Georgia Insider: Four rising stars land offers, leave Athens high on Bulldogs
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Georgia dominated Tennessee State 63-3 in its home opener Saturday, and Kirby Smart and his staff made moves with some of the top young prospects watching from Sanford Stadium.
The Bulldogs extended multiple new offers to visitors. Fast-rising 2028 defensive lineman Flourish Odin landed one, versatile lineman Rex George-Taylor is another new target in that class, along with 2029 playmaker Marco Huff and 2029 defensive lineman Emavian Gibson.
Each arrived in Athens at a different point in his recruitment. Each left with Georgia officially in the race.
Odin’s recruitment has taken off. The 2028 defensive lineman out of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee already holds offers from South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Duke and Florida State, among others.
Georgia joined that list Saturday. Defensive line coach Tray Scott delivered the news to Odin, making an already memorable day even bigger.
“Seeing the environment of Georgia was one of the biggest highlights, Odin told Rivals. “It was my first college football game, and it was a great one to go to.”
Georgia’s defensive performance gave the young lineman plenty to study. The Bulldogs overwhelmed Tennessee State, and Odin kept a close eye on Scott’s position group.
“Seeing a dominant win from the defense and Coach Scott’s work in action was amazing. Also, the staff — everyone was welcoming and amazing and made a great environment.”
The offer carried additional significance because Georgia’s interest in Odin dates back to the beginning of his recruitment.
“Georgia was one of the first schools to ever contact me,” Odin said. “The staff were some of the first to ever follow me on Twitter, so I’ve been working for this offer for a while. It’s such a reputable program. I’m just truly grateful.”
Odin wasn’t unfamiliar with Georgia. He had already visited Athens twice before Saturday. This trip gave him his first opportunity to see the Bulldogs on game day — and watch Scott’s defensive line in person.
“They just dominated. The defensive line had such synergy and such perfection in their craft. It was amazing to see in person.”
Now Georgia has officially entered a recruitment that continues to gain momentum.
The same can be said for Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman out of Rome (Ga.) Darlington. He was offered by Phil Rauscher as an offensive tackle.
“having an offer from Georgia is huge for me,” George-Taylor said. “To me it means that I really have a future in football, and it has just motivated me to keep working harder and making my team and coaches proud. I am honestly grateful for the offer — it means everything to me.”
Georgia joins Mississippi State, Tennessee and a few others. The in-state school made a nice impression Saturday.
“Their hospitality was amazing. It’s really just a big family out there — you can tell the love within them is real. The atmosphere was definitely one of the biggest highlights of the trip. The fan base is just straight up incredible.”
The Bulldogs took care of business and George-Taylor liked what he saw.
“Everyone played good textbook football and with that they were bound to win that game. If they keep playing like that, despite their opponent winning, the sky is the limit for the Bulldogs.”
Two sophomores leave Athens with offers
Local 2029 playmaker Marco Huff picked up offer No. 3. Huff didn’t have to travel far to land one of the biggest offers of his young recruitment. The playmaker out of Commerce (Ga.) entered Saturday with offers from Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Running backs coach Josh Crawford delivered the offer.
“Getting my offer from Georgia was definitely one of the biggest highlights,” Huff told Rivals.
There was more.
“Experiencing the Dawg Walk and seeing the fans and team come together also stood out. Being able to watch Georgia play in person and experience the atmosphere between the hedges was another one. Then seeing how the coaches interact with the players and how much energy they bring on game day were some other highlights.”
The offer gave Huff another indication that his early work has started to pay off. Huff knew some about Georgia before the visit. Saturday allowed him to experience the program differently while watching the Bulldogs dominate.
“The team was flying around, having good energy, and they were communicating and playing as a team,” Huff said.
Emavian Gibson landed his first SEC offer. The 2029 defensive lineman out of Dorman in Spartanburg (S.C.) entered the weekend with offers from Charlotte, Western Kentucky, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech.
“It means and feels great to have an offer from Georgia and my first SEC offer,” Gibson said. “Meeting the rest of the staff was one of the most important things I did on this visit. Seeing the stadium in person for the first time was a great experience, and seeing how the D-line prepared themselves for their first home game of the season was amazing.”
Unlike some young prospects making their first trip to Athens, Gibson already knew plenty about Georgia’s defensive tradition. He especially knew about Scott.
“I knew a lot about Georgia, including their defensive linemen and Coach Scott. He’s one of the greatest D-line coaches in the country.”
Georgia’s defense backed up that reputation Saturday.
“The team played great, especially the defense. Overall, they came to play and show out, and that’s what they did.”
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