‘There wasn’t much mystery’: How Georgia's Kirby Smart felt about his latest recruiting class

After nearly a month on the road, first in preparation to win the national championship and then traveling across the country to meet up with commits and future prospects, Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart was able to relax on National Signing Day Wednesday.

By his signing day press conference at 2:45 Wednesday, Smart said the Bulldogs’ 2022 recruiting class was complete and they weren’t expecting any other high schoolers to sign with UGA this cycle.

Georgia came into Wednesday with 24 signees from December, 19 of them already enrolled, and several more that had already committed. In the end, the Bulldogs wrapped up with 29 signees, good for the third-best class in 247Sports rankings.

“There wasn’t much mystery,” Smart said of the expectation for Wednesday. “I haven’t even stopped for signing day where most of the time that was all you did today. You would dedicate all your time to that. That certainly is a December movement in the world we live in. There wasn’t a lot going on.”

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“As everybody probably knows, there's a limited number of spots we've got left in terms of recruiting, and most of our signing class was finished up in December,” Smart said in his opening statement. “We did have a few guys added to the group today. I'm certainly proud of the group we've got. I'm excited about this recruiting class.”

Georgia added five signees Wednesday and three of them committed to the program the same day. Coming in, wide receiver Dillon Bell and edge defender Darris Smith were the only two of the group that had publicly committed to UGA.

Bell, a three-star from Houston, is a guy that had a great camp last summer and he committed shortly after.

“He’s big, built like a running back, plays like a running back,” Smart said of Bell. “He has power, good hands and a tremendous work ethic. He goes to an extremely academic high school, which checks out for us being able to handle the academics at the University of Georgia. Seeing him workout gave us validation of what we saw on tape.”

Smith committed to Georgia December 2020 and never wavered in his pledge. The 6-foot-6 defender has deceiving speed which really excited Smart and staff. The Baxley, Georgia native will run track for Appling County this spring.

“He played like a receiver at times,” Smart said. “He’s got a great work ethic. He’s from a rural town down there and he does a wonderful job every time he’s up here competing, working out. He has a lot of growth potential. He’s long and runs well.”

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The third UGA commit that went unsigned in December was four-star running back Jordan James, who said he was still all in on the Bulldogs two months ago.

Then he took an official visit to Oregon where former UGA defensive coordinator Dan Lanning is now the head coach. James signed with the Ducks midday Wednesday.

With an open running back slot, RB coach Dell McGee continued to search the country for another talented back to anchor the Bulldogs’ offense.

His answer came via Dallas, Texas in three-star Andrew Paul, who was offered by UGA Jan. 23, visited Athens that weekend and signed with Georgia over Clemson and Michigan.

“He has a great demeanor about him,” Smart said of Paul. “Dell (McGee) did a tremendous job combing the country looking for the best backs we could possibly bring into the University of Georgia. Anytime you go across the state of Texas, there’s a ton of great football players, there’s a ton of great high school football in Texas. Dell reached out to me, sent me his Hudl link, I got to watch him and really liked him.”

The other two signing day commitments came from in-state prospects that have a history of winning state championships.

Around noon, four-star defensive lineman Christen Miller picked up a red Georgia hat instead of hats from Florida A&M, Miami or Ohio State. Miller’s recruitment was long and he kept all coaches involved up until the day of the commitment.

For Georgia, there was one word to describe the recruitment of Cedar Grove’s 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive leader: Consistency.

“When I’ve lost kids that I feel like we should’ve gotten, I feel like the biggest factor was ‘did we recruit them with consistency,’” Smart said. “You have to be consistent. I’ll say this: We, Tray Scott and staff were extremely consistent with Christen Miller. It paid off because the message and consistency didn’t change. He valued relationships.”

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Rounding out the 2022 recruiting class was three-star linebacker EJ Lightsey, a one-time Florida commit from Fitzgerald, Georgia. Like Bell and several other signees, Lightsey’s performance at Georgia’s camps earned him the investment from Smart and the coaching staff.

“We felt very strong about him,” Smart said. “He ran very well at our camp and we put a lot of value on camp evaluations because it’s the only thing we see with our eyes. Once the character checks out, the academics check out and play tape checks out, everything goes to the camp. This guy did a great job at our camp and was not afraid of work.”

