Take Two: Can Georgia beat out Alabama for five-star Clay Webb?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
MORE TAKE TWO: Is Ed Orgeron the right fit at LSU after all?
THE STORYLINE
Alabama and Auburn have largely dominated landing the top two in-state players in the Rivals.com era dating back to 2002 and Georgia has never landed Nos. 1 or 2 in that state.
The Crimson Tide and the Tigers to a large extent have locked down their home state with Clemson jumping in last recruiting cycle and getting five-star receiver Justyn Ross, Florida State coming in to get five-star quarterback Jameis Winston and then LSU, Florida and Tennessee have dipped in for a player here and there over the years.
One school that has never landed one of the top two prospects from that state is Georgia but that could change this recruiting cycle when it comes to five-star center Clay Webb.
The Oxford, Ala., prospect was considered a strong Alabama lean early in his recruitment but that seems to have changed at least a little bit in recent months. Webb was at Auburn this past weekend for the LSU game. He’s been to Georgia previously and could be back in Athens later this month for the Tennessee game. Clemson cannot be counted out.
Alabama has had tremendous success landing the state’s top players and is still a clear frontrunner for Webb’s services. Auburn has been respectable as well.
But does Georgia, which has gone everywhere for top prospects and has beaten the Crimson Tide a few times recently for elite talent, have the recruiting prowess to go into the state and get a prospect who was once considered a near lock for ‘Bama?
FIRST TAKE: CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
“Alabama is always tough to beat, especially for top in-state prospects, but Webb is different. He is not caught up in the hype around Alabama, or any other school for that matter. It is going to come down to where he feels he fits in the best. Auburn is up there too, but based on what I have been hearing the last six weeks or so, Georgia has put itself in good position. Webb was in Athens late in July and he is likely to be there again for the Tennessee game late this month. He could still end up at Alabama, Auburn, Clemson or Georgia, but for now, although it still seems to be very tight, Georgia has to be considered one of the front-runners, if not the front-runner at this time.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“Georgia has beaten Alabama straight-up for top recruits before, Jake Fromm and some others. Georgia cannot be counted out of any recruiting battle where it's a finalist but I still find it hard to believe Alabama, after all this time and having such a lead for the kid, would lose out on him. That would be a big recruiting upset to me. Maybe other people think he will end up at Georgia but to me I still think Alabama. Until he chooses Georgia over Alabama I’m not going to believe a lot of the rumors about Georgia being the leader.”
