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Look back at Georgias top 10 prospects

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Berry was ranked No. 3 nationally, behind Jimmy Clausen and Joe McKnight and No. 1 in Georgia. At No. 2 in Georgia in the Class of 2007 was Cameron Newton. As can be expected with a player of his caliber, Berry's recruiting process was a hectic one, but at the end of the day, he decided he wanted to play closer to home. So while schools like USC and Ohio State were in contention, it came down to Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia. Citing his strong relationship with the coaching staff, Berry decided to commit to the Vols in December of 2006 and of course it didn't hurt that he was a legacy recruit. At Tennessee, Berry was named the SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year after picking off five passes and finishing with 86 tackles. As a sophomore, Berry intercepted seven passes, which tied for the national lead. This led to him earning several First Team All-American honors and being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. After having another amazing season in 2009, which this time also included the Jim Thorpe Award, Berry decided to forego his final season in Knoxville and declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. Berry was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the fifth overall pick. Finishing his rookie season with 92 tackles and four interceptions, Berry was named to the Pro Bowl, as he also was in 2012 and 2013. However, Berry has also had to deal with some troubles during his NFL career. In 2012 he missed a majority of the season after tearing his ACL. Then in late 2014 a mass was discovered in his chest which was later diagnosed as Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Now finished with his Lymphoma treatments, Berry seems to be progressing nicely, but at this time it is still too early to know what his future holds when it comes to returning to the NFL.
Farrell's Take: Berry was easily one of the most naturally talented prospects I have ever seen in person as he did everything with fluidity and ease. But he also liked to hit and was big in run support, so projecting him as a future star wasn't that difficult. Clausen was the bell-to-bell guy for us that year with McKnight No. 1 on some other sites, but Berry was the sure thing of the class. Everyone is hoping for a great comeback for the talented Vols legacy who will likely go down as one of the top five corners I have ever seen.
3
DE
Carl Lawson
Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton (No. 4 in Class of 2013)
Lawson was ranked No. 4 nationally, behind Nkemdiche, Vernon Hargreaves III and Jaylon Smith, and No. 2 in Georgia, behind Nkemdiche. Lawson was a spring 2012 commitment to Auburn, despite offers from many of the top programs in country. However, after the coaching change at Auburn, he began to look at other schools. Lawson took official visits to both Clemson and Tennessee in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day, but Coach Gus Malzahn was able to reconfirm his pledge to Auburn, which is where he officially signed. Lawson earned accolades as a true freshman at Auburn, finishing with 20 tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss. Big things were expected from Lawson for the 2014 season, however a torn ACL during spring practice derailed all of those plans. Now, seemingly back to 100 percent, Lawson is hoping to pick up where he left off in 2013, while Auburn is more than excited to get his presence back on the field.
Farrell's Take: Lawson was simply unstoppable on his meteoric to near the top of the rankings in 2013 and only a couple of inches in height separated him and Nkemdiche when it came to who was No. 1 in the state and the country. He's in very good company at the top of the rankings in what is turning out to be one of the most talented five-star classes we've ever had. A big return from injury is expected. If he isn't hindered by the ACL tear and returns to form, he's going to be a monster for Auburn and in the NFL.
4
ATH
Demetris Robertson
Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian School (No. 7 in Class of 2016)
Robertson is ranked No. 7 nationally, behind Dexter Lawrence, Shea Patterson, Marlon Davidson, Jacob Eason, Nate Craig-Myers and Rashan Gary, No. 1 in Georgia and the No. 1 athlete in the country. Robertson originally committed to Alabama last July after a summer camp trip, but re-opened his process in April. Now back on the market, Robertson is feeling pressure from all directions, but is beginning to focus on a few schools. These include Stanford, which he plans to visit this month, Notre Dame, Georgia and Alabama. With the experience of one commitment already behind him, look for Robertson to take a few official visits before making another decision.
Farrell's Take: Robertson is still angling for a higher ranking, which will be tough for a 6-foot wide receiver, but he's such a great athlete that he could push for that top spot before all is said and done and could easily make a case for top 5 overall, which would likely keep him where he is on this list. Effortless is the word to be used with Robertson, who can flat out fly. He makes everything look easy and gains separation on defensive backs while looking like he still has an extra gear. It won't be easy to stay on this list with such a talented group of 2016 prospects, but Robertson reminds me of a bigger Terry Godwin who ended up at No. 10 in 2015, just outside our all-time Georgia top 10, so we shall see.
