UGA Football Recruiting: The Latest On Two In-State Defensive Line Targets

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ATHENS - Georgia Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart has a big challenge on his hands.

He needs to build another elite defensive line. His line was fine last season overall, but they weren’t elite. Now more than ever, if you want to win a national championship, you need game-wreckers on the defensive line.

The Bulldogs added one five-star in the 2025 class in Elijah Griffin‍, and assistant Tray Scott has his eyes on several other in-state defensive linemen in the 2026 class. Some were just on campus, some earned new offers, and some hosted a Georgia coach at home.

Let’s dig into the latest Georgia Bulldog defensive line recruiting buzz...

Let’s start with four-star Bryce Perry-Wright‍. One of the nation’s top interior defensive line targets, the Bulldogs offered the Buford (GA) standout later than others, but they’re doing their best to win over the playmaking lineman moving forward.

The 6-foot-2 250-pounder was in Athens over the weekend and broke down his visit with Dawg Post.

“I had a great visit at UGA”, Perry-Wright told Dawg Post.  “The atmosphere is amazing. I got to sit with Coach Kirby Smart which was so cool! He gave me good knowledge of the game of football and told me to continue to be dominant! Tray Scott gave me advice on things I can work on to make myself a better player on and off the field. The message from Coach Smart and his assistants was to continue being a dominant player and stay disciplined.”

As a junior last fall, the productive defender made 57 tackles, 13 TFLs, and nine sacks for the mighty Wolves. He’s ranked as the No. 4 DL prospect and the No. 53 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.

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A new Bulldog target to know on the defensive line is Collins Hill standout Deuce Geralds‍. Like Perry-Wright, Geralds is a little undersized for what Georgia’s looking for at 6-foot-2 255-pounds, but his productivity can’t be denied. Geralds already holds offers from major college programs across the county, and now the four-star has earned one from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs.

After a dominant sophomore season in 2023 where he made 81 tackles, 30 TFLs and 14 sacks, Geralds was just as good as a junior last fall as he made 114 tackles, 30 more TFLs and 13 sacks. He’s explosive off the snap, plays with violent hands, and shows ax-effort when chasing down the ball-carrier. He’s one of the more productive defenders in the state and is ranked as the No. 5 EDGE defender and the No. 67 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.

At linebacker, high four-star Xavier Griffin‍ out of Gainesvile (GA) received an in-home visit this week from defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. Griffin, a current USC commit at 6-foot-3 200-pounds, brings a versatile skillet that allows him to play both on the EDGE and in the middle of the field. He brings length, explosiveness, and a frame that will allow him to keep adding good muscle mass over time. Griffin is coming off a strong junior season for the Red Elephants where he made 43 tackles, 13 TFLs and six sacks. He’s ranked as the No. 2 LB prospect and the No. 24 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.