Thompson commits to Georgia

ByGerry Hamilton ESPN logo
Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The nation's top-ranked defensive tackle has made his decision: Trenton Thompson, the No. 6 overall recruit in the ESPN 300, committed to Georgia Tuesday.

This is a big win for the Bulldogs, who have been after the Albany, Georgia, prospect for some time.

"Georgia, they were my first offer," Thompson said. "They were the first coaches that came down to see me and showed me the most love. Georgia has great coaches, and I have good relationships with them. The fan base has also showed a lot of love, and I also think that in the classroom Georgia can help me be the best student I can be."

While the Bulldogs were Thompson's longtime favorite thanks to a strong relationship with area recruiter Mike Bobo, Auburn made a serious run in recent months thanks in large part to the work of former 15-year Georgia defensive line coach and Auburn alum Rodney Garner.

Thompson was on campus in Athens and Auburn multiple times since February, including June visits to both universities. Clemson, Alabama and Florida State were also considered since the end of the 2013 season with Alabama and Clemson also being considered.

The commitment is a significant win for Mark Richt and his staff on the recruiting trail. After garnering criticism for losing some of the Peach State's top players to other schools, Richt has landed on the best in the state. UGA landed five-star 2014 defensive end Lorenzo Carter on national signing day and, with Thompson, the Bulldogs will land the state's top-ranked prospect for the first time since signing Josh Harvey-Clemons in the 2012 class.

With No. 35 overall Terry Godwin having been committed since January, the Bulldogs now have commitments from two of the state's top-six prospects to go along with six other ESPN 300 commits.

Georgia's top-10 ranked class is far from finished. No. 1-ranked prospect Josh Sweat will officially visit Georgia on Oct. 4. No. 26 Roquan Smith, No. 80 Rashad Roundtree and No. 92 Micah Abernathy are also among the highly ranked prospects left on UGA's board.

The Bulldogs have finished with top-10 ranked recruiting classes in seven of the last nine years, including a No. 9 finish in February.

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