THE SITUATION: Wide receiver Arian Smith announced his intentions to sign with Georgia on Wednesday after a recruitment that involved Florida, Oklahoma and others in addition to the Bulldogs. A two-sport athlete Smith considered the track and football program at all of his options before making the call for UGA.

IN HIS COACH”S WORDS: "Speed you can’t coach. Better athlete than you expect for a “track guy." Big hands and long. Pushing 6’2. He's learning route tree, but is a good enough athlete to get in and out of breaks. Natural pass catcher. He just needs more time on the jugs catching balls." --Lakeland offensive coordinator Will Bahler

HOW IT HELPS GEORGIA:

One of the fastest players in the 2020 class, Smith will arrive in Athens with massive upside and a desire to compete in track in addition to football. Smith’s sprinter speed is something that can’t be coached, so the Georgia’s main task will be to pair his raw ability with polished route running.

Smith developed a lot from a technical standpoint after transferring to Lakeland (Fla.) High School prior to his senior season, but he remains a bit of a project. That said, there’s no denying the upside. He;’s ranked in the Rivals250 for a reason, after all, so Smith could be an All-SEC level contributor down the road. You can never have too much speed, and it seems as though Kirby Smart is acutely aware of that.

HOW IT HURTS THOSE THAT MISSED OUT

Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama and others would have accepted Smith’s commitment at various points in the process. It became clear roughly a week ago that they speedy wideout would choose Georgia so most were able to activate backup plans. That said, missing out on the elite speed Smith brings to the table is not ideal.

Oklahoma entered the early signing period with just two wideouts, both of which are ranked below Smith, on its commitment list, so the Sooners certainly could have used his skill set. Alabama, on the other hand, entered the week with three four-star wideouts in the fold. Missing on Smith won’t shake the foundation of anybody’s class, but the four-star receiver’s speed makes his upside massive. This could look like a damaging whiff down the road should he develop.