Smart’s latest class finished with five five-stars, 15 four-stars, nine three-stars and has an average recruiting rating of 92.79, which is lowest of the Smart era since his first class in 2017.

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(Note: Rankings are from the 247Sports Composite unless otherwise noted)

Meet the 29 members of UGA's 2022 signing class

DL Bear Alexander

Hometown: Denton, Texas

High School: IMG Academy

Ranking: Four-star; No. 49 prospect nationally; No. 8 DL

Analysis: For the second time in the 2022 recruiting cycle, the four-star lineman from Texas has committed to UGA over Texas A&M. He committed to Georgia in February before decommitting in June. Alexander played all across Texas before transferring to IMG Academy this season. He's 6-foot-3, 325 pounds and can move with ease. His chase-down is stellar and his size will only improve when he gets to Athens. The All-American visited Texas A&M as the Aggies upset Alabama and took an unofficial visit to Athens for the Arkansas game. UGA now has three of the Top 15 defensive lineman committed to the Bulldogs.

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OT Aliou Bah

Hometown: Bradenton, Florida

High School: IMG Academy

Ranking: Four-star; No. 358 prospect nationally; No. 29 OT

Analysis: Bah committed to Florida State in May, but backed off his commitment on Saturday...the same day he visited Athens to watch the Bulldogs upend previously unbeaten Kentucky. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman took his official visit to Athens in June and returned for the Arkansas game and this weekend's game against Kentucky. He reportedly loved OL coach Matt Luke and the game environment. He told On3, he "was leaning towards Georgia way before (the Arkansas game.)" Luke continues to get physically big linemen, likely continuing the trend of UGA dominating the offensive line for years to come.

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WR Dillon Bell

Hometown: Houston, TX

High School: The Kinkaid School

Ranking: Three-star; No. 460 nationally; No. 66 WR

Analysis: Bell’s commitment was the first in what Smart hopes is a stretch of post-summer visits pledges. In 2020, Bell caught 24 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 607 yards and 18 touchdowns, which is an added-plus for a UGA offense that likes to use receivers all across the field. Bell chose UGA over Auburn, Michigan, Minnesota and a host of other Power 5 schools. There are a few other wide receiver prospects that UGA hopes it can get committed to the Bulldogs.

OT Drew Bobo

Hometown: Auburn, AL

High School: Auburn

Ranking: Three-star; No. 664 prospect nationally; No. 52 OT

Analysis: Son of now-former Auburn offensive coordinator Mike, the 300-pound lineman committed to UGA a few weeks after his dad was let go from Auburn. It's a win for UGA OL coach Matt Luke, being able to go into rival territory and get another piece for the Georgia line. His dad also served on Georgia's staff for more than a decade. It's been reported that Georgia was Drew's dream school and he's expected to sign Wednesday and enroll early.

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TE Oscar Delp

Hometown: Cumming, GA

High School: West Forsyth

Ranking: Four-star; No. 99 prospect nationally; No. 2 TE

Analysis: This is the guy that Georgia’s coaches have been after all of 2021. In a stiff battle between the Bulldogs, Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers, Bulldogs assistant Todd Hartley came out on top. Delp’s recruitment blew up in the 2020 Corky Kell Classic and has been one of the most sought after uncommitted recruits since. He’s 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and is able to move up and down the field like a receiver, but still make the blocks necessary to compete at Georgia’s highest-level of high school football. Other UGA commits Gunner Stockton and Pierce Stockton played a big role in Delp’s recruitment, as did the Bulldogs' success with freshman tight end Brock Bowers this season. Delp saw UGA against Clemson and South Carolina, and was in Columbia for the Troy game on Oct. 1.

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DB Daylen Everette

Hometown: Bradenton, FL

High School: IMG Academy

Ranking: Five-star; No. 27 prospect nationally; No. 6 CB

Analysis: Once Brent Venables left Clemson to become head coach at Oklahoma, Everette de-committed from the Tigers and UGA became the favorite to get the talented defensive back. Everette took an official visit to Alabama the weekend of Dec. 10, but he ended up picking the Bulldogs. This is the latest five-star standout from IMG to commit to Georgia this class, but Everette played his first two years of high school ball in Virginia. His sophomore season in Norfolk, Virginia, Everette had 11 interceptions.

