In this installment of the Recruit Notebook, we meet a player who looks WAY older than he is, and is coming to Miami to do the dirty work on offense: FB Realus George.
Bio
Miami was known to be looking to bring in 2 top-tier RBs in the 2018 recruiting class after missing out on multiple players at that position over the course of the recent past. But, the other thing that Miami quietly needed to add to the roster in this class was a fullback to help open holes for the stable of talented runners at Miami’s disposal.
Early on in the cycle, Immokalee (FL) RB/FB Abraham Alce (who formerly played at Plantation (FL) American Heritage) looked to be that player. But, as the cycle wore on, Miami cooled on that prospect, and looked elsewhere to find the fullback for this class.
Enter, Realus George.
A 6’2” 245lb beast of a back, the Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy product George quickly caught the attention of Miami’s coaching staff. Head Coach Mark Richt and RB coach Thomas Brown previously coached at UGA, so going back to the Peach State for talented prospects is something they’re comfortable doing.
Once Miami identified George as their top target at Fullback, things moved quickly. He received a scholarship offer on October 25th, took an unofficial visit on November 11th to Coral Gables for the 41-8 shellacking Miami put on Notre Dame, and committed to the Canes on November 12th. Told you things happened quickly in this recruitment.
A funny anecdote from George’s unofficial visit to Miami, as tweeted by Steve Wiltfong and Andrew Ivins of 247sports. A play in 2 parts, as it were:
First this:
New #Miami commit Realus George is the reason we sometimes get carded in our 30s: https://t.co/ZqPikb4G5t pic.twitter.com/lQxGYa4arI
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) November 12, 2017
Then this:
A UM staff member thought he was a recruits dad on Saturday . https://t.co/AAuyEWTDkr
— Andrew Ivins (@Andrew_Ivins) November 12, 2017
LMAOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
In any event, Miami quickly identified and secured a commitment from the Nation’s top Fullback prospect, and that’s a good thing.
Welcome to the U, “Booman”.
Recruiting Ranking
On the 247 composite, George is a 3-star prospect, but ranked as the #1 FB in this class. Fullbacks don’t move the recruiting needle, so George isn’t going to be highly rated. But, he’s the best prospect at his position nationally in this class, and fits the needs of this team perfectly, so I’m good with it.
George committed to Miami over a list of 11 other scholarship offers from around the country, most notably from Boston College and Lane Kiffin’s FAU.
George as a Player
While he’s going to be primarily and likely-only a fullback at Miami, George played RB, FB, LB, and DE for Pace Academy in HS. At 6’2” 245lbs, George has the size to be an impact player at all of those positions.
George is stockily built, which is perfect for his future position at Miami. His height is good, his weight should have substantial power behind it, and his experience playing multiple positions speaks to his athleticism.
Strengths
- Physical build
- Strength
- “Dirty work” mentality.
Weaknesses
- Speed
- Elusiveness
- Consistent experience as I-Formation Fullback
2018 Outlook
Miami’s struggles running the ball against the better defenses they’ve faced over the last few years (maybe longer) are well known. Miami’s jumbo/goal line package, absent a scholarship fullback in 2017 after grad transfer Marquez Williams went left for the NFL, went so far as to put offensive linemen at fullback in an effort to get the blocking needed for tight quarters running.
George is a prototypical fullback, and he brings the size, mentality, and physicality to succeed and have an impact in that role immediately.
Chances for a redshirt: 0/10
Realus George is the exact fullback that the Canes need, and they needed him yesterday. He’s got work ahead of him to get up to speed in the run game, but he’s going to play right away for Miami in 2018.
That’s it for this installment of the Recruit Notebook.