The Georgia Bulldogs' latest commitment, Sage Hardin, may not make an immediate impact in Athens, but he possesses tremendous upside.
What he brings: Hardin is a physical tackle prospect with the tools to develop into a very productive player at the college level. He possesses excellent height, but a lean build at this stage and needs to spend some time in the Bulldogs' weight program to add mass and improve strength. Strong run-blocker that can quickly get into defenders and generate push when he keeps his pads down and drives his knees. The big man, who also plays lacrosse, can get to the second level in a hurry and while he needs to improve angles, he can be an effective second-level blocker. Comes from a run-oriented scheme and will need more development and experience in pass protection, but displays good raw tools to work with and mold in this area. Can set quickly and flashes quick, active hands and when he keeps pads down flashes the ability to stay in front of rushers once locked on.
How he fits: This is good need pick-up for Georgia with the state’s top O-line prospects rated ahead of Hardin all currently committed to out-of-state schools. We don’t believe at this stage that the ESPN300 prospect is an early contributor as we feel a redshirt would greatly benefit him both physically and technically, but he does display upside and in some time Hardin can be a strong contributor to their O-line. His best fit in time will likely come at tackle, but a smart, competitive and fairly athletic big man, Hardin could be molded to fit where Georgia feels he can best contribute and could offer some versatility to the Bulldogs' line.
Reminds us of: We see some similarities between Hardin and 2013 Notre Dame signee Hunter Bivin. The Fighting Irish lineman carried more weight and was a more polished pass-protector at this stage, but both are competitive big men that can move well for their size and offer some versatility.
How the class is shaping up: The Bulldogs' class currently sits in the top 1o of the class rankings. Hardin is the second ESPN300 pick-up for Georgia in the month of June and overall their class now features six ESPN300 prospects. The class is led by top-five athlete Terry Godwin.