IOL Earnest Greene

Hometown: Bellflower, CA

High School: St. John Bosco

Ranking: Four-star; No. 44 nationally; No. 2 IOL

Analysis: At the All-American Bowl, the super talented lineman announced his commitment, picking the Bulldogs over Alabama, Ohio State and Texas. Greene took an official visit to Athens in September. At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Greene should be a strong addition to Matt Luke's offensive line room.

OT Jacob Hood

Hometown: Nashville, TN

High School: Hillsboro

Ranking: Three-star; No. 426 prospect nationally; No. 34 OT

Analysis: One of the physically biggest prospects in the 2022 class, Hood stands at 6-foot-8, 342 pounds. He committed to UGA over Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami and Mississippi. The Bulldogs’ offensive line target took an official visit to Athens on June 11, but has been on campus several times this summer. OL coach Matt Luke recruited Hood hard and with the current depth on the offensive line, Hood and fellow three-star commit Griffin Scroggs will have plenty of competition for roles in 2022.

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CB Julian Humphrey

Hometown: Houston, TX

High School: Clear Lake

Ranking: Four-star; No. 80 prospect nationally; No. 9 CB

Analysis: Humphrey committed to Florida in May, but decommitted the week before Georgia-Florida. He took his official visit to Athens for the Arkansas game and put the Bulldogs, LSU and Texas A&M in his Top 3 on Nov. 2. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Humphrey has great size to play in the secondary and he’s been regarded as one of the fastest prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. He took home First-Team All-District honors the last two seasons and also competes in the 100 and 200-yard events in track.

EDGE Marvin Jones Jr.

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL

High School: American Heritage

Ranking: Five-star; No. 23 nationally; No. 3 EDGE

Analysis: Another benefit for Georgia as the result of a coaching change, the former Sooner commit announced his commitment to the Bulldogs on ESPN2 on signing day. Jones took an official visit to former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley in USC last week before taking an official visit in Athens the last weekend before signing day. He's one of the top defensive players in the 2022 class and also ran track at American Heritage. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound end recorded 46 tackles and five sacks in his final year of high school football.

LB EJ Lightsey

Hometown: Fitzgerald, GA

High School: Fitzgerald

Ranking: Three-star; No. 494 nationally; No. 49 LB

Analysis: The last piece to the strong defensive class put together in Athens, Lightsey brings state championship experience and speed to an already talented class. A one-time Florida commit, the Bulldogs got another linebacker who had interest in an SEC East foe, as South Carolina recruited Lightsey hard during the last month. But after taking his official visit to UGA on Jan. 21, Lightsey shut down conversations with the Gamecock and canceled his OV to Columbia. He’s the third linebacker to sign with the Bulldogs in this class, not including ATH Malaki Starks who is expected to continue playing safety but has linebacker size, too.

LB Carlton Madden

Hometown: Ellenwood, GA

High School: Cedar Grove

Ranking: Four-star; No. 347 prospect nationally; No. 29 EDGE

Analysis: It was a short recruitment for Madden, who was first offered by UGA this summer. He then returned to Athens for a 7-on-7 tournament and impressed defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and the rest of the staff. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound defensive monster was once committed to Colorado, but decommitted after receiving the UGA offer in mid-June. Cedar Grove is one of the top teams in AAA and has several other studs that UGA will look to add to this year's recruiting class.

DL Christen Miller

Hometown: Ellenwood, GA

High School: Cedar Grove

Ranking: Four-star; No. 102 nationally; No. 14 DL

Analysis: It’s over. He’s signed. Miller made Georgia fans nervous all the way up until he officially signed with the Bulldogs, ending the longest and most uncertain recruitment of this cycle. The 6-foot-4, standout from the state champion Saints took visits to Miami, Oregon and Florida A&M in the month leading up to signing day, and also had Ohio State visiting him multiple times through the last few months. In the end, he stayed home, joining high school teammates in 2022 EDGE signee CJ Madden and 2023 CB commit Kayin Lee.

WR De’Nylon Morrissette

Hometown: Kennesaw, GA

High School: North Cobb

Ranking: Four-star; No. 244 nationally; No. 38 WR

Analysis: Having moved from Cobb County to Baltimore, Maryland and then back to the Atlanta-area, it’s easy to see why Morrissette felt at home with UGA. Morrissette is one of several receiver prospects UGA targeted this recruiting cycle. In 2020 at Brookwood (GA), Morrissette had 824 yards and seven touchdowns, highlighted by a 215-yard, three-score performance in the Corky Kell Classic to begin the season. Morrissette also had offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida and Oregon.

