5-star prospect DJ Jacobs, a UGA legacy, commits to Ohio State
When Kirby Smart visited Blessed Trinity High School for a game this past season, he was a very popular photo opportunity.
Band members, cheerleaders and Georgia fans of all ages.
Smart, who’s known for closing on the recruiting trail, charmed everyone who asked him for a photo by saying he needed their help recruiting five-star junior EDGE DJ Jacobs.
It turns out Smart and the Bulldogs needed a little more help. Jacobs, a longtime UGA priority and double legacy target, just made an early college commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
While it isn’t final, there isn’t a lot of hope for the home state Bulldogs to close the gap here.
Jacobs is the son of former Georgia defensive lineman David Jacobs. The elder Jacobs saw his career end early because of a stroke he suffered in practice. However, he forged a lifelong bond with former Georgia coach Mark Richt, who is the godfather of DJ.
Georgia made a final group for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior that included Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, USC, and Tennessee, among his many options.
The decision was a bit of a surprise to the recruiting industry, as a pair of predictions were logged earlier on Monday for Jacobs to choose the Hurricanes.
Jacobs, the top prospect in Georgia for next fall, finished his junior year with 102 tackles and 24 tackles for loss. Despite constant double teams and numerous holds that never drew a flag, he finished with 16 sacks.
He now has 292 tackles, 67 TFLs and 31 sacks for his high school career. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 1 EDGE in the nation for the 2027 cycle. Rivals.com also lists Jacobs as the nation’s No. 2 EDGE for his class.
Where do the Dawgs turn at EDGE in 2027?
This decision from Jacobs is actually the second recruiting loss the Dawgs have taken for a priority 5-star EDGE in the 2027 cycle. Former Savannah Christian and Benedictine star LaDamion Guyton committed to Texas Tech and earned a significant financial package earlier this year.
It wasn’t long after that when he chose to reclassify to the 2026 cycle to join the Red Raiders this month.
As it stands, the Bulldogs came up empty for both homegrown five-star EDGE prospects in the same class. That’s after just signing one true EDGE prospect in the 2026 cycle in North Oconee four-star Khamari Brooks.
Look for the program to now focus its in-state efforts on four-star Stephenson EDGE KJ Green, who’s rated as the nation’s No. 7 EDGE and No. 63 overall recruit.
According to the database maintained by 247Sports, the Bulldogs have offered 17 EDGE prospects in the 2027 class at this time.
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.
