Top Georgia prospect chooses Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs finally landed the top peach in the Peach State.

Defensive end Ray Drew of Thomasville, rated by Rivals.com as the state's top player and the No. 9 prospect nationally, became Georgia's 23rd football commitment for the 2011 signing class Friday morning when he made a nonbinding pledge at his high school. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder picked the Bulldogs over BCS champion Auburn, LSU and Miami with five days to spare before Wednesday's national signing day.

Drew, who at 18 is a licensed minister, was introduced at Thomas County Central as the "Pastor of Disaster."

"I don't think a lot of people really understand how stressful this process is," Drew told reporters in attendance. "I knew I would be going to Georgia for about two or three weeks now. I had a good idea early in the process, but I wasn't 100 percent sure."

Georgia enters the final weekend seventh on RIvals.com's team rankings and fourth among Southeastern Conference teams behind Alabama, LSU and Auburn.

Drew is Georgia's 18th commitment from within the state and would be the first No. 1 Peach State prospect to sign with the Bulldogs since Atlanta safety Reshad Jones in 2006. He is rated as the nation's top weakside defensive end but is expected to play outside linebacker in coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 scheme.

He also is expected to wear jersey No. 47, which once was owned by defensive end David Pollack, a three-time All-American in 2002-04. Pollack attended Drew's announcement.