Georgia lands another large in-state OL for 2026 recruiting class

“G Money,” as he’s known around the team, is now the fourth-highest-rated pledge in the class. His decision pushes the Dawgs up to the No. 25 class in the country on the 247Sports Composite Team rankings.

He chose UGA over the likes of Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Ole Miss. He made his decision public Thursday, but the Dawgs have been seen as the team to beat for quite some time.

The reality is it has seemed like he’s known he wanted to be a Dawg probably as early as January.

That’s after he had another really good “Junior Day” visit to Athens. Houston saw the team nutrition station and got to sit in on offensive meetings. Houston was only one of three OLs at that priority event back in January.

“I felt great leaving Georgia that day,” he said this winter after that visit. “I’ve been there so many times that I obviously wouldn’t go back if I didn’t like it so. They are definitely still at the top of my recruitment, and getting to talk to (head coach Kirby Smart) with my mom, well, she loves him. She obviously likes what he could do for me if I were a player there and make me a better person outside of football.”

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

When DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell spoke to Houston again in February, it seemed like he would be glad to get all of his recruiting over with. It seemed like he already had a good idea where he was going.

Houston was also able to attend three home games in Sanford Stadium last fall.

“Recruiting can be stressful,” he said. “So I don’t want to go into my season with all that stress still trying to make a decision. I want to find a team before the season starts.”

Houston, like most offensive linemen over the years, was not really enamored with all the steps necessary with the recruiting process.

So why Georgia?

“Honestly, how close they are to home stands out,” Houston said. “Like, if I need something, my family is there. I can just drive to my family. You can’t beat it when it comes to how close it is to home.”

He had a series of official visits scheduled for this summer, and that would be it. He wasn’t looking forward to taking any more than he really had to.

As it turns out, he really only needs to take one. That will be to his home state Georgia Bulldogs.

Houston is now the latest link in a pipeline from Buford High School to Georgia. There could be more on the way to really reinforce the trend started by former five-star KJ Bolden in the 2024 class.

“I always kind of thought that curse was silly,” Houston told DawgNation this winter. “KJ is doing a great job at Georgia, so I’m not really worried about that.”

The way he is wired will fit in well with Stacy Searels and his “Great Wall of Georgia” classes every cycle. Houston, who has a voice that sounds like he swallowed a couple of 45s from the weight room, has a term for the way he plays the game.

“I obviously love the game; otherwise, because I would have quit a long time ago and played lacrosse or something like that, like all my other friends,” he said. “But I really enjoy the game. Like in elementary school, I was not the best player, and I really enjoy playing teams that I used to play when I was younger; Now I get to make those other guys look silly. That’s what I really enjoy.”

“Guys that used to beat up and beat down on me. Just getting a chance to release my violence on them. I love it.”

That “release the violence” phrasing should stick in DawgNation’s mind when it comes to Houston. His favorite parts of the game reflect that mentality.

“I love run-blocking and I love pulling when I’m playing guard,” Houston said. “Those are my favorite parts of the game, and also the goal-line situations. I love that.”

Georgia could project him early on as a swing OL. He can play tackle, but the better long-term fit seems to be at guard. Most of the college recruiters saw him at guard.

“Georgia, they really say I can play tackle as well,” Houston said back in January. “It just really depends on how fast my feet are, and Coach Searels says versatility makes you more valuable. I am going to try to play as many positions as possible. I’ve been trying to snap the ball this offseason. Getting used to that, so we’ll see.”

Houston has lived in Georgia his whole life, but half his family are actually Alabama fans. The other half are Dawgs.

Houston has been planning to take his official visit to UGA on June 6, but that could change. He’s been to UGA many times in his recruitment up to this point.

This commitment comes at a time when Georgia is in a battle for the top QB in the class, Jared Curtis out of Nashville. Curtis is set to announce his commitment on Monday, May 5, and UGA is in a battle with Oregon for his services.

Dawg fans can only hope that one day Houston might be blocking for Curtis in Sanford Stadium.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Kirby Smart.