UGA Football coach Kirby Smart Ready to Take No. 1 Overall Recruiting Class

ATHENS - UGA Football got back-to-back commitments on Saturday - pushing Kirby Smart’s program to within a commitment or two of passing USC for the No. 1 recruiting class in college football.

Georgia’s class has finished raked in the consensus top two of the last three recruiting cycles. That outcome is all but certain now - with UGA and the Trojans battling it out to see who wins the top overall class this December. 

On Satuday, UGA Football got commitments from 5-star TE Kaiden Prothro and 4-star DB Tyriq Green - both were expected, and narrowed dwindling lead USC has had over the field.  

A commitment from 5-star Grayson LB Tyler Atkinson would push Georgia past the Trojans in a way that would be difficult for USC to recover from. Atkinson has visited UGA 15 times and is expected to make his college choice known soon. Kirby and company will have to beat out Clemson, Oregon and Texas.

The Bulldogs’ recruiting power this summer underscores a core strength of the program under Kirby - UGA Football recruits better than anyone. That’s been the case since Kirby had his first full recruiting cycle for the class of 2017. Since that class, UGA is the only program to have a top-four class each cycle.

Kirby’s worst class of late - the consensus No. 4 class in 2021 - featured first round selections Amarius Mims, Brock Bowers as well as Javon Bullard, Adonai Mitchell, Jared Wilson, Kamari Lassiter, Dylan Fairchild, Smael Mondon, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.

Those players won back-to-back national titles at UGA. Bowers was named as the best tight end in college football. Bullard was named the defensive player of the game in the 2022 national title game vs. TCU. Mitchell scored in all four of the Bulldogs’ CFP games in 2021 and 2022 - including the score that gave UGA the lead vs. Alabama in 2021.