Georgia Bulldogs just one critical recruiting battle away from locking in the top 2026 class in college football
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have been dominating recruiting battles left and right here lately. So much so that they're just one critical recruiting battle away from locking in the top 2026 recruiting class overall.Yes, there are still a handful tight recruiting races Georgia could win this fall, but one in particular could lock […]
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have been dominating recruiting battles left and right here lately. So much so that they're just one critical recruiting battle away from locking in the top 2026 recruiting class overall.
Yes, there are still a handful tight recruiting races Georgia could win this fall, but one in particular could lock things up before the 2025 season even begins.
Georgia nearing top 2026 recruiting class
After landing top 100 defensive line recruit PJ Dean on Monday Georgia has officially landed 15 commits in the month of June alone. They have the number one overall ranked quarterback, two top five defensive linemen, three top 15 cornerbacks, and much more.
With a few key battles still to win, Georgia finds themselves in a pivotal point in the recruiting offseason. They're looking good to possibly win both Tyler Atkinson (five star linebacker) and perhaps Jireh Edwards (five star safety), further solidifying the "top defense" title for the 2026 recruiting cycle. However, one offensive recruiting battle could all but lock up the number one recruiting class right now if Georgia can bring him in here soon.
Derrek Cooper, 5 star RB Recruit
Derrek Cooper is the five star running back recruit from outside Miami, Florida who could completely change the game for Georgia if he commits.
Cooper has been a destructive force on both sides of the ball for his entire high school career, potentially projecting as a linebacker or defensive back as well. He could end up playing defense, but most every single remaining blue blood school competing for his services have their running backs coach specifically going all-in to land him.
Cooper has visited Auburn, Miami, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, and Ohio State in the last month and a half as he's been narrowing his final recruiting search. Several Georgia insiders have been predicting Cooper could and would eventually commit to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs given his consistent interest, visiting them more than any other non-local school (Miami). He even made sure to send out a Georgia-themed commemorative post after he won the Rivals Running Back MVP at an event last week. However, this is still far from over.
Until Monday many experts believed Cooper had his decision about settled as he was set to commit on July 12th, but then he announced that he will "no longer be committing" on that day (as you can see in his post below), leaving many puzzled as to where he will eventually go.
His final official visit was with Ohio State. His long-time ties to Miami seem rather strong. But! Georgia has been all-in on him and could certainly use a five star feature back like him to pair with and eventually replace Nate Frazier.
Cooper's 6'1", 210-pound frame with verified elite track speed (10.7-second 100-meter time), balance, burst, and special production on both sides of the ball should make him the number one priority for Kirby Smart and his staff over the next month. Yes, a few other key battles need to be won, but adding a running back like Cooper who projects to be a first round future NFL talent could completely carry the Georgia offense like fans are used to seeing. Let's just hope coach Smart closes this one out, and soon.
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And if you want to see why Derrek Cooper could be the final piece whose talent gives Georgia the number one recruiting class in the nation just watch his junior season highlights below.
