Georgia Bulldogs lose out on an elite player, but their rival needed him much more than they did

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The Georgia Bulldogs are still in a really good place with their recruiting class despite losing out on Karlos May.

The Georgia Bulldogs missed on four-star defensive lineman Karlos May, who committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

May, a 6’2, 330-pound nose tackle out of Birmingham, Alabama, is ranked a 92.34 composite rating, a top-80 player nationally according to Rivals, the No. 7 defensive lineman in the country, and the No. 2 player in the state of Alabama. He chose Ohio State over Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Florida State. May took seven visits to Auburn, three to Ohio State, two to Georgia, two to Georgia Tech, one to South Carolina, and one to Ole Miss. Georgia was in the mix, but Ohio State ultimately won out.

What Karlos May brings to Ohio State

May missed his sophomore year due to an injury but emerged as a junior with 43 tackles, eight for loss, and four sacks. He eats up double teams and has the raw power to hold his ground while still getting a push. He’s a true nose tackle at his size, but he’s more than a plugger who eats up spacing and fills gaps. May shows quickness and can really close on the ball for a player his size. He has one of the best get-offs among interior defensive linemen, especially among nose tackles in this class.

May should develop into a solid pass rusher if he can add more tools to the kit. He also has a strong track profile, having qualified for the state championship in shot put and discus. That kind of athleticism at 330 pounds is rare and only adds to his upside.

Georgia didn’t necessarily need him, but it would have been great to have him

The Bulldogs still have the No. 14-ranked class in the country with 19 commits, two of whom are 5-stars and seven are 4-stars. Georgia already has three defensive linemen in its class: 3-star Waylon Wooten, 3-star Marcellus Young Casario, and 4-star Antwan McKoy. Adding a fourth defensive lineman, especially a nose tackle, would have been a nice luxury.

But the Bulldogs probably like where they stand with the defensive linemen they already have committed. Georgia could have really pushed harder for May, but this isn’t a devastating miss given the depth they’ve already built along the defensive line.

Ohio State continues to stockpile talent on the interior

The Buckeyes now have the No. 6-ranked class nationally and sit second in the Big Ten after landing May. He’s their second big-time defensive lineman in this cycle, joining 5-star Marcus Fakatou. Outside of those two, Ohio State doesn’t have any other defensive tackles committed, though they do have edge rusher Wyatt Smith in the fold.

This is a nice win for the Buckeyes, even if their need along the defensive line wasn’t necessarily greater than Georgia’s. Regardless, Ohio State is getting a dog in Karlos May.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Georgia Bulldogs lose out on an elite player, but their rival needed him much more than they did

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