UGA Football Coach Says Amari Jefferson Could Be "Next Deebo Samuel"
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart, Bryan McClendon, and the Georgia Bulldogs have three wide receivers on the commit list for the 2024 class, and they had another major target in Athens over the weekend for an official visit.
4-star Amari Jefferson.
This was a big reason for a lot of reasons.
As we’ve reported for months, 5-star Jeremiah Smith will be tough to flip from Ohio State. 5-star Mike Matthews has never really been trending Georgia’s way. 4-star Ryan Wingo is still heavily considering Georgia, but there are plenty of sources who believe Georgia is not the leader of his recruitment.
So Jefferson is a big deal, and Dawg Post has been told that he’s always been higher on Georgia’s board than most realize.
Dawg Post caught up with the Baylor School (TN) standout to break down his latest official visit to Georgia.
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“The offensive staff a Georgia has put a premium on me”, Jefferson said. “Coach Smart told me he viewed me as a top 5 receiver in this class. The pitch was Georgia has thrown the ball and will continue throw the ball. They said I could come and play early because they are losing three to five guys next year. They’re also bringing in two top QBs in this class.”
“I’m a guy they never have to take off field”, Jefferson added. “I can play inside and outside. I have explosive speed and can get the ball in my hands quick. Coach BMAC said I remind him of Deebo Samuel who he coached at Carolina.”
Not only was Samuel excellent with the Gamecocks, he’s also become one of the top receivers in the NFL with the San Fransisco 49ers. With Samuel as a go-top option in the passing game, the Niners have +1000 odds to win the Super Bowl next season according to FanDuel.
Jefferson knows all about the QB talent coming to Georgia and admitted that he hears from one of them a little more than the other.
“I’ve had some conversations with Ryan Puglisi”, Jefferson said. “Ryan’s cool and he’s been recruiting me a little bit but really just letting me know Athens is home.”
A multi-sport star who also makes plays on the baseball diamond, Jefferson has an official visit scheduled with the in-state Tennessee Volunteers this upcoming weekend, and then he plans to sit down with his family to talk about a commitment timeline.
The 6-foot-1 190-pounder took an official visit to Alabama the weekend of June 9th and most sources believe this will end up as a Georgia/Alabama battle in the end.
As a prospect, Jefferson is a sure-handed wideout with the ability to get up the field in a hurry. A strong route-runner with the ability to stop and change directions on a dime, Jefferson appears to be technically sound who knows how to get open on his own. He also shows the ability to make a tough catch in traffic when he doesn’t get a ton of separation. He’s great after the catch and knows how to elude defenders down the field.
He’s ranked as the No. 48 WR prospect in the country, but it’s clear the Georgia staff sees him as a better prospect than the recruiting industry does. He’s a tremendous athlete, he’s coming off a productive junior season, has SEC-caliber size, and shows dependable hands.
As a junior last fall, Jefferson caught 72 passes for 1,370 yards and 17 touchdowns.
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