Georgia

Recruiting thoughts: Key class for Florida State, Alabama post-Saban, Georgia's push into Ohio

Published

2 years ago

May 22, 2024

Recruiting thoughts: Key class for Florida State, Alabama post-Saban, Georgia's push into Ohio

We blinked our eyes and the end of May is already here. That means recruiting season is heating up with summer visits right around the corner.

Here are some recruiting thoughts:

• We got into a discussion about transactional programs on last Friday’s episode of “Until Saturday.” It led us down a path to Florida State, a team that has been very active — and successful — in the transfer portal. Mike Norvell has not signed a top-10 recruiting class during his time in Tallahassee, yet he had his team competing for a national championship a year ago. And had Jordan Travis not gotten injured, the Seminoles could have won the title. This has me thinking: Are the high school recruiting rankings just not as important anymore? Or was Florida State just outrageously (and unsustainably) successful in the portal? Was last year an outlier or the beginning of a new talent accumulation trend?

• Who were the best players on Florida State’s roster last year? Travis, receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, running back Trey Benson, defensive end Jared Verse and a handful of others. Every one of them was a transfer. That, to me, makes Norvell the portal king. It’s not so much about the number of transfers, it’s about how many came in and produced like future NFL players. It was wildly successful, but I’m skeptical a team can consistently do that year after year, even if Florida State regularly takes transfers with multiple seasons of eligibility remaining.

• That brings me to the next point about Florida State and other “transactional” programs. At what point do you pull the lever and start going all-in on high school classes? Florida State’s recruiting ranking has improved each year under Norvell’s leadership, from No. 23 in the 2021 cycle in the 247Sports Composite to No. 12 in 2024. As success happens on the field, high school prospects begin to look at your program in a different light. Though it is always prudent to use the portal as a supplement, I still firmly believe that focusing on high school recruiting is required to sustain success.

• Florida State is no stranger to elite-level recruiting, but I was shocked to learn that the Seminoles haven’t signed a top-10 class since the 2017 cycle. People view Norvell as a top-five coach in America right now. This cycle is huge for Florida State to prove that this program actually is back as a power. I want to see a top-10 class from the Seminoles in 2025.

• Nick Saban is gone from Alabama. He was a menace in the state of Florida during his time with the Crimson Tide. He’d regularly dip into the Sunshine State and land the five-star prospects who would have gone to Florida State, Florida or Miami 15 years ago. This is an absolutely huge cycle not only for the Seminoles but also for the Gators and Hurricanes. Take your state back.

• Florida’s 2024 class lost six players who ranked in the top 150 nationally between last November and the mid-December early signing period. The Gators held onto two five-star prospects in quarterback DJ Lagway and defensive lineman LJ McCray, but they saw the wheels fall off on a once-dominant class, which ultimately finished No. 13 overall. Yes, Florida did some work in the transfer portal by bringing in 15 players, including former Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger and former Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain, but recruiting hasn’t quite hit the way we thought it would. Billy Napier is in a tough spot, too. Florida’s schedule this season is brutal, and many people assume he isn’t going to make it through the year. That makes it really hard to sign an elite-level recruiting class.

• Alabama’s 2025 class has 10 commitments, including three from top-100 national prospects. The Crimson Tide’s class ranks No. 8 overall. The good news? Kalen DeBoer and his staff are landing commitments from elite-level prospects. It’s certainly not at the same rate as Saban did, but it’s irrational to expect that right out of the gate. It’s not easy replacing the GOAT. I’m looking forward to seeing where this Alabama class ultimately ranks. It’s intriguing, especially for those of us who debate whether Alabama is a top-three job in America or if Saban just made it seem that way. We’re going to find out. I’d give DeBoer, a coach who has never had to recruit at an elite level, a passing grade thus far.

• Ohio State has had a stranglehold on the state of Ohio for more than a decade. On occasion, a team will come into the state and land a player with an Ohio State offer, but it doesn’t happen often. But what happens when Georgia makes a run in the Buckeye State? The Bulldogs landed four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery of Findlay High last month, though it must be noted that Ohio State already has a QB committed in the 2025 class (Tavien St. Clair of Bellefontaine High). But Georgia hosted five-star cornerback Trey McNutt of Shaker Heights High and top-100 running back Bo Jackson of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph last weekend, and the Bulldogs now seem to be in a great position with those players. It would be a noteworthy development if Georgia is able to snatch some top-end talent away from Ohio State.

