Javon Bullard never had a timeline to make a decision. The 6-foot, 180 pound defensive back out of Milledgeville (Ga.) Baldwin was waiting for that gut feeling, and he got that late last week.
He wasted no time, and made that call to the coaches in Athens.
"I had a meeting with coach Dan Lanning, and we were going over the defense, how Georgia would use me, and I just had that feeling," said Bullard. "When we got off the call Friday, I had a talk with my parents, then texted the Georgia coaches on a group text and told them I was ready to commit.
"It was a great feeling and they were all excited about it. I got on the phone with coach Kirby Smart to talk about my commitment and all the coaches got on the phone with me. We have that bond, so it was exciting."
That bond and connection Bullard has with the Bulldog's staff really played into this decision.
"Early in the summer, I would say I was leaning more towards South Carolina and Tennessee, with schools like North Carolina State and Pittsburgh right there, but over the last month or two, Georgia has come on strong, I have connected with all the coaches on the staff and it took off from there.
"Charlton Warren, coach Lanning, coach Smart and so many of the Georgia coaches recruited me, got to know me, made me feel important and that really helped with my decision.
"The relationships was big for me and my family. I also love the Journalism program Georgia offers, how it is an in-state school and so many others things. Georgia is the right school for me for so many reasons."
Most fans likely think Bullard has visited Athens before. He hasn't. He was set to visit Georgia for the first time in March, but the pandemic shut visits down. Bullard is planning to take the ride to Athens once weekend in the coming weeks to just look around, check out the campus and see where he will be living in the future.
He is already excited about who he will be playing with.
"Oh yeah, my bosy Brock Vandagriff, David Daniel and others have been talking already," said Bullard. "They are great guys and we are going to get more. This class is far from done and I am excited about it. There are a lot of other great players out there we have to go get now."
There will be others that join Bullard, Daniel, and Vandgriff, and another UGA target or two could be popping in the near future, but this day is all about that star athlete in Milledgeville.
He is the player that committed and this is a special day for him and his family.
"This is all truly a blessing," said Bullard. "I grew up watching Georgia play, and to have this kind of opportunity — it is just a blessing.
"It has been difficult because of the pandemic, but things happen and you have to work through them, so I kept going, and here I am committing to Georgia.
"I really can't even believe it. It feels great."
