Dylan Fairchild is a state heavyweight wrestling champion and an All-American football player from West Forsyth High School.
And he is a priority target for the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
He was so well-regarded by Matt Luke that the UGA line offensive coach wanted to make sure he offered him in person earlier this year.
Fairchild, the nation’s No. 2 guard and the No. 40 overall prospect (according to 247Sports), committed to the Bulldogs Saturday.
“It was always Georgia and Auburn,” Fairchild said. “I think it was those two. Those were the closest but I think that Georgia was there. I think I was sitting there and I don’t think I had that two-hour or three-hour conversation with other schools like I did with coach Matt Luke and coach [Kirby Smart] to get to know each other.
“To get to really really know each other. The more I am around coach Luke and I see his style and the way he coaches and takes care of his kids, the more I have grown closer with him. We’ve built a very good bond.”
The 4-star prospect becomes the ninth public commitment of the 2021 recruiting class. That moves the Bulldogs up to the nation’s No. 12 class for 2021 on the 247Sports Team Composite rankings.
“Georgia is going to be the best of both worlds for me,” he said. “Even with football, I am picking a school that even without football I would want to go to. You never know what could happen. This football life could end in one moment. I think I’m going to go to a place where I’m going to be happy with football and I am going to be happy with school, too.”
The West Forsyth rising senior called the Georgia staff at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
“If I were to do this without the whole coronavirus thing going around I would go see the Georgia coaches and do it in person,” Fairchild said. “I just wanted to give them that respect and still call them. Person to person. Just tell them I was 100% with this and ready to go. I’m ready to get to work already.”
He grew up a Georgia fan with his family barking at the TV every Saturday in the fall. His family is made up of mostly Bulldogs with a few Georgia Tech fans sprinkled in.
“I don’t know it is just like it kind of all matches up,” Fairchild said. “There’s just no way I’d feel that if I went to any other school. There’s no way at any point that I would regret it if I went to Georgia. It was just meant to happen. All the recruiting put aside, I just think that degree from Georgia is just going to be the best fit for me. I’ve never been more excited about something in my life than I am right now.”
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