ATHENS — It’s a new week, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart probably wishes it could have lasted a little longer. Certainly, he would’ve landed another blue-chip recruit had there been just one more day.
As it was, the Bulldogs picked up commitments from two elite prospects over the last four days. The latest one came Sunday afternoon when linebacker Jalon Walker of Salisbury, N.C., chose Georgia over five other finalists. Those other teams were Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, North Carolina and Ohio State.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Walker is a 4-star prospect, but just a hundredth of a point behind the third-highest of three 5-star commitments already pledged for Georgia’s 2022 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings system. The player just above Walker is Malaki Starks, a 5-star athlete who plans to play both offense and defense for the Bulldogs when he reports next year. Starks committed to UGA on Thursday.
As for Walker, asked why he chose the Bulldogs over the other schools, he said, “Georgia I feel like has the best staff. Coach Muschamp, Coach Smart, Coach Lanning, Coach Schumann, they’re all great coaches.”
Interesting that Will Muschamp would be the first coach’s name out of Walker’s mouth during the live-television announcement. The former South Carolina head coach joined Smart’s staff as a defensive analyst in January and has been staying quite busy in a sort of personal consultant role for Smart. But clearly there was some recruiting interaction here with Walker, who he had previously courted as the Gamecocks’ coach.
But Walker went on to laud the “hands on” head-coaching style of Smart as one of the main factors in his decision.
“I’ve always heard about how he is in practice, always a hands-on coach,” Walker said. “I like that. That’s the best situation for me. Just Georgia overall. ‘LBU,’ in my opinion. They always bring out the best linebackers. Georgia just fits me.”
With Walker’s addition, the Bulldogs remain the top-rated SEC team and No. 2 in 247Sports’ national rankings. With 10 commitments so far (three 5-stars and seven 4s), Georgia is just a smidgen behind Ohio State, which has 11 commitments.
Defending national champion Alabama hasn’t gotten busy yet, apparently. The Crimson Tide has just five commitments and stand at 17th, or fifth among SEC teams.
There does not appear to be any more imminent blockbuster announcements for the Bulldogs. Then again, it’s a whole new week.
GEORGIA FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS
- QB Gunner Stockton, 6-1, 220, Tiger, 5-star
- ATH Deyon Bouie, 5-11, 185, Bainbridge, 5-star
- ATH Malaki Starks, 6-1, 200, Jefferson, 5-star
- LB Jalon Walker, 6-2, 220, Salisbury, N.C., 4-star
- DT Tyre West, 6-3, 280, Tifton, 4-star
- DT Bear Alexander, 6-3, 325, Denton, Texas, 4-star
- CB Marquis Groves-Killibrew, 6-0, 180, Snellville, 4-star
- LB C.J. Washington, 6-2, 220, Cedartown, 4-star
- DE Darris Smith, 6-6, 225, Baxley, 4-star
- LB Donovan Westmoreland, 6-1, 210, Griffin, 4-star
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