Back in April, when there was plenty of uncertainty about how the future of college football would look, Kirby Smart was thinking about recruiting.
“What I do know is that we’re going to continue to recruit people who love football, who are passionate about football, and that don’t put money as the number one answer,” Smart said. “Like I’ve never met a really good player that that’s all they care about.”
Georgia has already proved it will continue to recruit at a high level in the new age of college football.
Following commitments from four-star defensive back Chace Calicut and four-star defensive lineman James Johnson, the Bulldogs have 24 commitments in the class. That group of commitments gives Georgia the No. 2-ranked class for this recruiting cycle at this point in time.
Georgia plucked Calicut from Texas and then beat out in-state programs Florida and Miami to land Johnson.
Even as the sport changes, Smart is going to make sure that Georgia is always at the front of the line for the best high school talent.
“If there’s anybody out there that’s played high school football who has fire, passion and energy and just loves the game, we’ve got a spot for you,” Smart said following Georgia’s spring game. “Just come to Georgia. We’ll find a way to get you there. Fire, passion and energy pays off. It’s not the ratings or the stars or all those things. It really isn’t.”
Given Georgia’s brand and proximity to talent, recruiting has never been a struggle for the Bulldogs. Even in the final years of Mark Richt’s tenure, Georgia was signing top-10 classes with regularity.
When Smart came at the end of the 2016 recruiting cycle, he stitched together — in less than two months — what ended up being the No. 6-ranked recruiting class.
Impressive as it was, that 2016 cycle is also, to date, still the lowest-rated recruiting class Smart has signed in his time at Georgia.
Since 2017, Georgia has landed a top four class in every cycle. There’s still a long way to go between now and the early signing period, but Georgia is in a position to keep that streak going.
Georgia began the month of June with 10 commitments. The Bulldogs had a strong base, with five-star quarterback Jared Curtis leading the way. It has added 14 commitments in the last 29 days. It could add another blue-chip prospect on Monday in the form of four-star defensive lineman PJ Dean. South Carolina and Ohio State are the other finalists for the No. 66 overall player in the class per the 247Sports Composite.
Should Georgia land Dean, who is the younger brother of former Georgia center Jared Wilson, the Bulldogs would have seven top 100 commitments in the cycle.
Only USC has a higher-ranked recruiting class than Georgia at this moment. The Trojans also have six more commitments in their class.
While Georgia has zoomed to the top of the recruiting rankings, plenty of other programs will have the chance to try and catch Georgia. Alabama landed five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin on Sunday, giving the Crimson Tide two five-star commitments from the state of Georgia.
Michigan, Oregon and Texas are all also in a position to have strong closes to the recruiting cycle.
July 12 will be a big day for Georgia as four-star running back Derrek Cooper and five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro, who plays for three-peat GHSA state champion Bowdon, will announce their decisions.
The biggest proverbial fish still out there for Georgia is Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson. He is the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 1 linebacker in the country. Oregon, Clemson and Texas are vying to beat Georgia for one of the best players in the country.
Having already missed on priority targets Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, and Mark Bowman, the No. 1 tight end in the cycle, eyes are on Atkinson’s decision.
Recruiting has always mattered deeply to Smart, who preaches that players supersede plays.
June showed that Georgia is still an absolute force on the recruiting trail. In the same month that the sport-shifting House v. NCAA settlement was signed, no program did better than the one led by Smart.
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