Kirby Smart’s recruiting pitch is all about grit, grind, and culture. “My goal is to outwork everybody in recruiting, sign the best players in the state, and turn these guys into the best team we can,” he’s said. But it’s not just about stars, it’s about heart. “Fire, passion and energy pays off… if there’s anybody out there playing high school football that has fire, passion and energy that just loves the game, we’ve got a spot for you.” That mindset helped Georgia dominate the trail in 2019 and 2020, but they haven’t held the top spot since. Now, the Dawgs are charging hard again. The fire is back. The board is stacked. And Georgia is gunning to reclaim the No. 1 recruiting crown.
Why not? Georgia’s 2026 class is stacked, and sitting pretty at No. 2 in the national rankings. The Dawgs are loading up fast, and Saturday brought even more firepower. They locked in 5-star TE Kaiden Prothro and 4-star safety Tyriq Green, two huge additions on defense and offense. Leading the charge is five-star QB Jared Curtis, the No. 1 QB and No. 2 overall player in the country. In the backfield, four-star Jay Lamar is already on board. So, with momentum building and more big names on the board, Georgia’s 2026 class is shaping up to be one of Kirby Smart’s best yet. But Georgia isn’t done just yet.
The Dawgs want more firepower in the backfield, and all eyes are now on one name: Derrek Cooper. On the July 13th episode of UGA Football on Dawg Post, the message was clear. “They want to take another one. And all eyes right now are on Derrek Cooper. He is a four-star running back that they’ve been recruiting for a long, long time out of South Florida. He is making his commitment on July 20th. Georgia, Texas, Miami, Florida State, and Ohio State are his final five. I do think it’s going to come down to Georgia, Texas, or Miami,” said the Georgia insider. So, Cooper has been on Georgia’s radar for a while, and now he’s the top remaining target. His decision could be the next big domino in this loaded 2026 class.
The Bulldogs are in a strong position to land Derrek Cooper, and for good reason. Cooper is high on Georgia, especially the way the staff plans to use his versatility. He’s a dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield, but his impact doesn’t stop there. Hailing from South Florida, Derek Cooper is more than just an RB. He makes plays on defense, dominates on special teams, and brings unmatched versatility to any lineup. Currently ranked as the No. 3 RB in the 2026 class, his stock could shift. With Derek Cooper’s decision just days away, this recruitment has all the makings of a photo finish.
“I would definitely watch Texas here. I think Miami is absolutely still in the mix, but I can definitely see him landing at Georgia on July 20th, when he makes that decision in about a week,” shared the insider. But hold off on calling it a lock. “I do think this could be a recruitment that changes last minute. A lot of these recruitments have not been that way, especially kids who have picked Georgia in June and so far in July, but this is one that I think could maybe trend a different way last minute, depending on how things are going,” he said.
Yes, the race for Derrek Cooper is still wide open, and he has not made a final decision just yet. Still, Georgia remains firmly in the hunt. “It’s too early to make a final call right now on where he’s going to end up, but I can definitely see him at Georgia. That is a real thing that could happen,” revealed the insider. While the Bulldogs were once locked in on Savion Hiter, the spotlight has now fully shifted to Cooper. He’s the top remaining running back target, and if he commits to Georgia, he could be a game-changer in Athens. As a crucial decision hangs in the balance, another key narrative is subtly growing under Jared Curtis’s guidance.
Georgia’s linebacker target is within reach
Kirby Smart has help on the recruiting trail, and it’s coming from his future quarterback. Jared Curtis, Georgia’s five-star signal-caller in the 2026 class, is already stepping into a leadership role. He hasn’t just committed to the Dawgs; he has committed to building something special. And one player he’s targeting? Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. Well, in a recent video circulating on X, Curtis made it crystal clear, Atkinson is his top target. Curtis is all in on bringing elite talent with him to Athens.
#Georgia commit 5-star QB Jared Curtis on who he is recruiting the hardest to Georgia. pic.twitter.com/Xejvjq4qdQ
— Dawg Recruiting (@DawggRecruiting) July 10, 2025
Tyler Atkinson has narrowed his list to four, and Georgia is still standing. But the battle isn’t over. The Dawgs are fighting off serious competition from Oregon, Clemson, and Texas for the nation’s top linebacker. Atkinson, the Grayson High School phenom out of Loganville, Georgia, is a defensive force. Ranked No. 8 overall and the No. 1 LB in the country, he put up video game numbers as a junior: 46 QB hurries. That dominant season earned him MaxPreps National Junior of the Year honors.
On the flip side, Jared Curtis is showing exactly why Georgia made him the face of the 2026 class. The five-star QB isn’t just throwing passes; he’s throwing his full weight behind Georgia’s future. From recruiting hard to leading by example, Curtis even took a pay cut in the NIL era to stay true to the G. In today’s game, that kind of loyalty is rare and powerful.
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