5
DT
Trenton Thompson
Albany (Ga.) Westover School (No. 7 in Class of 2015)
Thompson was ranked No. 7 nationally, No. 1 in Georgia and as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the country. The only defensive tackle ranked ahead of him was Kahlil McKenzie, who signed with Tennessee. Georgia was the first school to offer Thompson, which firmly put them on his radar from the start. The Bulldogs were always seen as the frontrunner for Thompson, and despite taking closer looks at Auburn, Florida State and USC, at the end of the day he knew that he would end up at Georgia. Now less than two months from the start of his collegiate career, Thompson has a legitimate opportunity for early playing time. Having a true freshman interior defensive lineman see substantial playing time is not the norm in the SEC, but Thompson's size, speed and versatility on the line may get him on the field quicker than expected.
Farrell's Take: Thompson was the first defensive tackle to be named No. 1 in the country as he led our 2015 rankings and landed at No. 7 overall behind McKenzie, mainly because of the latter's amazing size and agility combination. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see Thompson have a better career in college as he's more athletic and can work his way down the line of scrimmage and to the outside to make plays better while McKenzie is more of a natural 3-4 fit as an NFL lineman. Both are outstanding prospects and it was a heated debate as to who was No. 1 at the defensive tackle position that year. He should have a tremendous career despite coming from a small school and rising up in competition level greatly.
6
DE
Brandon Miller
Colquitt (Ga.) Miller County (No. 7 in Class of 2004)
Miller was ranked No. 7 nationally, behind Adrian Peterson, [db Ginn Jr.][Theodore Ginn Jr.[/db], Early Doucet, Rhett Bomar, Keith Rivers and Willie Williams, No. 1 in Georgia and as the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the country. Unlike other recruits, Miller kept his process pretty quiet throughout. With a final four of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida and Florida State, Miller committed to the Bulldogs over the Seminoles on National Signing Day in 2004. At Georgia, his career was productive, yet not to the level that most people expected. Finishing his career with only 73 tackles and six sacks in Athens, Miller made his way to the NFL for two quiet seasons. Starting off with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent, he made his way to Seattle before being waived prior to the 2010 season.
Farrell's Take: Miller has to be deemed a bust overall with his lofty ranking and the expectations that came as a terror off the edge. He should have had more of an impact in college based on his ability, but this shows how hard it was to scout back in 2004 as opposed to today, where we see players so many more times. Miller had the length and quickness off the edge to be a star, but certainly did not play to those advantages enough.
7
S
DeAngelo Gibbs
Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge (No. 8 in Class of 2017)
Gibbs is ranked No. 8 nationally, the No. 1 safety nationally and No. 1 in Georgia. The only other defensive back currently ranked higher than him is cornerback Lamont Wade. Being a 2017 recruit, Gibbs is taking his time with his recruiting process, even though he already has offers from coast-to-coast. His only summer visit has been to Alabama, while he hopes to also get closer looks at Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon in the near future. Looking to enjoy his recruiting process, Gibbs is not looking as an early commitment candidate at this time.
Farrell's Take: Gibbs was just recently ranked in the top 10 of the 2017 class. He's one of the more talented safeties when it comes to solo coverage I've seen at such a young age, but with two full years of high school left, it's anyone's guess how he will develop.