RB Andrew Paul

Hometown: Dallas, TX

High School: Parish Episcopal School

Ranking: Three-star; No. 534 nationally; No. 42 RB

Analysis: Paul becomes the second running back to sign with Georgia in the 2022 class. He was offered just a few weeks ago and then pursued hard by Smart and the UGA coaches. Good-sized at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, Paul rushed for 2,616 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior. He joins Branson Robinson as the newest additions to the Bulldogs’ running back room that will be looking to replace outgoing James Cook and Zamir White.

RB Branson Robinson

Hometown: Madison, MS

High School: Germantown

Ranking: Four-star; No. 61 nationally; No. 4 RB

Analysis: Robinson chose UGA over Alabama and Tennessee, among others, citing the Bulldogs’ long success of developing running backs for the NFL, but he might not need too much developing. His junior year, Robinson rushed for 1,179 yards and 15 touchdowns in just nine games, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. He’s 5-foot-10, 220-pounds and looks to join a running back room in Athens that never has any shortage of talent.

Griffin Scroggs

Hometown: Loganville, GA

High School: Grayson

Ranking: Three-star; No. 940 nationally; No. 50 IOL

Analysis: A day after decommitting from Georgia Tech, Scroggs announced via Twitter he’d be taking his talents to UGA instead. At 6-foot-5, 300-pounds, Scroggs is the ideal body type for OL coach Matt Luke and is the first offensive lineman in UGA’s 2022 class. Scroggs played center for the 7A state champs in 2020, but is likely to play right guard for the Rams this season.

CB Jaheim Singletary

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

High School: Riverside

Ranking: Five-star; No. 26 prospect nationally; No. 5 CB

Analysis: Singletary decommitted from Ohio State before beginning his senior season and Florida, Georgia and Miami were the likely suitors for the five-star corner. He attended the Georgia-Florida game and several other Gators games this fall, but the firing of head coach Dan Mullen and perhaps other factors led the 6-foot-2, 170-pound secondary beast to join Kirby Smart’s top recruiting class.

WR Chandler Smith

Hometown: Orlando, FL

High School: Mt. Dora

Ranking: Four-star; No. 224 prospect nationally; No. 32 WR

Analysis: Another flip from Florida to Georgia, Smith is the elite receiver that Kirby Smart was looking for to round out his 2022 class. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he has great speed and size to compete and be a starting receiver his first year on campus. He decommitted from the Gators on Dec. 7 and took an official visit to Athens the last weekend before national signing day. Kentucky and Tennessee were also in the final running, but like usual, the Bulldogs won out.

EDGE Darris Smith

Hometown: Baxley, GA

High School: Appling County

Ranking: Four-star; No. 160 nationally; No. 14 EDGE

Analysis: UGA was Smith’s dream school, so when the Bulldogs offered the 6-foot-6 edge defender, it was a quick yes. In just seven games for Appling County in 2020, Smith totaled 14 total tackles, nine solo, and forced a fumble. This came after a 2019 season where he had 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 12 games. Smith runs a 4.71 40 and chose UGA over offers from Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others.

WR Cole Speer

Hometown: Calhoun, GA

High School: Calhoun

Ranking: Three-star; No. 723 nationally; No. 103 WR

Analysis: UGA offered Speer in late July and a few weeks later Speer committed to Smart. In Speer's freshman year, he made the state championship in the 100-meter dash with a 10.98-second run and has so often ran the 40-yard-dash around 4.5 seconds, which helped his recruiting interest. In 2020, Speer had 59 catches for 1,159 and 11 touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets. He chose UGA over reported offers from East Carolina, Memphis and Gardner-Webb.

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ATH Malaki Starks

Hometown: Jefferson, GA

High School: Jefferson

Ranking: Five-star; No. 18 nationally; No. 1 ATH

Analysis: A local star, Starks announced his commitment before the end of the high school basketball season, where he also led the Dragons. Starks has played just about everywhere on the football field, rushing for more than 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns at quarterback in 2020 while also recording 41 tackles and two interceptions on defense. His size and athleticism will only get better once he starts to work with college strength coaches and he’ll become even more dynamic on the field, in whatever position he ends up in. Starks’ other finalists were Alabama and Clemson.

