BOGART, Ga. — There are ties that still matter on the recruiting trail. That certainly was the case with the commitment made by four-star edge Khamari Brooks at North Oconee High School.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound prospect chose Georgia over Alabama after forging a relationship from the double-digit trips he’s taken to UGA over his years as a priority recruit.
Brooks has numerous ties to the Bulldogs.
Freshman receiver Landon Roldan, one of his closest friends growing up, was a former teammate at North Oconee and helped host Brooks on his official visit.
Former Georgia All-American David Pollack, who coaches Brooks at North Oconee, first noticed the future SEC-caliber player in youth football.
His step-grandfather, Charles “CJ” Junior, was a receiver on Georgia’s 1980 national championship team, but he is not even the most famous Bulldog in the family.
His great-uncle Horace King was an athletics pioneer in the SEC as one of the “First Five” Black players at Georgia.
Georgia assistant Chidera Uzo-Diribe deserves a big pat on the back for his relentless daily pursuit of Brooks on the recruiting trail.
This decision with both programs came down to the relationships with his potential position coach at both SEC powers. Uzo-Diribe was up against Alabama assistant coach Christian Robinson, who played collegiately at Georgia.
While interviewing Brooks over the last few months, it was clear no recruiter in America has built a stronger relationship than the one Uzo-Diribe did with Brooks.
One specific touch stood out to Brooks while on his official visit earlier this month at UGA — a photo with several core members of the current Georgia team.
Brooks said it was his favorite photo out of the hundreds of images that were captured of him on his official visit to Georgia.
“My favorite (picture) was the one with all the players,” he said. “It stands out because it shows the togetherness and the brotherhood of the football team.”
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Brooks now becomes the 19th commitment of the 2026 class in Athens. He’s the first edge prospect to commit to the Bulldogs.
He’s been a vital player on the hardwood for North Oconee’s back-to-back GHSA Class 4A state basketball teams. He was also a two-way spark for the Titans in their state football championship team from last December.
Brooks took over the 4A state title game against Marist. He tallied eight tackles, 2.5 TFLs and one sack. He also had 52 receiving yards and caught a touchdown.
North Oconee football coach Tyler Aurandt recalled Brooks coming up to him before the game and saying that they were “going to see a different Khamari.”
Aurandt said Brooks wanted “to play at a whole other level.”
“That is a kid who is already super talented, can make that statement and then elevate his game even more to help give his team an opportunity to win,” Aurandt said. “That one will stick with me for a long, long time.”
While Brooks was an offensive weapon for his team, with 31 catches for 569 yards and nine touchdowns, he’s focusing on his defensive skills for the next level. Brooks had 131 tackles, 17 TFLs and 13 sacks. Brooks forced two fumbles, recovered two more, picked off a pass and added two more scores on defense.
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