Had an Amazing OV at Georgia🐶🐶
Thanks @KirbySmartUGA @CoachJCrawford @GeorgiaFootball staff for everything pic.twitter.com/pAN3P5BrB9
— Bo Jackson (@BoJackson2025) May 20, 2024

• Five-star cornerback Dijon Lee of Mission Viejo (Calif.) High released a top four Thursday that consisted of Alabama, Georgia, Washington and Texas A&M. There is one school from Southern California that was notably absent from this list. USC is off to a solid start in the 2025 cycle, with five top-100 players committed, including five-star quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis of Carrollton (Ga.) High, but the Trojans have to find a way to land five-star defenders in their backyard. USC got smoked in the state of California a year ago, and while Lincoln Riley has made a few national splashes this cycle, there still seems to be something off there. Three of the top six players in California have already issued commitments — none to USC. Lee is also now seemingly out of the picture, too.

• Notre Dame currently ranks No. 1 overall in the recruiting rankings, which seems to be a trend for the Irish. The class, as it is constructed now with 21 commitments, probably won’t finish in the top five. It’s a solid class, like all of Notre Dame’s classes, but I have yet to see the Marcus Freeman difference in high school recruiting. I think Notre Dame has a good chance to go undefeated this year because it has an elite defense and a veteran roster and it made some key portal additions. Maybe that’s the plan for Notre Dame. I was just hoping to see an influx of five-stars under Freeman’s leadership, and that just hasn’t happened.

• The top 16 players in the state of Texas all rank in the top 90 nationally. Only four have issued commitments. So even though we’re heading into the summer months and things are about to get hectic, there are so many important prospects in the Lone Star State who have yet to pop. Texas’ recruiting class ranks No. 23 overall, which means absolutely nothing when basically its entire state is still uncommitted. It’ll also be interesting to see how much Texas A&M moves the needle in the second half of this cycle under first-year head coach Mike Elko.

• Michigan has five commitments in the 2025 cycle, and two of them pledged before Jim Harbaugh left. There is very little on which to evaluate first-year head coach Sherrone Moore. Along with how Alabama looks in the post-Saban era, monitoring Michigan’s recruiting operation under new leadership will be fascinating. That’s especially true considering the state of Michigan has only one player ranked in the top 200 in this cycle, and that’s five-star quarterback and LSU commitment Bryce Underwood. What is the Wolverines’ strategy for this cycle and beyond?

• Clemson is the only Power 4 team that didn’t take a transfer in this year’s cycle. It infuriates me because I’ve been watching Dabo Swinney’s stubbornness torpedo the Clemson program for the past two years. When Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports came on “Until Saturday” a few weeks ago, he said it best: What Swinney is trying to do at Clemson is admirable. You hear what he is saying and you want to believe it. He wants to do right by his guys and that’s heartwarming. But that’s not how you win big in 2024. The more stubborn Swinney is when it comes to figuring out how to enhance his roster, the further back the Tigers are going to keep falling.

GO DEEPER

Recruiting mailbag: Making sense of Dabo’s strategy, early thoughts on Syracuse, UCLA

• I bring up the Clemson portal stuff because the Tigers always recruit solid, well-evaluated classes. So far in 2025, Clemson has five top-100 players committed. You trust Clemson’s evaluations and decisions. I think Swinney, in theory, would be open to taking more transfers if the bidding-war element didn’t exist or if players weren’t already locked up before entering the portal. I truly understand why he is hesitant. But Clemson has to figure out a way to supplement its roster to go along with its solid recruiting classes if it wants to dream about winning a national title ever again.

• Colorado has three commitments, none of whom rank in the top 200 nationally. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the Buffaloes’ plan, but I’ll bluntly say it again: Deion Sanders is not capitalizing on his No. 1 qualification for being a head coach — fame! — enough in the pursuit of high school athletes. We’re only halfway through the cycle so there is still time to turn things around. But nothing that has happened around that program makes me believe he’ll be the head coach in Boulder in two years.

• Oregon has seven commitments this cycle. All of those players are ranked in the top 300 nationally, and three are in the top 100. It’s still an ongoing case study in terms of where your classes need to be ranked to win a national title in this new era of college football, but the Ducks strike me as a dangerous program. They do a really good job signing deep and talented recruiting classes, and they supplement their roster with high-end portal pickups like Evan Stewart and Dillon Gabriel. Three years ago I would have said Oregon will never win a national title by recruiting good but not great classes. Now I’d buy stock in them and hold. Dan Lanning hasn’t won big on the field yet, but I get the sense it’s coming. And soon.

