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Georgia makes move in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings after latest commitment

hunterby: Hunter Shelton06/05/24HunterShelton_
Dell McGee Kirby Smart
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia run game coordinator and running backs coach Dell McGee after Georgia’s game against Auburn on Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

Georgia was viewed as the team to beat for Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County five-star linebacker Zayden Walker for a majority of his recruitment. On Wednesday, he made the call in favor of the in-state Bulldogs.

The addition of Walker, the top-ranked LB in the 2025 cycle, gives UGA a second five-star commitment once again — and it also has Kirby Smart’s program charging up the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Dawgs’ class jumped two spots and now ranks No. 6 in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC.

“I have been feeling it about Georgia for a long time,” Walker told On3’s Chad Simmons. “The time is right for me to commit and shut things down. I am committed to Georgia and done with recruiting.”

Georgia finished with the No. 1 class in the country last cycle, inking an elite group of prospects, including five five-stars. There’s still work to do, but Smart and Co. are still in the mix for a slew of top recruits and nowhere close to done this cycle.

UGA adds major piece to 2025 class

Walker originally planned to come off the board on July 5, but opted to announce his decision a month earlier. With the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder now in the mix, the top of Georgia’s class features an elite trio of defensive pledges.

Hillside (N.J.) four-star EDGE Darren Ikinnagbon is another top-100 commit in the class and is the No. 10 EDGE in the cycle overall. Buford (Ga.) four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte remains one of the top LBs in the class and has been committed to UGA since Dec. 8, 2022.

Walker checks in at No. 24 overall and is also a top-five player in the Peach State. The chance to play under LBs coach Glenn Schumann in Athens was a major factor in his decision.

“For me, Coach Schu was a big part of my commitment. The trust I have in him on and off the field is big,” Walker said.

Elite TEs, rising QB headline offensive side of the class

Folkston (Ga.) Camden County five-star tight end Elyiss Williams continues to headline Georgia’s class. The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder is the No. 23 overall prospect and the top-ranked TE in the nation. He’s one of two impressive in-state commits at the position, as Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton four-star TE Ethan Barbour is also in the mix as a top-200 recruit.

The Dawgs landed their quarterback commit in April, as Findlay (Ohio) four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery chose UGA over Florida and South Carolina. He checks in right behind Barbour at No. 188 overall and is the No. 13 signal-caller in the nation.

Evans (Ga.) four-star interior offensive lineman Mason Short beefed up the class in April, while Savannah Calvary Day four-star athlete Thomas Blackshear committed on May 12. Both are top-300 recruits, while Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove four-star running back Bo Walker and Humboldt (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy three-star defensive lineman Stephon Shivers round out the class.