth, though their average prospect of .9103 ranks first. Saban's recruiting machine remains in contention for a ton of four- and five-star prospects, including top-ranked receiver Terrace Marshall and second-ranked pro-style quarterback Tanner McKee.
Georgia, meanwhile, is chasing weak-side defensive end K.J. Henry, a five-star prospect from North Carolina who's the second-ranked player at his position and No. 16 overall prospect. He said his visit to Athens in September "set the bar pretty high."
There is still a long ways to go but Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have put themselves in position for the SEC's best 2018 recruiting class.
Here's a look at their full class:
