Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs firmly in mix to land elite defensive star after gaining recruiting momentum amid recent visits

Jireh Edwards had just announced his top five schools this past week with Georgia firmly in the mix, but it's good to finally get the visit schedule solidified given that these high profile recruitments can flip on a dime.

Edwards has long been considered a top notch recruit in the 2026 class as he rose into the Top 100 overall players in the nation (via the 247Sports Composite) prior to his junior season. Then he put together an absolutely wildly impressive season on one of the best high school defenses in the country for St. Frances Academy and rose into the Top 50.

Edwards racked up nearly 100 tackles, and created ridiculous havoc posting almost 20 tackles for loss, near double-digit passes defended, and a handful of forced fumbles. It's no wonder he's tallied about 30 scholarship offers from all the top college football programs in the nation.

There's still plenty of work to do in order for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs to lock in Jireh's commitment, but after Malaki Starks likely gets selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft that will certainly help their case. Plus, as evidenced by this upcoming and recent seasons, Kirby Smart has no problem leaning into his young, up and coming defensive stars with pedigree (despite limited experience).

This season will be KJ Bolden's breakout "household name" year. After that, Bolden can take Edwards under his wing in 2026 to get him ready to take the All-American safety mantle prior to Bolden's likely departure for the NFL shortly thereafter.

Let's hope the momentum continues to roll for Georgia and Kirby Smart on the recruiting trail this spring as the team builds their 2026 and 2027 classes in the coming months. If Edwards commits, that certainly wouldn't slow things down.

We'll be back with more Georgia Bulldogs coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to see the special skills Jireh Edwards could bring to the Georgia Bulldogs just check out the highlights from his junior season in the video below!