Ex-UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is trying to poach of his former recruits with the Bulldogs.
Grantham, who has been hired as Louisville's new defensive coordinator, is expected to make a visit on Thursday to see Lamont Gaillard, the 4-star defensive tackle from Fayetteville, N.C., who has been committed to UGA since last summer.
Gaillard is still pledged to UGA, but is checking out options after the coaching changes. He plans to take an official visit to Miami this weekend, and will likely go see Grantham at Louisville on Jan. 31.
Todd Grantham (Curtis Compton/AJC)
“Lamont is still pretty much committed to Georgia,” Pine Forest High School coach Bill Sochovka said on Tuesday. “I think these trips are just trying to get a little bit of feel for everything because of the changes going on and having a Plan B. He’s got to have a Plan B. But he seems pretty solid to Georgia based on our conversations. Lamont talked to Coach Pruitt and told him he was still committed.”
Grantham, like most college coaches, simply pounced on an opportunity to recruit a top prospect when there’s some instability with the school he’s committed to. Ironically, it was Grantham who started the chain of UGA instability when he left the Bulldogs for another job.
“I think Coach Grantham is a familiar face for Lamont,” Sochovka said. “When everything went down at Georgia, Coach Grantham was a familiar face and he already had a connection with Lamont. I don’t know how serious he is about Louisville. He’s still committed to Georgia, but he’s feeling the waters.”
Grantham has let Gaillard, who has a gigantic “Georgia Bulldogs” tattoo across both forearms, know that he could personally develop him into an NFL prospect at Louisville.
“Coach Grantham is obviously pursing him,” Sochovka said. “He’d liked the have him. He holds Lamont in high regard and considers him to be one of the best defensive players in the nation. When this went down, I figured things like this would happen.
UGA DT commit Lamont Gaillard
"Yesterday, Texas called with an interest in Lamont, and Lamont basically told him 'No, Texas is too far away.' So he didn't entertain Texas' interest in him. It came about because the Alabama coach (Chris Rumph) that recruited him is now at Texas. (Rumph) had heard he was taking visits, and Texas wanted a chance but it was too far away.
“When Lamont got off the phone, I asked him what’s your commitment now with Georgia? He said ‘I’m about 85-percent committed to Georgia.’ But I don’t think people should fret about it.”
UGA's new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt was planning to make an in-home visit with Gaillard on Wednesday, but was advised by Sochovka to reschedule for next week due to winter weather.
Miami met with Gaillard on Monday.
