MORE: Georgia's 2018 commitment list
The Georgia Bulldogs pulled off a major coup on Wednesday afternoon, landing a commitment from five-star Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic offensive lineman and one-time Tennessee commitment Cade Mays. It was a whirlwind courtship between the Dawgs and Mays, as they first hosted him for an unofficial last month and went into last weekend seemingly behind Clemson in the race to land his commitment. But the Tennessee legacy fell in love with Athens on his official visit and made his choice known in an announcement broadcast on ESPNU.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR GEORGIA
Mays is the perfect fit for Georgia’s offensive scheme, he’s a relentless mauler on the offensive line and already has the type of size, drive and athleticism that you can’t coach. He could play any number of positions along the offensive line for the Bulldogs and that versatility is a big reason why he was so coveted. But landing Mays isn’t just big for on-field reasons, it sends a clear message to the Bulldogs SEC rivals that they are capable of going out and getting elite out-of-state prospects, even those who happen to be right in the backyard of their opponents.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT MISSED OUT
Clemson seemed like the leader for Mays once he backed off his pledge from Tennessee in the fall, getting his first unofficial visit and also hosting him for an official visit during the season. Perhaps the Tigers made their move too quickly and in the end it led to Georgia getting the last shot at Mays and enabled them to nab him away. The loss of Mays stings for the Tigers but they still have one of the nation’s best classes and a roster loaded with talent.
As far as Tennessee, this is an extremely tough pill for Vols fans to follow. While most knew Mays wasn’t going to commit to Tennessee on Wednesday, seeing him land with bitter rival Georgia makes matters even worse. The current staff at Tennessee isn’t to blame for their failure to secure Mays – after all, they had less than two weeks to really make an impression on him – and the prolonged coaching search and the long drawn out process didn’t help the Vols standing with Mays and his family. The Knoxville native likely won’t be receiving many Christmas cards from Vols fans going forward.
