Georgia Bulldogs miss out on an elite in-state recruit that would have given them one of the best positional duos in the 2027 recruiting class

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The Georgia Bulldogs missed out on Ta’Shawn Poole, which would have given them one of the best positional duos in the 2027 recruiting class.

The Georgia Bulldogs failed to land four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole, who committed to Florida State over Georgia, Tennessee, and several other programs.

Poole is a top-75 recruit in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings, a 6’1, 195-pound defensive back out of Howard High School in Macon, Georgia. Losing an in-state safety of this caliber stings, but the Bulldogs may have already softened the blow with a recent commitment at the same position.

Poole carries a 93.99 composite rating on the Rivals Industry Rankings, which puts him on the fringe of five-star territory. According to Rivals, his NIL valuation sits at $350,000. He ranks as the No. 5 player at his position and the No. 4 player in the state of Georgia. Beyond the final three of Florida State, Georgia, and Tennessee, Poole also held interest from Clemson and Alabama.

Georgia had every chance to land Poole

The visit history here is worth noting. Poole took three visits to Georgia, three to Florida State, and three to Alabama, along with two each to Tennessee, Georgia Tech, and Clemson. The Bulldogs matched the Seminoles visit for visit and still couldn’t close. That could be concerning for a program that prides itself on locking down in-state talent. But the key word is “could be.” This loss doesn’t reshape the class.

Georgia currently holds the 14th-ranked recruiting class in the country and sits at No. 7 in the SEC. The Bulldogs have 19 commits, including two five-stars and seven four-stars, with a 53% in-state commitment rate. They recently landed four-star safety Adryan Cole, which takes some of the pressure off losing Poole. Sure, adding another safety would have given them an elite duo at the position in this class. But Cole’s commitment means this isn’t a massive miss.

And who knows, maybe both commitments happened because of the other. You can never rule anything out in recruiting.

Florida State needed this one more than Georgia

For Florida State, Poole’s commitment carries more weight. The Seminoles appear to be a program trending in the wrong direction. Coach Mike Norvell has been on the hot seat for some time, but the school reportedly hasn’t been able to make a coaching change for financial reasons. Poole is now the highest-rated player in Florida State’s 2027 class, which ranks 29th nationally and sixth in the ACC. The Seminoles have 15 commits, six of whom are four-stars. Poole becomes the third safety in the class, joining another four-star in Jernard Albright.

Florida State needed a win like this to generate momentum. Georgia, on the other hand, is in a position where losing Poole doesn’t alter the trajectory of the class. It would have been nice to pair Poole with Cole for a top-tier safety haul. It didn’t happen, and that’s fine. This is a loss for the Bulldogs, but not anything to write home about.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Georgia Bulldogs miss out on an elite in-state recruit that would have given them one of the best positional duos in the 2027 recruiting class

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