8
WR
Da'Rick Rogers
Calhoun, Ga. (No. 9 in Class of 2010)
Rogers was ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in Georgia in the Class of 2010. He was also the No. 2 wide receiver in the country behind only Kyle Prater. After originally being a lean towards Florida, Rogers quickly swayed towards Georgia after receiving an offer from the Bulldogs. It didn't come as a huge surprise when Rogers committed to Georgia in June, seemingly ending his recruiting process early. After taking his official visit to Athens in mid-January, everything still seemed set for the Bulldogs, however an official visit to Tennessee the following weekend changed everything. Two days before National Signing Day, Rogers notified the Georgia coaching staff that he was flipping to Tennessee, which is exactly what he did on National Signing Day. After a fairly uneventful freshman season in Knoxville, Rogers burst onto the scene in 2011 with 67 receptions and 1,040 yards receiving, which both led the SEC. However, all of the good vibes quickly came to an end leading up to the 2012 season when Rogers was suddenly suspended from the football program indefinitely for failing multiple drug tests. Ending up at Tennessee Tech, Rogers caught 61 passes for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. Despite having an impressive NFL Combine, Rogers went undrafted due to his off-field woes. He signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts prior to the 2013 season, when he had two touchdowns and 107 yards on six receptions in his only start. Leading up to the 2014 season, he was cut after being arrested on DUI charges. He was signed by Kansas City earlier this year, but was cut in June. Rogers is currently looking for an NFL team to latch on with.
Farrell's Take: This one is a shame because Rogers had so much talent and we could be talking about one of the NFL's top receivers right now based on his size, speed and catch radius. This kid was a freak, the best wideout of the state of Georgia in my scouting career. He was a man amongst boys in high school, was thick and strong and could run like a deer and caught everything. He would have been an absolute star at Tennessee without his off-field issues. He's a talent on par with DeMaryius Thomas and a few others at the NFL level if he could ever get his act together.
9
DE
Ray Drew
Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County (No. 9 in Class of 2011)
Drew was ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in Georgia in the Class of 2011. He was also ranked as the No. 1 weakside defensive end, just ahead of both Ishaq Williams and Anthony Chickillo. Drew took his time with his recruiting process, taking official visits to Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Miami. He also strived to be unpredictable, which made his process even more interesting. Despite his desire to be unpredictable, the assumption of most was that he would end up at Georgia, which is where he finally committed a few days before National Signing Day. At Georgia, Drew's career did not really start to develop until his junior season, when he finished with 43 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and six sacks. Returning for his senior season in hopes of boosting his NFL stock, Drew did not meet expectations. Finishing with 39 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and one sack, Drew went undrafted and signed a free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, which is where he will be fighting for a roster spot next month.
Farrell's Take: Drew has been a disappointment based on what we saw in high school and a guy that was clearly not ready for the big time physically and mentally. Going from a top 10 recruit to an undrafted free agent after a weak finish to his career means he didn't come close to living up to what we expected. Looking back, I can see we reached a bit here, especially with guys like Stephon Tuitt ranked behind him in state and Chickillo behind him at his position. Not proud of this ranking overall.
10
CB
Paul Oliver
Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison (No. 9 in Class of 2003)
Oliver was ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in Georgia in the Class of 2003. Right from the start, Georgia was considered a favorite for Oliver, as well as Texas, Florida State, North Carolina and Michigan. Oliver finally made his commitment to Georgia in June, after a few months of speculation, but also decided to take visits to other schools. The only school to actually receive an official visit besides the Bulldogs was Michigan, but after he tore his ACL during his senior season, he decided to slow down his process and remain committed to Georgia. After redshirting his freshman season and then seeing back-up duty during his first two years on the field, Oliver became a valuable part of the Georgia defense in 2005 and 2006. Finishing his collegiate career with 94 tackles and seven interceptions, Oliver declared for the 2007 NFL supplemental draft after finding out that he would be academically ineligible for the 2007 college season. San Diego selected Oliver in the fourth round of the Supplemental Draft, where he played for five seasons before seeing a short stint at New Orleans and then back with the Chargers. Sadly, Oliver took his own life on September 24, 2013. An examination of his brain determined that Oliver had been dealing with an advanced form of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which was caused by repeated concussions during his football career.
Farrell's Take: Oliver was ranked in the days when it was a lot of VHS film work and not nearly as much in person evaluation, so he was a bit high based on the way his career went at Georgia, although he did have that one big season. However, he lasted in the NFL for a long time for a fourth round supplemental pick and it's an absolute shame that he took his own life due to CTE, a problem that has become much more widely researched due to the loss of players like Paul. A top talent out of high school with good size and speed, his ACL injury his senior year delayed him impact at Georgia. He recovered very well to finish strong at UGA and have a solid NFL career before his tragic end.
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