Ryan Day’s pursuit of a prime 2027 target has hit a major snag, and the threat isn’t coming from a rival coaching staff but from another recruit. After his recent visit to Athens, offensive lineman Jimmy Kalis looks to be edging closer to committing to the Bulldogs. And the force of Kemon Spell has become the biggest factor the Buckeyes have to deal with in this.

“He will be at UGA with me next year, bringing that pa ball up Athens. @Jimmy_Kalis,” Spell wrote in a post on X, quoting another post by Jimmy Kalis, who announced his visit to Athens to his followers.

“Had an AMAZING visit @GeorgiaFootball #GoDawgs,” Kalis wrote, tagging Coach Kirby Smart, Coach Chad Simmons, and a few other coaches and college football reporters.

When it comes to recruitment, it takes more than a program’s competitiveness and performance to influence recruits’ decisions. Players could also choose to make commitments based on the strength of their relationships within a program. This time, a fellow recruit and Pennsylvania native, five-star running back Kemon Spell, is the one keen on ensuring Kalis joins him in Athens. 

Per 247Sports Composite rankings, Kalis was ranked as the No. 24 offensive tackle and the No. 247 overall player from the 2027 class.

The four-star offensive tackle had earlier listed six programs as his favorite destinations. The LSU Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs are his top picks from the numerous options he had to choose from.

Kalis has already visited the Buckeyes multiple times, including an unofficial visit in late 2025. The brother of former Michigan standout Kyle Kalis, who famously flipped from Ohio State to the Wolverines in 2011, is being prioritized by offensive line coach Justin Frye for the 2027 class. However, at the moment, the Bulldogs are in the driving seat. 

“My time in Georgia was amazing,” Kalis said. “Georgia keeps attracting me back because Georgia is different, and being recruited by Georgia is a surreal feeling. Coach Smart is an elite coach, and I can see myself playing for him. Georgia is very high on my board now,” Kalis said. The love there feels real and genuine. Their standard is very high, and they compete every day to make their o-line better.”

With each passing visit, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound talent who plays high school football for Central Catholic in Pittsburgh seems to find the Bulldogs more admirable. According to DawgNation, he spent some time with Kirby Smart and the program’s offensive line staff and will return for an official visit from May 15 to 17.

Kemon Spell’s recruiting pull

Kemon Spell only committed to the Georgia Bulldogs last month, yet he is set to focus on recruiting, as if his work as a running back is merely a side hustle. The No. 7 overall recruit began his recruiting with his fellow Pennsylvania natives: Jimmy Kalis and Khalil Taylor, who is a top wide receiver. Safeties Jayden Aparicio-Bailey from Alabama, Semaj Stanford and Kalib Dillard from Oklahoma, and tight end Brock Williams are other targets he is trying to lure to Athens.

Spell decommitted from Penn State in October after they fired Coach James Franklin. He has found a new home in Georgia, and he is set to take as many as possible with him, beginning with Jimmy Kalis.

“I sat down and actually saw what Georgia is. It felt like home,” Spell said. “I was being loved on every time I went there. I told Georgia specifically I didn’t want any money conversations until I felt like I was home. And we just had that conversation before I left after that weekend when I committed. I was like, ‘Dad, it’s time. I feel like it is time. It is time to go to Georgia. I feel like it is the right place for me.’

It’s a great situation for the running back room, so we get off the plane, and a couple of days after, we get on the phone with coach Kirby [Smart], and we make it official.”

And now, Spell is using his WPIAL networks to bring in all the best recruits to Athens with him next year.