(Photo of Mike Norvell: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)

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Georgia

~!@[WATCHLIVE!TV]>> NOW Georgia vs Lithuania Match 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 ＦｒｅｅＳｔｒｅａｍｓＯＮＴｖＣｈａｎｎｅｌ

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6 hours ago

March 29, 2026

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Georgia vs Lithuania Match

Georgia vs Lithuania Match: Georgia vs Lithuania Match look to seize control of thrilling Georgia vs Lithuania Match. Every team in the Georgia vs Lithuania Match has two wins apiece as we go into the final two game weeks. Georgia vs Lithuania Match will host Georgia vs Lithuania Match Live mAtch Durban’s Kings Park Stadium with the Georgia vs Lithuania Match a single point ahead of Georgia vs Lithuania Match in the standings and just one behind leaders Georgia vs Lithuania Match.

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Georgia

Georgia Finishes 15th at NCAA Championships – University of Georgia Athletics

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18 hours ago

March 28, 2026

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Georgia Finishes 15th at NCAA Championships – University of Georgia Athletics

ATLANTA – Senior Ruard van Renen reached one final podium as the University of Georgia men’s swimming and diving team closed out competition at the 2026 NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships Saturday at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

In the overall standings, Georgia finished 15th with 64.5 points. Texas won its second-consecutive national championship with 445.5 points, followed by Florida (416), Indiana (351), and Arizona State (328). For the week, the Bulldogs tallied 17 All-America citations, including three First Team honors, with eight different athletes scoring in the meet.

Fast Facts
200y Backstroke – van Renen closed out his Bulldog career with First Team All-America honors, placing sixth in the final with a time of 1:39.05. Swimming in the first heat of prelims, van Renen finished fifth with a time of 1:38.05, the second-fastest time of his career and fourth-fastest in program history. The Cape Town, South Africa native wrapped up the meet with a team-high five All-America citations, finishing with 12 toal for his career at Georgia and Southern Illinois. Freshman Hayden Meyers earned Second Team All-America honors with a 16^th-place time of 1:39.29, setting a new personal best and strengthening his position as the sixth-fastest performer in program history.
200y Butterfly – Sophomore Drew Hitchcock narrowly missed scoring with a 17^th-place time of 1:40.43, his second-fastest mark of the season.
200y IM – Senior Cale Martter closed out his collegiate career with a 21^st-place time of 1:43.05, the second-fastest of his season.
400y Freestyle Relay – Sophomore Tane Bidois, van Renen, junior Tomas Koski, and freshman Kris Mihaylov turned in an initial time of 2:48.37, but the team was disqualified due to an early takeoff.

Events
200y IM
1. Maximus Williamson, Virginia – 1:38.48
2. Owen McDonald, Indiana – 1:38.57
3. Baylor Nelson, Texas – 1:40.08
21. Cale Martter, Georgia – 1:43.05

100y Freestyle
1. Josh Liendo, Florida – 39.91
2. Jere Hribar, LSU – 40.33
3. Gui Caribe, Tennessee – 40.41

200y Butterfly
1. Ilya Kharun, Arizona State – 1:37.66
2. Thomas Heilman, Virginia – 1:38.16
3. Tyler Ray, Michigan – 1:38.47
17. Drew Hitchcock, Georgia – 1:40.43

200y Backstroke
1. Hubert Kos, Texas – 1:34.13
2. Jonny Marshall, Florida – 1:37.15
3. David King, Virginia – 1:37.43
6. Ruard van Renen, Georgia – 1:39.05
16. Hayden Meyers, Georgia – 1:39.29

Platform Diving

1. Emilio Trevino, Texas A&M – 465.30
2. Tyler Wills, Purdue – 451.15
3. Jesus Gonzalez, Florida – 427.25

400y Freestyle Relay
1. Arizona State – 2:42.38
2. NC State – 2:43.31
3. Florida – 2:44.38
Georgia – DQ

Standings
1. Texas, 445.5
2. Florida, 416
3. Indiana, 351
4. Arizona State, 328
5. Tennessee, 272
6. NC State, 258.5
7. California, 231
8. Michigan, 220
9. Virginia, 192
10. Stanford, 136
11. Virginia Tech, 86
12. Louisville, 82
13. Ohio State, 72
14. USC, 69
15. Georgia, 64.5

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Georgia

A Snob’s Guide to the Georgia Coast

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1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

The coast of Georgia doesn’t do kitsch—at least not to the degree of the neighboring Carolinas. Its rugged barrier islands, wild salt marshes, and dense maritime forests aren’t quite as conducive to charmingly tacky beach towns and endless rows of rental homes. Instead, it holds tight to a sense of privacy—protected by boundaries both natural and man-made—and an enduring connection to the raw beauty and slower pace that have defined the region for centuries.

