Georgia defensive line coach Rodney GarnerATHENS, Ga. -- Once Georgia walks off the football field following its Capital One Bowl matchup against Nebraska, weeks of meeting and greeting will begin.
The Bulldogs have 30 commitments for their 2013 signing class, and roughly half of them plan to enroll in January. Georgia had just three early enrollees earlier this year: tailback Keith Marshall, quarterback Faton Bauta and junior college offensive lineman Mark Beard.
"We're going to have a large number, hopefully in the teens," Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner said. "That's our goal, and obviously guys have to get admitted and things have to get processed through, but if we meet what we've targeted, then we should have in the teens for spring ball."
Georgia's class of commitments is rated No. 5 by Scout.com, No. 7 by Rivals.com and No. 9 by ESPN.
Among those looking to enroll early are quarterback Brice Ramsey, safety Tray Matthews and defensive linemen John Atkins and Leonard Floyd. Matthews is Georgia's highest-rated commitment according to Rivals.com, while Atkins and Floyd failed to qualify in last year's class and currently attend Hargrave Military in Virginia.
"It would be a plus for everybody," Garner said. "It's a plus for the kids and it's a plus for our program when they can get in the weight room and get bigger and stronger and have an opportunity to go through spring practice. So now they're like a seasoned veteran when the camp starts next fall."
The Bulldogs began August camp with 69 scholarship players, 16 below the maximum 85 allowed by the NCAA, and added seven that month when head coach Mark Richt rewarded several walk-ons with one-year scholarships. Among those players were redshirt freshman fullback Merritt Hall, who has made six starts, and junior receiver Rhett McGowan, a former Calhoun High standout who has caught nine passes and returned punts.
Attrition throughout this year has led to this impending class being so sizable, beginning with Georgia signing only 19 players in February and 17 enrolling. There were players who transferred before or during spring practice, including current UTC defensive lineman Derrick Lott, and there were summer defections as well, most notably the felony weapons arrest and immediate dismissal of tailback Isaiah Crowell.
Georgia has 14 seniors on scholarship and is expected to lose junior linebackers Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree to the NFL. Quarterback Aaron Murray and nose tackle Kwame Geathers are two other juniors debating whether to leave early.
Garner said there currently is room for two or three more commitments, which would make this the largest class of the Richt era. The Bulldogs had 31 signees in 2002.
"Obviously this class will be a large one, but then the next one won't be as large," he said. "You hope you can get to a point where you're not having as much attrition so you won't have a wide range of class size like this."
Georgia's coaches have been recruiting since last weekend's 32-28 loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game. Richt said part of the agenda this week would be the "scoping out of next year's class as well."
The Bulldogs already have three commitments for 2014.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.
GEORGIA COMMITMENTS
DT John Atkins 6-4, 310 Hargrave (Va.) Military
DB Paris Bostick 6-1, 208 Tampa, Fla.
OL Aulden Bynum 6-5, 260 Valdosta, Ga.
OL Josh Cardiello 6-3, 280 Buford, Ga.
LB Reginald Carter 6-1, 224 Snellville, Ga.
TE Jordan Davis 6-4, 225 Thomson, Ga.
WR Reggie Davis 6-0, 159 Tallahassee, Fla.
DE Leonard Floyd 6-4, 220 Hargrave (Va.) Military
DB Shaquille Fluker 6-1, 205 East Mississippi CC
ATH J.J. Green 5-9, 186 Kingsland, Ga.
DT DeAndre Johnson 6-3, 310 Newnan, Ga.
DB Kennar Johnson 6-2, 185 Gulf Coast (Miss.) CC
WR Rico Johnson 5-11, 170 Swainsboro, Ga.
LB Tim Kimbrough 6-1, 226 Indianapolis
OL Brandon Kublanow 6-3, 289 Marietta, Ga.
DB Brendan Langley 6-1, 188 Marietta, Ga.
WR Uriah LeMay 6-1, 181 Matthews, N.C.
DB Tray Matthews 6-0, 194 Newnan, Ga.
DB Quincy Mauger 6-0, 197 Marietta, Ga.
DT Chris Mayes 6-4, 315 Gulf Coast (Miss.) CC
LB Shaun McGee 6-3, 233 Snellville, Ga.
DE Naim Mustafa 6-4, 235 Alpharetta, Ga.
LB Johnny O'Neal 6-2, 225 Dublin, Ga.
QB Brice Ramsey 6-3, 205 Kingsland, Ga.
LB Ryne Rankin 6-1, 231 Orlando
WR Jonathon Rumph 6-5, 215 Holmes (Miss) CC
ATH Tramel Terry 6-0, 190 Goose Creek, S.C.
RB A.J. Turman 6-0, 205 Orlando, Fla.
DB Shaquille Wiggins 5-10, 166 Tyrone, Ga.
DB Reggie Wilkerson 5-11, 163 Ocala, Fla.
Source: Rivals.com