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QB Gunner Stockton

Hometown: Tiger, GA

High School: Rabun County

Ranking: Four-star; No. 123 nationally, No. 7 QB

Analysis: Once committed to South Carolina, Stockton has been all in on the Bulldogs since his commitment, helping Smart recruit fellow offensive weapons across the state. Stockton is coming off one of the best seasons in recent Georgia high school history, where he threw for 3,128 yards and 45 touchdowns, while rushing for another 1,581 yards and 26 touchdowns. Stocked was influential in getting WR Morrissette to commit to UGA and he hopes that there are a few more in-state pass-catchers that will join.

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S JaCorey Thomas

Hometown: Orlando, FL

High School: Boone

Ranking: Four-star; No. 326 nationally; No. 27 S

Analysis: With great arm length, Thomas has great athleticism. Not only was he a star on Boone’s defense, Thomas also had 564 yards of total offense, seven touchdowns and had both a punt and kickoff return go for six. On defense, he had 60 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception. Thomas committed to UGA over Miami and UCF, among 27 others offers.

P Brett Thorson

Hometown: Australia

High School: ProKick Australia

Ranking: Three-star; NA nationally; No. 2 P

Analysis: The top punter in the Class of 2022 was on UGA’s radar for several weeks before he got an offer from the Bulldogs and committed the same day. Thorson trains at ProKick Australia, a group that has developed six Ray Guy (top FBS punter) winners and 18 All-Americans in the 13 years the group has existed. UGA has several younger punters on the 2021 roster, but adding a punter of Thorson’s caliber can’t hurt.

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Jalon Walker

Hometown: Salisbury, NC

High School: Salisbury

Ranking: Four-star; No. 45 nationally; No. 4 LB

Analysis: At 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, Walker already has a great size to play linebacker in the SEC. He committed to UGA over finalists Clemson and North Carolina, despite both schools being closer to home. Walker has a versatile skill set which could allow him to be used in different areas in Dan Lanning’s defensive schemes. His sophomore year, Walker also lined up at tight end and on the defensive line.

LB C.J. Washington

Hometown: Cedartown, GA

High School: Cedartown

Ranking: Four-star; No. 134 nationally; No. 11 LB

Analysis: This summer Washington took an official visit to LSU, but couldn’t be swayed from his year-long commitment to Smart and the Bulldogs. Initially listed as an athlete, Washington can play wherever. At running back in 2020, he rushed for nearly 700 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 9.6 yards per carry. On defense, Washington had 35 tackles and six sacks for Cedartown in nine games. He looks to join a defense-heavy recruiting class for Dan Lanning. Washington’s final three was UGA, LSU and Tennessee.

DL Shone Washington

Hometown: New Orleans, LA

High School: Warren Easton

Ranking: Three-star; No. 481 nationally; No. 65 DL

Analysis: A one-time LSU commit, Washington chose Georgia over Florida and LSU. A late offer came in June and he took an official visit to Athens for the Charleston Southern game. At 6-foot-3, he's got the size to be able to move well anywhere on the defensive line. His nickname is "Silverback" and he plans to enroll early.

DL Mykel Williams

Hometown: Columbus, Georgia

High School: Hardaway

Ranking: Five-star; No. 4 nationally; No. 2 DL

Analysis: This might be the biggest win for Kirby Smart and company of this recruiting cycle. The highly-touted pass-rusher committed to USC in June and in multiple interviews was still sold on the Trojans after they fired Clay Helton. Then Williams took an official visit for the Kentucky visit and three days later tweeted he was decommitting from USC and committing to Georgia. The 6-foot-5 All-American is everything Dan Lanning would want in a defensive lineman — speedy, muscular and plays anywhere on the line. RB coach Dell McGee was the primary recruiter of Williams, having experience coaching and understanding the Columbus area. Williams is the second flip to UGA coming from the Kentucky weekend.

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McClain Baxley is a recruiting reporter for the Athens Banner-Herald and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at mbaxley@onlineathens.com or on Twitter at @mcclainbaxley.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: How Georgia football built the 2022 recruiting class, where it ranks