Kelton Smith becomes first Georgia signee in Class of 2023
The first signature for Georgia in the Class of 2023 is in. Four-star offensive lineman Kelton Smith out of Carver (Columbus, Ga.) made it official at 7:44 a.m. ET with the announcement on Georgia Football’s social media accounts.
Smith, who comes in at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, is the No. 207 overall player according to the On3 Consensus and the No. 14 interior offensive lineman in the country. On3’s in-house rankings are even higher on him, having Smith at No. 115 overall and No. 8 among players at his position – his highest rating of any in the industry.
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power offers the following scouting summary of Smith’s game:
Big-bodied offensive lineman with an outstanding combination of length and functional strength. Plays with the power of an interior offensive lineman with the plus length (arms over 35 inches) of a top offensive tackle. Measured at around 6-foot-4, 330 pounds prior to his senior season. Has primarily worked at right tackle for a top talent-producing high school program in west Georgia. Shows some dominant tendencies as a drive blocker, moving defenders 10 to 15 yards downfield at times. Functional strength is also validated with some strong results in the shot put, including a 53-8 foot toss as a sophomore. Still has room to refine his technique and pass set. Can also tend to bend at the waist at times. Unique combination of play strength and length makes him one of the higher upside offensive linemen in the 2023 cycle.
Smith made his commitment to Georgia over the summer, choosing Georgia over Florida State, LSU and Texas A&M. He had visited during the spring and took an official visit late in July.
“I knew it on my official visit,” Smith told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons about when he knew it was Georgia. “I went into the visit knowing I was high on Georgia, but during the visit, I knew I wanted to commit. Being around the team, spending time with the coaches, and just soaking everything in showed me all I needed to see. I knew then Georgia was my home. I know that is where I belong.”
Offensive line coach Stacy Searels was important in his recruitment, but no man was bigger than running backs coach Dell McGee, who is from the same home town and used to be the head coach at Smith’s Carver High School.
“Coach McGee is like family. He grew up with my family. He knows my uncle and auntie very well. They are all from Columbus, they have known each other a long time, so coach McGee is close with all of us,” Smith said. “Having him there just makes me that much more comfortable. Coach McGee and I talk every day. Then he checks up on my family all the time too. We all trust him, he is a great person, and coach McGee has been a big part of this with Georgia.”
Smith is among five committed offensive linemen that Georgia expects to sign on Wednesday.
