This one ended early, and it really ended even earlier than November 1, 2020.
Bainbridge (Ga.) four-star Deyon Bouie was picking up offers his freshman year. He is a Rivals100 junior that grew up a big fan of the Georgia Bulldogs.
Kirby Smart, the head coach at Georgia attended the same high school Bouie attends. The town in southwest Georgia has a lot of Bulldog fans in it, and Smart knows Bouie's mother from his childhood days, so that relationship only helped.
There was a lot going for the in-state school here, and on his mother's birthday, the No. 60 junior in America put his name on the Georgia commitment list.
"I honestly did think about other schools like Alabama, LSU and Auburn, but Georgia has always been my school," said Bouie.
"Georgia has been my dream school, so it is hard for me to even think about turning them down. I have always wanted to go there. I gave other schools opportunities, and I listened to their coaches, but Georgia is where I want to be."
Bouie sees his future head coach as more than just a coach when he gets to Athens.
"I think coach Smart will be a great role model for me. He came from where I come from, he is a great man, he went through a lot of the same things I went through growing up, and we just have this connection.
"Coach Smart is a great coach, but also a great guy. He is about family, I have gotten to know him well, and I know he can really help me."
Since he hit the recruiting scene coming out of middle school, Bouie has been a Georgia target, and he has taken almost double-digit trips to Athens. He has gotten a great feel for the classic city.
"The culture and atmosphere is fantastic at Georgia," said Bouie. "In the stadium, on the campus, around the coaches, hanging with the players — it all feels like family.
"I have been there a lot and I love it. It is like home for me."
Today is a day Bouie and his family won't forget. It is a moment he started dreaming of around the age of 8. His speed led a football coach to nickname him "Smoke", and that speed, athleticism and ability on the football field has led to be being one of the top recruits in the 2022 class.
Bouie is one of the lucky ones to commit to his dream school.
"It means a lot to a lot to call myself a Georgia commit. I am putting it on for my city. I am doing this for the people around me. The people here in Bainbridge are going to love me. A lot of people around here love Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, so I made them happy with my commitment."
