Kirby Smart doesn’t just want the country’s top players to come play for him. He’s also counting on the sons of the players he once lined up with as a former Bulldog. His latest commit, 3-star offensive lineman Ty Johnson, is just that for Georgia’s 2027 class.

Johnson, who quickly rose from having no offers to more than 20 scholarship offers, is the son of Travis Johnson, who played for Georgia in the late 90s. He was also an offensive lineman and lined up as center. Johnson and Smart were not just teammates; they were also roommates at Athens, which makes this commitment a special one for the head coach. Ty’s mother is a UGA alum as well. With Ty Johnson pledging to Georgia, it all comes full circle for the Johnsons.

“To commit to Georgia, it is surreal,” he told Rivals. “There was never any pressure for me to commit there, but to make that call and commit was a surreal feeling… Now, I am committing to the school I grew up dreaming of playing for.”

However, Smart did not rely on legacy to steer things their way in Ty Johnson’s recruitment. They kept constant contact with the Lucy Beckham High School product. The OL was particularly impressed with how Georgia conducts itself behind the scenes.

“One thing that has always stuck out about Georgia is the intensity that they practice at, and it is obvious when you see them play games and why they win,” Ty Johnson said in an interview with DawgsHQ before his commitment. “They are also always watching and very consistent in their recruiting process, which is really stuck out to me, and it’s something that I really love.

“I can take the dream school and relationships out of the equation, and I would still pick Georgia,” he told Rivals. “Look at the coaches, look at all the draft picks they have put out, and look at the culture. They win the SEC, they won back-to-back national championships and their intensity never changes. Georgia works, and I love that.”

According to On3’s crystal ball, Georgia was actually trailing in the recruitment race for Ty Johnson with 17.1% chance. It was South Carolina who led the race with 52.0% chance. The Bulldogs made things official pretty late, extending an offer to the OL in January on Junior Day. However, Smart and Co. were able to bring the Johnson legacy back to Athens, with Ty quietly declaring his decision to the staff much before he announced it to the media.

Locking legacy recruits has not been tough for Georgia, mainly because they still preserve the top spot when it comes to ruling in the SEC. For their 2026 recruiting class, Smart signed five-star offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, brother of Georgia defensive lineman Nnamdi Ogboko. But to create a solid impact on Ty Johnson, Georgia sought the help of another former Bulldog, apart from his own father being one. 

Georgia star Monroe Freeling also pulled the strings in Ty Johnson’s commitment

The young offensive tackle lives 10 miles away from Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling’s childhood home, who is also set to be a future first-rounder in the 2026 NFL draft. According to Rivals, Ty Johnson sees inspiration in Freeling, who helped clear the picture even more for the incoming OL.

“He showed me a lot about Georgia,” Johnson said. “He got there, and the staff developed him into a first- or second-round draft pick. I talked with him a lot over the summer about his recruitment, why he chose Georgia and how the staff helped him get to where he is now. Georgia develops players better than anywhere else.”

But he, too, needs to have the goods for Kirby Smart to develop him in Athens. According to 247Sports, Johnson is rated the nation’s No. 42 offensive tackle prospect and the No. 471 overall prospect. Besides the rankings, praise dropped in from his Lucy Beckham High School head coach, Jamal Smith.

“He’s a competitor,” Smith said. “He’s very physical… After the whistle, he’s driving on contact.”

It’s still a long way for Ty Johnson to find himself in a position like Freeling’s, but he’s at least set the wheels in motion by committing to Georgia. We will have to wait and watch how Smart develops this budding lineman, who wants to model himself after Georgia’s best.