With the 2024 season rapidly approaching, it means that it has been 4 years since the 2015 recruiting cycle. So let’s look back at the top 10 recruits from Georgia back then (all rankings are via 247 Sports).

10 Tank Bigsby 4 Star (Callaway) RB

Bigsby was a Georgia High School football legend, in his final two years at Callaway he totaled a combined 49 TDs and near 4,000 yards. At the end of his recruiting cycle, he decided to take his talents to the border to play for Auburn. In his freshman year he would take home the SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and ran for over 100 yards vs UGA. His second year was even better with over 1000 yards rushing on the season and ten touchdowns. He would declare for the draft following his junior year in which he rushed for 970 yards and another 10 touchdown year. He was selected in the 3rd round of the draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars 88th overall. In his first season as a pro, he would rush for 132 yards and 2 scores. This season, he will head into his second year with the Jaguars.

9 Wesley Steiner 4 star (Houston County) LB

Steiner was a 4 sport athlete at Houston County. A two-time State Champion in discus, a basketball letterman, and wrestling letterman. However, he quickly became a football standout. He ended up being a 4 star recruit and like Tank Bigsby committed to Auburn. In his freshman year at Auburn, he played in 9 games including his first action vs UGA. He played in in every game his sophomore year. His best game was in the Birmingham Bowl in which he recorded 6 tackles. His junior year was even better, he recorded a team high 11 tackles vs LSU. Last season, he played in every game again and helped Auburn to a bowl appearance. He recently committed to play for Washington State next season.

8 Tate Ratledge 4 star (Darlington County) OT

Tate Ratledge played for Darlington County in which he was one of the top offensive lineman in the country and an All-American selection. Ratledge decided to stay home and commit to UGA over Tennessee. He was redshirted his first season, however, he did appear in one game ironically being against Wesley Steiner and Tank Bigsby’s Auburn. As a redshirt freshman, he started vs 3 Clemson, however, he would end up getting injured in the game and miss the rest of the year. In his sophomore year, he started every game he played in, and recovered his teammates fumble in a game vs Vanderbilt. UGA would go on to win the Nation Title that season. In his junior year, he was a 2nd Team All-American, started every game he played in in, and was part of a top 10 offensive line. He decided to return to UGA for his senior year, and is on the Outland Trophy (best inner offensive lineman) Watch List.

7 B.J. Ojulari 4 star (Marietta) DE

B.J. Ojulari helped lead Marietta to a State Title year his senior year, and played on the offensive side of the ball. His brother Azeez, played football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was drafted to the New York Giants in 2021. He committed to the LSU to play for Ed Oregon’s Tigers. He played in every game his freshman year and was even SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week as a freshman in a win over South Carolina. He had a massive sophomore year in which he led the defensive lineman in tackles, led the team in sacks, and second on the team in tackles for loss. In his junior year, he was 2nd team All-SEC, and recorded 5.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 58 total tackles. He decided to declare for the NFL draft following the season. He was selected in the 2nd round, 41st overall to the Arizona Cardinals. In his first season, he recorded 4 sacks and 40 tackles in 17 games. This season, his is projected to start for the Cardinals in just his 2nd year.

6 Brian Branch 4 star (Sandy Creek) DB

Brian Branch was named 5A Ironman of the Year his senior year at Sandy Creek High School. He decided on committing to Alabama over the likes of Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. He started 3 games as a freshman and played in all 12 games, recording 27 tackles and 7 pass breakups. In his sophomore year he led the team with 9 pass breakups and totaled 55 tackles as helped lead the Tide to win the SEC and play in the National Title game. His junior year was one of the best anyone had that year, he was a First Team All-American by CBS (2nd team by the Association Press), he had 2 interceptions, 58 tackles, and 7 pass breakups. He also was a punt returner and returned one for a touchdown (he was the first Bama player to do so since 2020). After the season, he entered the NFL draft and was selected in the 2nd round 45th overall (4 picks after 7th ranked B.J. Ojulari) to the Detroit Lions. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact as he returned a pick 6 in his first NFL game in a 21-20 upset over the defending NFL champions Kansas City Chiefs. He would tack on two more interceptions that year and snag 74 tackles. He is projected to start this season for the Detroit Lions next season.

