Recruiting update: Lonnie Outlaw and Jalen Fields

There’s been plenty of focus on the recruits that could make an immediate impact at Georgia this season. For those who don’t mind looking even further ahead, there are also a couple that could make a big impact in 2012 – one on each side of the ball.

Jalen Fields and Lonnie Outlaw are each entering their sophomore seasons at Georgia Military College, where they were placed after signing at Georgia but failing to reach academic requirements.

Academics remain an issue for both, according to GMC head coach Bert Williams, who spoke about the two Bulldog recruits last month. But each is still on track to be ready to play for Georgia next year.

Fields is closer to being able to get in at this point, and they project him to graduate in March. Outlaw would be more of a summer transfer.

“They both had a good spring on the field and all,” Williams said. “Georgia liked what they saw when they were in there. Everything’s good there.”

Outlaw is a 6-foot-7 receiver, which sounds tantalizing. But Williams said he doesn’t think Outlaw is a “vertical stretch guy.” He can catch the 40-yard catch downfield just by virtue of being taller. But he would be most valuable on the fade routes.

“To me, he’s a guy that once you get about 30 yards from the end zone, I’d like to have him on the field,” Williams said.

Outlaw is a good blocker too, thanks to his size.

As for the 6-foot-5 Fields, he projects as an outside rusher, but whether that’s at linebacker or end hasn’t been decided yet.

“You’ll have to ask Todd (Grantham) for that one. In my opinion I don’t see him as a stand-up guy unless he’s a rush guy,” Williams said, meaning that Fields could be a weakside rusher. “I would love to have him at that weakside end. He’s fast enough to do everything you want to in a five-technique. And he holds up well enough inside, he could be a pretty good three-technique too.”

Fields weighs in at about 230 pounds now and can run “like a scalded dog,” as Williams colorfully put it.

“He’s got every tool to play a lot of things,” Williams said. “The biggest thing that he got over the hump with in the spring was playing every play with consistent intensity and focus with what’s going on. Because in the fall he was a feast or famine. He’d go in there and make a great play, and then he’d go in there and be a blocking guy. It was one of those things where we’ve gotta get you playing at a high level on every play. It’s not a laziness thing, it’s more of keeping focus like you’re supposed to.”