Pennsylvania natives share on PA-GA pipeline you wouldn't expect
Pennsylvania to Georgia might not be a pipeline you’d expect, but it’s absolutely one that Kirby Smart and his coaching staff have taken advantage of during their time in Athens. D’Andre Swift and Mark Webb suited up for the Bulldogs from the Class of 2017. Tykee Smith came to Georgia by way of the transfer portal in 2021, and looking ahead, Georgia has a pair of commitments from Pennsylvania in 2023 wide receiver Yazeed Haynes and 2025 running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman.
Swift and Webb laid the groundwork at Georgia for the PA-GA pipeline. The cousins came and played an important part in getting Georgia Football to where it is now. They were members of the 2017 SEC Championship winning team, the crew that won the Rose Bowl and one that came oh so close to bringing back a National Championship to Athens. That was all during their freshman year. Swift would top 1,000 yards rushing each of the nest two years. He was off to the NFL in three. Webb would stick around for a fourth, started 13 games and eventually heard his name in the NFL Draft too. It was those experiences that helped get Smith to Georgia in 2021 – ironically as the Bulldogs looked to replace Webb.
“It’s definitely a blessing to be here, coming from where I come from and kind of being far from my daughter” Smith said. “That’s the biggest thing, being blessed to be here.”
“They definitely reached out to me, being close with those guys trying to get the background down here,” he added, speaking on Swift and Webb. “I was in the portal during COVID, so we couldn’t take visits. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, so I tried to build and learn the standard from those guys that had been here and came from where I came from. I couldn’t really talk to Swift about the defensive part of it all, but he had a lot success here on the offensive side. Mark played so he kind of told me how Coach Smart coached, how he’ll coach me hard and get me ready for the next level. That was the biggest thing, being coached hard and having an opportunity to go to the next level.”
Smith has been on campus in Athens for two years since transferring from West Virginia. While he’s battled a couple of injuries during his time, there have certainly been moments – especially this season – where he’s been able to see exactly what Georgia can do for him.
As for those that are committed to coming to Georgia down the road and carrying on the legacy of Pennsylvania in Athens, they too have heard from those that came before them and look forward to being next in a line of great players from Pennsylvania at Georgia.
“Mark Webb and D’Andre Swift used to run on my track team for a little bit. They used to come work out with us, and I played football for Swift’s dad. He was my coach back in little league for like two years. When he was older, I grew up around him,” Haynes said. “I’m real close with his dad, I used to work out at his gym a lot so I would say I’m pretty close with that family … Knowing that someone that I’m close with was at that school and they could share how it was for them played a real good role. He called me, talked to me about the school, how good it is and how it can help me be better as a player and as a person.”
“I want to start a line of a lot of kids from Pennsylvania getting out there to Georgia,” Haynes continued. “A lot of kids don’t get recruited to Georgia, and it’s a good area … I’m very excited to keep that going and want to show people that kids from Philly, we can do it, we can make it out. There’s a lot of good athletes, so I’m excited to show people that and keep that legacy going.”
