Georgia loses a high upside commitment after a host of SEC programs have turned up the recruiting heat
Georgia just lost a 2027 commit, and he appears to be trending elsewhere in the SEC. But where will the high upside WR land?
Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are off to a bit of a slower start for the 2027 recruiting class, which isn’t overly surprising. They are a program that typically does a lot of its best work later in cycles, so the odds are strong that Georgia will end up with one of the top overall classes when National Signing Day is upon us.
The Bulldogs did suffer a loss on Thursday when 2027 Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek wide receiver Aden Starling decommitted from Georgia, which was first reported by Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman. While some will downplay this loss due to his underwhelming rankings, Starling is a player for whom there has been some high demand this offseason. Odds appear strong that he will eventually land in the SEC, but elsewhere.
According to Spiegelman, the LSU Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks are the top two teams to watch, currently sitting as favorites after visiting both schools. Both Ole Miss and Kentucky are two other programs to know. There is heavy demand for him inside the SEC conference.
The spring has been strong for Starling, who has been impressing programs in the camp setting and during school visits. It appears the odds are very strong that his recruiting rankings should trend upward, especially if he has a big senior season.
Aden Starling’s recruiting background
Despite high interest from some impressive programs, Starling is considered to be just a three-star player on each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, he currently sits ranked as the No. 814 overall player, the No. 101 wide receiver, and the No. 106 player from the state of Texas for the 2027 recruiting class. Rivals is highest on Starling, rating him as the No. 71 wide receiver in the class.
Several top programs have continued to pursue Starling, even after he committed to Georgia back in early December. Some of his top offers include the Bulldogs, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina, Arizona State, Baylor, Maryland, Houston, Wisconsin, Wake Forest, and Purdue, among several others.
As a junior in 2025, Starling put together a good overall season for Shadow Creek. In 11 games, the 6-0, 175-pound pass catcher managed to haul in 31 receptions for 405 yards and seven touchdowns, an average of 13.1 yards per reception. While Starling’s production wasn’t overly impressive, he has had a strong offseason, and a ton of teams have been taking notice.