4-Star Safety Picks SEC Rival Over Alabama

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Harris | Last updated May 12, 2025 11:34 AM ET

College football in the SEC is one of the most competitive parts of collegiate sports, and especially in the transfer portal when seemingly every SEC team is in the running for all of the top recruits.

Such is the case for four-star safety Jordan Smith, who is being targeted by SEC powerhouses including the Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are also in the running.

Hawes Fawcett of On3 Sports has announced that Smith has decided to stay in his home state of Georgia, as he announced his commitment to the Bulldogs, where he said "I'm home. Go Dawgs."

Alabama misses out on a top prospect, who now heads to their rival in Georgia. Smith is the No. 6 ranked safety and No. 75 overall recruit in the 2026 class, and is looking to make a name for himself in his home state.

He is the Bulldogs top ranked recruit outside of their coveted five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, who is the No. 6 overall recruit and best quarterback in the class.

Georgia has been one of the best developers of defensive players in recent years, as a majority of their starting 11 on the defensive side find themselves getting selected in the NFL Draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles have taken the "draft a Georgia player and it will work" route as they have taken Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo, and Nolan Smith in recent years, who have all made significant impacts on their defense.

They have also acquired Azeez Ojulari and Lewis Cine in free agency, who were not drafted by the Eagles but are now on the roster.

Watching what Smith can bring to this defense will be something to keep an eye on come 2026, but for now, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs look to make a splash in this upcoming season with their No. 2 overall recruiting class.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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