Tracking Kirby Smart's travels around Peach State to see prospects
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is a man of his word. He talks a big game when it comes to recruiting, and he’s backed it up with action on the recruiting trail, especially recently as the “Kirby-copter” has been fired up to make his way around the state.
After a big day of visits around the state last Friday for #FirstDayOut, Smart and several members of the UGA staff have continued trekking around. DawgsHQ has compiled for you a look at some of the stops Smart and company have made thanks to social media posts from coaches, players and others at the destinations.
MONDAY/TUESDAY (Stockbridge, Greene County, Evans, Union Grove)
Smart’s first couple of stops on Monday and Tuesday saw him checking in on a pair of Peach State 3-stars, Stockbridge linebacker Chase Taylor and Greene County defensive lineman Kevin Wynn. Georgia currently holds an RPM advantage for Wynn, who actually comes in as a 4-star according to the Industry Ranking.
MORE: Jeremy Johnson checks in with Wynn before junior season
PLUS: Georgia in early stages of courting in-state Taylor
Next up was a flight over to Evans where Smart saw a 2025 prospect fresh off a visit to Athens this past weekend. Mason Short, who announced a de-commitment from Alabama earlier in the day, certainly seemed to excited to see the Georgia head coach – and his family was too. Ranked the No. 10 interior offensive lineman for 2025, Short is a priority for the Bulldogs.
To close out the day on Tuesday, Smart was seen at Union Grove for the basketball game of Isaiah Gibson. He wasn’t the only one in the building either. Oregon’s Dan Lanning made the trip across the country to check out the 4-star EDGE, another player that is coming off of a weekend in Athens. Gibson checks in as the No. 176 overall prospect in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
MORE: Gibson ‘feels amazing’ about Georgia
On the heels of Tuesday’s trips to check in and their respective visits to Athens this past weekend, DawgsHQ’s Jeremy Johnson put in his prediction for Evans, Gibson and others to land at Georgia.
WEDNESDAY (Savannah Christian, Brunswick, Wayne County, Mandarin)
South Georgia was the focus on Wednesday as Smart saw Savannah Christian’s Elijah Griffin first thing in the morning. Considered the nation’s consensus No. 1 defensive lineman and On3’s No. 2 overall player, it’s easy to understand why making an impression on him is important for Smart. He too was in Athens over the weekend, and afterwards, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons put in his prediction for the Bulldogs to land Griffin’s commitment.
On3 on Griffin: Highly athletic, disruptive defensive lineman who looks like the top defensive prospect in the 2025 cycle early on. Measured at 6-foot-3.5, 270 pounds with a 10-inch hand prior to his sophomore season. Has the size of an interior defensive lineman with the high-end twitch and athleticism of a top pass rusher. Flies off the snap and darts into the backfield to create disruption with regularity. A very loose and fluid athletic, particularly at his size. Plays with outstanding leverage and body lean. Shows advanced hands at the point of attack and quickly neutralizes offensive linemen. Has the speed in pursuit to track down running backs from the back side. Phenomenal production as a sophomore with 14.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. Shows his functional strength and short area explosion in track and field, where he threw the shot put over 50 feet as a sophomore. Projects as a top defensive lineman with the ability to line up and disrupt from multiple spots on a defensive front.
Smart didn’t stop there. He also has documented trips to Brunswick and Wayne County with a reported trip to Calvary Day School while in the area as well. One of the top 2026 prospects Heze Kent is at Brunswick while Wayne County and Calvary Day feature 2025 targets Tavion Wallace and Thomas Blackshear. Wallace, who shared a photo with Smart, had an “eye opening” visit to Athens over the weekend. He is a top-25 overall prospect and the nation’s No. 2 linebacker according to On3 only behind Zayden Walker, another priority in-state player for Georgia in the Class of 2025.
On3 on Wallace: One of the most athletic defensive prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle who consistently flashes on the film with his explosiveness and ability to detonate ball carriers. Long speed for the linebacker position is rare. Member of his high school’s 400 and 800 meter relay teams during his sophomore track and field season. Ran an incredible 10.84 100m and an equally impressive 22.44 200m during his freshman track and field season. Unverified size but listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Will need to add mass throughout his frame but has an excellent build in order to sit at 220-225 pounds as a freshman in college. If he can carry the extra weight and maintain his burst and top-end speed his ceiling is limitless. Should be one of the more sought after players in the entire country.
The Kirby-copter can indeed cross state lines, and that’s exactly what it did to check out Jacksonville, Fla. native Jaime Ffrench Jr. Like Evans, he is fresh off a de-commitment from Alabama in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement. Georgia has ground to make up for the five-star receiver, but there’s no better way for the Bulldogs to get started doing so than showing their face.
On3 on Ffrench: Savvy receiver with advanced route-running skills. Measured at around 6-foot-1, 185 pounds in the off-season prior to his junior year. Tests as a solid athlete in the combine setting. Shows elite change of direction and start-stop ability on Friday nights and in the camp setting. Easily changes gears within his routes. Capable of stacking corners off the line and shows shake at the top of his routes. Flashed coordination and the ball skills to make fantastic one-handed grabs at camps. Shifty after the catch. A competitive prospect who showed up to seemingly every event in the off-season. Can clean up concentration drops as he can lose focus at times. Projects as one of the top receivers in the 2025 cycle in large part due to his well rounded, technical skill set.
