With Nick Saban settled into retirement, Kirby Smart is alone as the kingpin of the SEC.

The Georgia coach has been engaged in a head-to-head battle with his mentor for conference supremacy since the 2017 season, and now there is a vacancy at the top.

Of course, there are two new major players coming to the SEC this season in Texas and Oklahoma. The former Big 12 mainstays now represent two major potential opponents competing against Georgia for top recruits in superstar hotbeds, and Alabama isn't backing down in its new regime.

For now, let's take a look at Georgia's class and predict how things will shake out.

• 5-star CB Ellis Robinson IV
• 5-star LB Justin Williams
• 5-star S KJ Bolden
• 5-star LB Chris Cole
• 4-star DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
• 4-star OL Daniel Calhoun
• 4-star CB Demello Jones
• 4-star DL Jordan Thomas
• 4-star TE Jaden Reddell
• 4-star CB Ondre Evans
• 4-star OT Michael Uini
• 4-star WR NiTareon Tuggle
• 4-star LB Kristopher Jones
• 4-star QB Ryan Puglisi
• 4-star OT Marques Easley
• 4-star OT Nyier Daniels
• 4-star WR Sacovie White
• 4-star EDGE Quintavius Johnson
• 4-star RB Chauncey Bowens
• 3-star DL Nnamdi Ogboko
• 3-star IOL Malachi Toliver
• 3-star TE Colton Heinrich

National Signing Day Predictions

It's likely going to be a quiet day in Athens.

The Bulldogs have already locked up their top recruits and have likely poached all of their potential candidates from the transfer portal.

Maybe there is a last-minute flip that sends shock waves, but we're not exactly looking at a robust group of candidates. There are only two players remaining who are uncommitted from the top 250 players in 247Sports' rankings, neither of whom are considered Georgia targets.

With the early signing period allowing players to get a jump on enrolling in school, we've gotten most of the surprises out of the way.

Luckily for Georgia, Smart has once again loaded up his class with the best talent in the sport. This will mark the first time since 2020 that Georgia will finish as the top recruiting class in the nation, and suffice it to say the last one worked out. Kelee Ringo, Jalen Carter and Broderick Jones spearheaded that class and are now plying their trade on Sundays.

It would not be a surprise to see the four 5-star recruits headed to Athens this fall follow suit. Robinson is the second-highest-rated recruit in Georgia program history, and Williams is 10th on that list.

This is a class brimming with talent, the type that should wind up being the core of a national championship contender for years to come.