Orson Charles, a TE from Plant High School in Florida and one of the last uncommitted prospects in the country, made his decision today to play for the Georgia Bulldogs for the next four years.
The decision comes as a surprise to very few, as UGA played a major role in his recruitment from day one. Charles visited the UGA campus many times, developed deep personal relationships with the coaches and already had an existing relationship with newly signed QB Aaron Murray. Murray and Charles were teammates on the 2008 Plant football team and both players were instrumental in Plant winning the state title this past season.
Other schools were heavily in the mix for Charles' services, however. Both the University of Tennessee and Southern California went at Charles with both barrels in order to snag the playmaker. In the end, many thought that Southern California was too far from Charles' family, but Tennessee made an impressive offer to him after moving around some of their current TE personnel, almost making Charles an instant contributor in Knoxville.
As we have reported in the past, Charles' playmaking ability makes him a dangerous weapon for opposing defenses. He's listed at 6'3" and 230 lbs. by Rivals.com, with speed in the 4.5 range. That makes him trouble for shorter cornerbacks and faster than most linebackers. He could instantly be a weapon for the Dawgs, who look to increase the production of their TEs next year.
Also, UGA fans won't have to worry about trying to spot Charles on the field. Earlier in his recruitment and after NFL defections were announced, Mark Richt promised Charles that he'll be wearing the same #7 that Matt Stafford made famous the past few years.
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