5 Jahmyr Gibbs 4 star (Dalton) RB

Gibbs was a star for Dalton High School. His senior year he rushed for over 2000 yards and 40 touchdowns! He decided to stay home and commit to Geoff Collins and Georgia Tech. He made an instant impact at Tech, he started in all 7 games that he played in his freshman year. He had 460 yards on the ground and added 4 touchdowns to go along with it that year. The following year he started all 12 games and ran for 746 yards, had 4 touchdowns, and another 465 yards receiving. After the season, Gibbs decided to hit the transfer portal, and committed to the University of Alabama. At his one season for Bama, Gibbs ran for 926 yards and 7 touchdowns, on route to a 10 win year for the Tide. After the season, he declared for the NFL Draft and was selected 17th overall in the 1st round to the Detroit Lions. Like in college, he made an instant impact for the Lions! He rushed for 945 yards (17th in the NFL) and 10 TDs, and in the playoffs he had 3 TDs (which actually tied him for the most TDs in the playoffs ever for the Lions). This season, he returns to the Lions for year two.

4 Broderick Jones 5 star (Lithonia) OT

Jones was a high school standout, receiving his first football scholarship in the 9th grade. He attended Lithonia High School and after a great career committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. He was redshirted his first season, in which he appeared in two games (vs South Carolina and Missouri). In 2021, he started in 4 games and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and UGA brought home the National Championship. In his last season at UGA, he was part of the First-Team All SEC and brought home back to back National titles for the Dawgs. After the season, he declared early for the NFL draft and was selected 14th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in every game his rookie season as Pittsburgh made the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 years.

3 Myles Murphy 5 star (Hillgrove) DE

Murphy attended Hillgrove High School in Marietta Georgia, in his senior year, he recorded 10.5 sacks and 53 tackles. He ended up committing to Clemson over Auburn and others. In his first game with the Tigers, he recorded 2 sacks and 7 tackles in a win over Wake Forest. Clemson would end up winning the ACC and ended the season with 4 sacks, 41 tackles, and 3 forced fumbles. He improved the following year with 8 sacks, 38 tackles, and two forced fumbles. He ended off his collegiate career with 6.5 sacks and 37 tackles his junior year. After three great years at Clemson, Murphy decided to enter the NFL Draft and was taken with the 28th pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. In his first season with the Bengals, he recorded 3 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. He enters year two with the Bengals this season.

2 Arik Gilbert 5 Star (Marietta) TE

Gilbert played with B.J Ojulari at Marietta High School. Together they brought home a State Championship for Marietta. Like B.J., Gilbert would commit to LSU over the likes of UGA and Alabama. He would start all 8 games he played in for the Tigers his freshman year, in which he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and 2 touchdowns. After t he season, LSU head coach Ed Oregon would be fired, and Gilbert hit the portal. He would commit to come back home to the Georgia Bulldogs, however, due to transfer portal rules, Gilbert would not be able to play the 2021 season. The following season he would play for UGA as the Bulldogs would go on to win the national Title. He would again transfer after the season, this time he committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Similarly, he would have eligibility issues last season, and not much is known going into this season for Gilbert.

1 Will Anderson 5 star (Dutchtown) DE

Anderson was a top 5 recruit in the nation in his time at Dutchtown High. Anderson would end up committing to Alabama to play for the Tide. In his freshman year, Anderson would start at outside linebacker, and helped lead the Tide to win the National Title. In his sophomore year, he was a unanimous All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as the Tide won the SEC again. In his Junior Year, Will Anderson won basically every award he could have won; the Bronko Nagurski (Best Defensive Player in the country) Award (his second), Chuck Bednarik Award (Best Defensive Player in the Country voted by a different media company), Lott Impact Award (Best Defensive Impact), and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year (His second). After the season, Will Anderson would declare for the NFL Draft and would be selected 3rd overall by the Houston Texans (who traded up to get him). He would end up helping the Texans to one of the biggest single season turn arounds in NFL history. He would record 7 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the year as he would win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. He will enter into year two in Houston this season.