Georgia beats out Miami, Clemson to land 4-star Colquitt County RB
MOULTRIE — The Georgia football program has picked up a new commitment for the fourth straight day.
Jae Lamar, the nation’s No. 8 running back prospect from Colquitt County, chose the Bulldogs over strong pursuit from Auburn, Clemson and Miami, among others.
On the surface, this home state pull from South Georgia means more than just the 21st commitment of the 2026 class. Georgia added an offensive weapon that fits the mold of Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, who played for the 2021-22 Georgia national championship team.
His commitment stands out for a few other reasons:
- Lamar is the first RB pledge in this class after the Bulldogs only signed one RB (3-star Bo Walker) in the last cycle.
- The belief today is that Lamar will go on to sign with UGA. When he does, he will be only the second running back in the room — to go along with sophomore Nate Frazier — who was ranked as a top-10 national high school prospect at the position.
- It is a big win on the recruiting trail for second-year running backs coach Josh Crawford.
- The Bulldogs went head-to-head with Miami and came away with the recruiting win for a player who grew up dreaming of playing for the Bulldogs
- Lamar’s decision also serves as the highest-rated prospect to choose Georgia in the current four-day streak.
Lamar, who was ineligible to play football his first two years of high school, was in his first season of varsity football last fall, when he recorded 885 yards on 112 carries. He was in a rotation with a couple of veteran backs but still averaged 7.9 yards per carry with big games against Lee County, Lowndes and Tift County.
He finished with 11 touchdowns and he has been laser-timed at sub 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He’s 5-foot-11 and weighs around 205 pounds.
“Jae,” short for Ty’jaevian, wears a No. 34 jersey (à la Herschel Walker) and says he “hates” getting tackled.
“Georgia is my dream team,” he told DawgNation in October. “I have always wanted to play at Georgia (with) the great backs that come from there. You know Todd Gurley. There’s a lot of great backs out there and I think that it fits me there.”
About the Author
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and recruiting. He is a graduate of UGA's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and has been a staff writer at news outlets in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he was at The Birmingham News and AL.com. He was named the 2005 Georgia Press Association Sportswriter of the Year.
