Georgia football recruiting as of late calls for a go-to summer line from your favorite TV weatherman: The Bulldogs are hot right now. Unseasonably hot.
Georgia has picked up eight commitments in June after finishing May with just nine commitments. Georgia was uncharacteristically behind programs like Auburn, Syracuse and Wake Forest in the 2025 national rankings for before that June surge.
The Bulldogs picked up three commitments in three days during the second week of June. They finished with four commitments in the final week of the month.
That run saw Kirby Smart’s rise from No. 13 to third-best class in the nation, according to 247 Sports.
Since Smart’s first full year on the recruiting trail for Georgia in 2017, his program has not finished ranked lower than third in the national recruiting rankings.
The recent momentum bucked a current trend of recruiters hosting prime targets in June with commitments coming in July.
In last year’s recruiting cycle, the Bulldogs signed 28 high school prospects with six of those commits in July, including high-profile back-to-back announcements. Georgia also picked up six members of the class with June commitments.
What’s next for Georgia football recruiting?
If the Bulldogs were to add 5-star defensive linemen Justus Terry and Elijah Griffin to their current class, it would push them past Alabama (20 commits) and just behind Ohio State (21 commits) for the nation’s top-rated class.
DawgNation.com has identified 10 prospects listed below that look to be the prime remaining targets for the 2025 class.
While it’s not likely Georgia will get all of these targets, it’s expected they will get a fair share. The Bulldogs’ 2025 recruiting class is likely to rise close to the 30-player mark for this cycle.
Here are the top targets Georgia is eyeing for 2025:
5-star DL Justus Terry (Manchester/Manchester, Ga.)
It seems likely the former UGA and USC commit will return to the fold. It also seems he will no longer let his “marathon” recruitment stretch to the early signing period in December. We’re hearing his final decision could come before summer’s end. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Terry is one of the nation’s top-10 overall prospects.
5-star DL Elijah Griffin (Savannah Christian/Pooler, Ga.)
While all signs have consistently pointed to UGA, the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect has consistently stated he will wait until December’s early period to share his decision. UGA is well-positioned, but it also has an official visit left to woo Griffin. If Georgia closes with Griffin and Terry, everything else is an after-dinner mint to what would be a second supper’s worth of blue-chip 2025 recruits.
4-star CB Shamari Earls (Thomas Dale/Chester, Va.)
Earls is the ideal target in that flip-watch column after his recent official to UGA. Earls is committed to South Carolina but all signs indicate he won’t be a Gamecock in the short or long term. Athens is the trendy pick for the nation’s No. 11 CB and No. 102 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite scale.
4-star S Jaylan Morgan (Rockvale/Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
This talented safety comes across wired like a lot of past and present UGA recruits. The nation’s No. 23 safety took his official visit to UGA on June 21. His final group looks like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and Ole Miss with a decision set for July 8. The tea leaves indicate he’ll either be a Bulldog in Athens or Starkville next fall.
4-star WR Travis Smith Jr. (Westlake/Atlanta, Ga.)
Smith seemed bound for UGA just one month ago, but Alabama and Tennessee have picked up steam. To complicate the matter, he’s seen Georgia take four commitments at receiver. Alabama only has one 2025 WR commit and the Vols have three. Smith is one of the top receiver prospects to come out of the Peach State in several years.
5-star IOL Cortez Smith (Parkview/Lilburn, Ga.)
An ideal O-line anchor in the Sedrick Van Pran-Granger mold, he’ll be a four-year starter this fall. Smith has UGA among a final group which includes Georgia Tech, Miami and South Carolina. He set his decision date back in May for July 20 and has held strong to that. The nation’s No. 6 IOL prospect also won a Georgia High School Association state title in the shot put and finished second in the discus this spring.
4-star EDGE Bryce Davis (Grimsley/ Greensboro, NC)
Looking for another reason to pay attention to UGA recruiting on July 20? That’s where Davis comes to mind. The 4-star EDGE hails from the same high school as Georgia sophomore DT Jamaal Jarrett. He’s rated as the nation’s No. 7 EDGE and the No. 55 overall recruit. Georgia has prioritized Davis for a long time. The Bulldogs are in a final group that also includes Clemson, Duke and South Carolina.
4-star S Rashad Johnson (South Sumner/Bushnell, Fla.)
Johnson has quickly gotten hot for the Bulldogs and vice versa. Georgia offered him on June 3 and he took an official on June 14. Johnson ranks as the nation’s No. 29 safety and the No. 325 overall prospect. Louisville, Penn State and Texas A&M are the other schools to watch here.
4-star OT Damola Ajidahun (Duluth/Duluth, Ga.)
Ajidahun has great size (6-foot-6 and 285 pounds) plus a wingspan that extends beyond a whopping seven feet. He’s got UGA among his final eight which includes a strong interest in Georgia Tech, among others. While he hasn’t settled on a specific date, he has indicated he will make a decision this summer before his senior season.
4-star OT Juan Gaston Jr. (Westlake High School/Atlanta, Ga.)
This massive OT (6-foot-7 and 355 pounds) has also been a UGA priority for some time. The son of a former Georgia Tech basketball player, he has the height. The nation’s No. 16 OT and No. 159 overall prospect has a rough timeframe for his commitment in the first half of his senior season. He’s taken officials to Georgia, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee and looks to see FSU and USC later this year.
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