Georgia Bulldogs miss out on a four-star player who plays one of the biggest needs Kirby Smart currently has
The Bulldogs are missing a few key positions in their 2027 recruiting class, and an interior offensive lineman is one. Now they’ve missed out on another in Nate Carson.
The Georgia Bulldogs missed on four-star interior offensive lineman Nate Carson, who committed to South Carolina on Friday. The 6’6, 290-pound lineman chose the Gamecocks over Georgia, Colorado, and Clemson, keeping his talents in the Palmetto State.
“Best in the SEC, stay in the SEC,” Carson said.
Carson holds a 90.80 composite rating, making him a top-180 player in the country, the No. 24 interior offensive lineman nationally, and the No. 6 player in the state of South Carolina. His commitment adds another building block to a South Carolina class that continues to gain momentum.
Carson’s visit history told the story
When you look at the visit breakdown, Georgia never really stood a chance. Carson took eight visits to South Carolina and six to Clemson. By comparison, he visited Alabama three times, Georgia three times, Ohio State once, and Georgia Tech once. The top two schools in his home state had twice as many visits as every other program on his list.
It feels like Carson always wanted to stay in-state, and that’s completely fine. Sometimes a recruit’s heart is set on home, and no amount of recruiting pressure from Athens changes that. Kirby Smart and his staff pursued Carson for some time, but the visit log made that clear long before signing day.
Where does this leave Georgia’s 2027 class?
The Bulldogs currently hold the No. 16-ranked class in the country for 2027 and the No. 8-ranked class in the SEC. For most programs, those numbers would be cause for celebration. For Georgia, the expectation is always higher.
The class includes several offensive tackles, but the interior offensive line remains a clear need. Georgia has just one committed interior offensive lineman in three-star prospect Abram Eisenhower. Adding Carson would have filled that gap nicely, but his decision doesn’t derail the class by any means.
Smart will have to get back to the drawing board and find that one more interior offensive lineman the Bulldogs have been searching for. Losing Carson means the staff has to pivot, not panic, and there’s still time to address the position before the 2027 cycle closes out.