Georgia adds Andrew Paul after late push for Lone Star State RB
It took a late push and some fighting off some tough competition, but Andrew Paul is a Georgia Bulldog, announcing his commitment Wednesday afternoon.
The Parish Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas) star became a hot commodity after a strong senior season, rushing for 2,616 yards and 41 touchdowns on 271 carries while adding another 208 yards and three scores on 14 receptions. Georgia, along with Clemson and Michigan offered late, and ultimately, it was Kirby Smart and the defending national champions that won Paul over.
On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spieglman reported that Paul and Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee “clicked.” Paul was in Athens this past weekend for an official visit. Furthermore, the Bulldogs’ National Championship victory over Alabama impressed him, and that energy carried over into the visit.
Paul is ranked the No. 466 overall player according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Those same rankings have him as the No. 34 running back while On3’s in-house rankings rank him slightly higher at No. 30 among players at his position.
Paul joins Georgia’s No. 3-ranked Class of 2022, still behind SEC foes Texas A&M and Alabama. The Bulldogs have one running back already signed and on campus – Branson Robinson – but saw Jordan James flip his commitment earlier today. He’ll come in looking to compete for playing time in a backfield that loses leading rushers Zamir White and James Cook to the NFL Draft but returns the likes of Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.
“The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder had almost exclusively received interest from Group of Five schools until November. As Paul’s midseason highlights made their way around to other coaching staffs, the interest has only grown,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons wrote about Paul last week. “Despite being unranked by every major recruiting site, Paul hasn’t exactly flown under the radar on the field. As a junior in 2020, he rushed for 747 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 104 carries. As a senior, he rushed for nearly half of that total in a single game, racking up 401 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries in a November contest. He finished his senior campaign with 2,616 yards and 41 touchdowns on 271 carries — a 9.7 YPC average.”
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