Georgia Bulldogs closing in on landing impressive NFL legacy five star recruit who could stack their defensive class in 2027

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 8:26 PM ET

Georgia's dominance on the recruiting trail this summer has been second to none as they currently rest with the top overall 2026 class in the country. Kirby Smart and his staff racked up more than 20 recruiting wins in June and July alone.

Now coach Smart and his staff are shifting their sights to the future as they begin stacking up 2027 recruiting interest from some of the best players in the country. As of this week they're already trending towards one of their top targets in Cooper Witten, son of the great NFL tight end Jason Witten. Can they actually pull off this recruiting battle despite his father being a Tennessee Vols alum?

Cooper Witten currently has Georgia Bulldogs among his top options

Cooper Witten has been rising quickly up recruiting boards this offseason as more scouts around the country get eyes on this son of NFL legacy Jason Witten. Cooper won't be playing tight end like his father, but he can play just about any position beyond the defensive line on the other side of the ball.

Witten currently projects as a linebacker according to most programs who have been pursuing him, but he's shown the ability to play defensive back as well. Rivals has him rated as the number one linebacker in the country, and he's a consensus top 15 player in the nation. Where will he land at the next level?

Witten revealed his top choices this week as he's begun planning his visits schedule for the fall. He's currently looking at Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M as his potential finalists. He's set to visit most of them this fall on various game days.

2027 4-star LB Cooper Witten breaks down top contenders with @samspiegs‼️

Read: https://t.co/0cnh7pCwpl pic.twitter.com/if0ZCNOOpS
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 29, 2025

All of Witten's top six schools have some recent proof of player development, sending star linebackers on to the NFL. All of them are high pedigree programs with the ability to pay him well. If Georgia is going to win this battle it's likely going to come down to the relationships, coaching, and a shot to play for an incredible defense (based on his public quotes so far).

Witten will be heading to the Tennessee vs. Georgia game (at Neyland Stadium) this fall. That could prove to have a huge impact on his recruitment. If Georgia can take care of business there and continue to build the relationships he already has with the staff that might just get the job done. Witten has mentioned both Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann as having a huge impact on him in his recruitment with their "passion and energy".

Georgia looks pretty set at linebacker for now given their stacked room with CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, Justin Williams, and freshman duo of Zayden Walker and AJ Kruah. However, by the time 2027 roles around there's a good chance that four of those players are already off to the pros. Let's hope coach Smart can continue to sell the opportunity, development, and his passion to seal the deal.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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