When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment we assign a score from 1 to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Deyon Bouie has so many connections to the Georgia football program that it was not a surprise he made an early commitment to the Bulldogs.
Kirby Smart went to the same high school at Bainbridge, Ga. Smart knew Bouie’s mother earlier in life. Georgia was the dream school growing up and the four-star cornerback made an early pledge back in November.
But on Tuesday, Bouie backed off his commitment just days after visiting Texas A&M, a program that has definitely emerged in his recruitment after Alabama, Auburn and LSU were top programs along with Georgia early on.
Just like former Georgia commit Keithian Alexander, who backed off his pledge after visiting the Aggies, Bouie has now done the same.
LOCAL REACTION
"Georgia loses another commitment coming directly off a visit to College Station in Deyon Bouie. The defensive back from head coach Kirby Smart’s hometown of Bainbridge is an electrifying athlete and is going to be a solid cornerback at the college level.
"However, Georgia is in the thick of recruitments for some of the best defensive backs in the country and some that have plenty of versatility in Daylen Everette and Keon Sabb. Also, UGA has future depth at corner, they’re just very young at corner in 2021 in their two-deep. Georgia is actively looking in the transfer portal as well.
"Bouie is a terrific athlete, and by no means is Georgia totally out of this, but this decommitment does not sting as much as that of Bear Alexander." - Blayne Gilmer, UGASports.com
Sting factor: 5
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NATIONAL REACTION
"Georgia is going to recruit at an elite level and there are plenty of other very talented cornerbacks on the market but there is a bigger concern here: In only a few days after visiting Texas A&M, two Georgia commits are now back on the market and both are very talented players that the Bulldogs wanted in the class.
"Only time will tell if that’s a long-term trend but Georgia now has another major competitor for talent other than Alabama, LSU and others in the SEC. Bouie is a talented cornerback, athletic, plays with toughness and that’s perfect for Georgia’s secondary.
"There are many others that want to play for the Bulldogs, though, so my Sting Factor score is based more on the concern that A&M is having an impact on Georgia targets than just the fact that Bouie is no longer in the class. - Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
Sting factor: 7
