Zamir White just the latest recruiting win for Smart, UGA
Georgia made another big statement on the recruiting trail this week when five-star Zamir White, another top-rated prospect, committed to the Bulldogs.
Five-star after five-star has pledged to second-year coach Kirby Smart and now Georgia has the firepower to contend in the SEC.
During Smart’s short tenure in Athens, Georgia has landed more five-stars than any other SEC team save for Alabama.
Huge success on the trail. Now fans want to see it on the field.
MORE: Georgia's top RBs of the Rivals era | Analysis - White picks UGA
“It’s having a vision,” Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell said. “It’s a great program, but you can sell a vision. It’s almost an advantage to be a new coach and new blood at a program that’s had one coach for so long. They see the SEC puts out so many NFL Draft picks and they see the SEC is wide open.
“It’s selling a vision but you can only do that for so long in the SEC. This year is going to be very important for him. Georgia should always be able to recruit nationally. They just have so much talent in-state that they have to focus there first and then pick and choose elsewhere.”
The Bulldogs went 8-5 overall in Smart’s first season but only 4-4 in the SEC. With recruiting wins come expectations, and the second year will be important if Smart wants to continue to land such solid prospects.
Keeping five-star 2016 quarterback Jacob Eason on board during a coaching transition was crucial, as was signing Mecole Hardman and Isaac Nauta in that first class. Then flipping five-star QB Jake Fromm from Alabama and dipping into the Northeast to get five-star OL Isaiah Wilson out of Brooklyn were two other massive additions in the 2017 recruiting cycle.
Getting White to commit to the Bulldogs over Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, North Carolina and others was another major coup – not only for Smart but for running backs coach Dell McGee, who put in a lot of the leg work.
“What that guy has done since coming to Athens is impressive,” said Jake Reuse of UGASports.com.
“He held on to Elijah Holyfield, went out and found Brian Herrien and brought him in and landed commitments from D’Andre Swift and now Zamir White. He’s proven himself about as good of a running back evaluator and recruiter as appears to be out there right now.
“One of the things is their willingness to play young guys. They’re very much committed to best player plays. If big guys want to come in and take a spot and have a chance to break into a rotation, Georgia is a pretty good place to do that. Some of those guys in the junior and senior class just aren’t to the level they’re recruiting right now. If you feel like you’re a guy who can compete with the best of the best and work for a spot, then Georgia could be pretty attractive.”
Over the years, Georgia has had incredible success recruiting running backs. During the Rivals.com era, there has been Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Keith Marshall, Thomas Brown and Todd Gurley and many other five- and four-stars along the way.
And now White, one of the best backs from a state that produced Gurley and Marshall, joins the Bulldogs' star-studded commitment list. He could be special in Athens – and he could be a recruiting lynchpin for Georgia in his home state for the next wannabe superstar.
“His commitment is huge because the next great running back out of North Carolina is likely going to look at Georgia for this very reason,” Farrell said. “Getting Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley is one reason Zamir White started to look at Georgia, and he’ll impress upon not only running backs but other top prospects in North Carolina that it’s an option.
“It’s big, too, because all these big schools are going into North Carolina and poaching kids, it gives Georgia a real competitive advantage.”
Recruiting is all about getting an edge. And Georgia just got another huge one in Carolina by landing White.
