Coveted 4-star EDGE Zion Grady breaks down top contenders in his recruitment

Troy (Ala.) Enterprise four-star EDGE Zion Grady stepped back from his commitment to Alabama last month after the coaching change in Tuscaloosa.

He had only been committed for a little more than two months, but with all the turnover he decided to reopen things and consider other schools.

Since then, a handful of programs have made him a top priority, including Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, and Tennessee.

The Bulldogs have been a factor in his recruitment for some time, and the relationships he has in Athens are very strong.

“I got a very good relationship with Coach Diribe, so that plays a big part,” he told On3’s Phillip Dukes during the Five-Star Flex show. “And just the way their defense flies around. They’re a defense-first school.”

According to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, Georgia has been a program with a lot of buzz when it comes to Grady.

“I would say the hot name attached to Zion right now is probably Georgia,” Simmons said on The Inside Scoop. “He was back there in January, he was there for a game in the fall when he was committed to Alabama. When he picked Alabama, Georgia was high on his list as well. I think Georgia is probably the hot team I hear the most attached to Zion’s name.”

After making multiple stops in Athens in 2023, Grady returned for a Junior Day visit at the beginning of February just before the dead period. He told DawgsHQ after his latest trip that an official visit is certainly in play for UGA.

Ohio State making a push to land Grady

One of the more recent entrants into his recruitment is Ohio State, who he has yet to visit but plans to this spring and then potentially again this summer for an official visit.

“Just the way they develop their defensive ends, you know the Bosa brothers, Chase Young. The development of them [is big],” he said. “Coach Day is just hitting me up, checking on me and seeing how I’m doing. They’re trying to get me down [there].”

Like Georgia, in-state Auburn is another program trying to land the No. 58 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking.

“I just like the atmosphere a lot. I’ll chill at Auburn all day, I just like the place,” he told Dukes.

Florida State is also expected to be a major contender in the race, in large part due to the connections he has in Tallahassee dating back to his freshman year of his school.

“The relationship with Coach JP [John Papuchis] and Coach Norvell,” he said of what intrigues him about FSU. “They’ve been on me since like ninth grade, so I’ve got a really good relationship with them.”

As for the Vols, he’s yet to visit for a game but wants to see what things look like in Neyland Stadium and whether he fits with one of the SEC’s rising programs.

“They’ve got a very good atmosphere,” he said. “I still need to get down to a game, but I’ve started a relationship with Coach Garner. They’ve been talking to me since ninth grade.”