And even though this part of the world has historically been a magnet for larger-than-life names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Kennedy, a mere Southern version of New England this is not. “The integrity of the barrier islands is really something special in Georgia,” says jewelry designer Gogo Ferguson, who is a member of the Carnegie family (who were long-time stewards of Cumberland Island).

Some of this land—which comprises Cumberland, Jekyll, and Little St. Simons—remains privately owned. Some of it is only accessible by boat. Some has been transferred to the state or the National Park Service. Whatever slice of these 110 miles coastline you choose, there are no bad options—you will want to return again and again anyway—though a plan helps. Here’s ours.

Contrarian Wisdom: Summer might feel like the most obvious time to visit, but you’ll be met with the oppressive Southern heat and humidity (and the pesky bugs). Instead, come down in the spring or fall, when the air is less sticky and the crowds less dense.

For the Solitude Seeker

Peter Frank Edwards

Greyfield Inn is the only hotel on Cumberland.

The natural world has the upper hand on Cumberland Island, which is the largest of Georgia’s barrier islands but also one of the most untamed. On this 17-mile-long strip—made up of national seashore, beach ecosystems, salt marsh, and maritime forest—wild horses run free, daily rhythms are influenced by the tide, and you can spend days strolling the coast or weaving beneath live oaks on a bike and never once cross paths with another human. (Cumberland is accessible only by private boat or passenger ferry, which currently limits visitor access to 300).

You will eventually come across signs of civilization, of course, both past and present. “There’s a balance between the natural history and the cultural history,” says Ferguson, who grew up exploring the island “under the tutelage” of her grandmother, Lucy Carnegie Ferguson, granddaughter of Thomas M. Carnegie (Andrew’s brother), who purchased land on the island in the late 19th century. You can see this interplay at the vine-covered Dungeness ruins, which used to be the Carnegie mansion from 1884 to 1959, until a fire left only stone and brick.

In the centuries before the Carnegies arrived, the island moved through various identities—from Timucuan homeland to Spanish possession, then British military base and eventually a Sea Island cotton plantation. Archaeological data even shows human presence dating back to 2,000 BCE. One of the most recognizable relics of this layered past is the First African Baptist Church—the one-room structure was rebuilt in the 1930s, though the church’s roots go back to 1893.

And yes, this is the place where JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette got married in 1996. Ferguson, who knew John since his days at Brown and even designed the couple’s wedding rings, helped make it happen. “They looked at a lot of places, but logistically, it made a little more sense to be on Cumberland,” she tells T&C. “I just thought if we do it properly, we can pull it off without any media, and by God, we did it.”

Interior hallway with decorative elements and a view into other rooms.

Lucy Cuneo

Old money charm is the vibe at Greyfield.

You can visit the church—and the island—in a day (take the Lands and Legacies tour for the highlights), but to really surrender to Cumberland’s languid flow of time, an overnight stay is highly recommended, especially since the last ferry back to the mainland leaves promptly at 4:45 p.m. There are campsites, but Greyfield Inn is the crown jewel (and the only hotel). The 15-room, two-cottage Carnegie-owned-and-run property is the epitome of unfussy luxury, where you can easily spend hours hiking and birdwatching around the property, rocking on the porch, and getting your fill of locally sourced seafood and the fresh harvest from the inn’s garden.

For the Sporting Set

Luxury villa with outdoor seating and lush surroundings

Sea Island

The Cloister at Sea Island.

Sea Island’s reputation precedes itself. For nearly 100 years, the destination—which is both the barrier island and a privately owned resort community—has cultivated a cultish loyalty. So if it feels like everyone knows everyone, you’re not imagining it. “It was, and still is, generational,” says Wheeler Bryan Jr., Sea Island’s historian. Repeat guests have their favorite fishing spots on the marshes, their preferred horses for rides on the private stretch of coast, and their regular orders at the River Bar—and they’re on a first-name basis with the staff at the beach club and shooting school.

There are a number of accommodation options here, from the Sea Island cottages to the Lodge or the Inn, both on nearby St. Simons Island, but the Cloister is very much the beating heart of the marque. Designed by Addison Mizner, of Palm Beach and Boca Raton fame, the Spanish Mediterranean-style building balances its grand and historic reputation with good old-fashioned Southern hospitality. It also has the best sunset views over the Black Banks River.

For such a small island—just 5 miles long and 1.5 miles at its widest—Sea Island feels vast, thanks in large part to the range of activities suited for those of a sporting persuasion. “Our golf is extraordinary, and we are home to two PGA Tour courses and one of the best golf performance schools in the country,” says Bryan, who also recommends a cruise on the Sea Island Explorer, horseback riding on Rainbow Island, and a visit to the 5,800-acre Broadfield Sporting Club to try your hand at falconry. Or just luxuriate in Sea Island’s particular brand of leisure: “There is something about the sand on the beach, the marsh swaying in the breeze, and the shrimp cocktail in the dining room.”

Contrarian Wisdom: Golfers will be in heaven along the Georgia coast, thanks to its healthy sprinkling of championship courses, but you don’t need a low handicap to make the most of your trip. Opportunities for birding, horseback riding, fishing, and hiking are just as plentiful—and scenic.

For the Amateur Historian

Scenic view of a river winding through a marsh.

Jekyll Island Authority

Newport may have been the preferred summer retreat of the Gilded Age elite, but in the winter, the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, and Morgans migrated south to Jekyll Island, where the scene centered around its eponymous private club. Some loved it so much they stayed for several months. “For over half a century, they shaped the island to their tastes,” says Andrea Marroquin, curator at Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum. They brought their architects with them too, commissioning the likes of Horace Cleveland to do their gardens and landscaping, and Carrère and Hastings and Charles Alling Gifford to build their “cottages.” These are now sprinkled around the 240-acre Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, which you can explore via the Landmark Trolley Tour.

Jekyll Island’s chapter as a private club was, in the grand scheme of things, relatively short-lived. In 1947, Georgia purchased the island and opened it as a state park the following year. In the ’80s, the historic clubhouse was transformed into a hotel: the Jekyll Island Club Resort.

Historic hotel building surrounded by palm trees and greenery.

Jekyll Island Authority

Jekyll Island Club Resort.

In its modern incarnation, that old aura of hyper-exclusivity has given way to what Marroquin describes as a “unique balance of preservation and access. Development is limited, historic sites are protected, and large portions of the island remain natural.” Yes, there is enough infrastructure to support the community as a vacation destination—from tee times at Jekyll Island Golf Club to live music, fresh seafood, and frozen cocktails at The Wharf—but it’s also incredibly easy to immerse yourself in the quiet that blankets the salt marshes, maritime forests, and ethereal places like Driftwood Beach, with its ancient, sun-bleached tree trunks scattered and half-buried in the sand. Driftwood will make for a dramatic photo backdrop, though it’s not so much for swimming and sunning—for that, go to Great Dunes.

For the Aspiring Naturalist

A vehicle traveling on a dirt path surrounded by lush greenery in a natural landscape.

Benjamin Galland

Although you’re never more than a quick ramble from nature on the Georgia coast, Little St. Simons Island—a private barrier island with an all-inclusive guest lodge that is only reachable via ferry from St. Simons—is a full immersion into undeveloped territory. Alligators, snakes, egrets, and loggerhead turtles are common sightings, and fishing tackle, binoculars, and bug spray are absolutely essential.

“Little St. Simons is here today, the way it exists, because a little over a hundred years ago, there was a gentleman fishing on what we call Mosquito Creek,” says Jamie Pazur, general manager of the Lodge on Little St. Simons Island. He reported his findings—an island teeming with cedar trees—back to his bosses at Eagle Pencil Company, who bought the island in 1908 with the intention of turning the wood into pencils. The warped trees were deemed unusable for the drawing utensils, so instead, Eagle president Philip Berolzheimer purchased the island from his employer and turned it into a private retreat for his family. Fast forward to 2015, when the current owners, the Paulson family, placed the island into a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy.

“The island is now protected forever; nobody can ever mess with it,” Pazur says. “What we offer to guests is the ability to see what a piece of this coast looked like since the beginning of time—and a promise that we’re going to keep it that way.”

A rustic cottage surrounded by trees and plants.

Cassie Wright Photography

There are 32 rooms spread out over a collection of homes and cottages at the Lodge at Little St. Simons Island.

At any given time, there are a maximum of 32 guests across the 16 rooms at the Lodge, with 11,000 surrounding acres to explore. The breakfast bell signals the start of the day, “adult summer camp” style. Over family-style pancakes or eggs Benedict, the resident naturalists will chat with you about the day’s activities, whether it’s kayaking along tidal creeks, shelling along the seven miles of beach, joining a truck tour of the wildlife blinds, or attending a discussion on owls or sea turtles. If you’d rather grab a fishing pole or go for a solo hike, the Lodge has everything you need for that, too—picnic lunch included.

As for what to pack, the vibe is casual: technical fishing shirts, a flannel for chilly nights, boots you aren’t afraid to get a little pluff mud on. “We don’t do any dressing up out here,” Pazur. “It’s not fancy.”

Lydia Mansel is a travel journalist based in Virginia. She’s a frequent contributor to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, and Southern Living, among other publications, and she specializes in destinations across the American South and West, as well as the United Kingdom.

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