In-state recruiting has always been more than a box to check for Kirby Smart. It is a competitive edge Georgia refuses to surrender. Every January, his approach is to control the state first, then expand outward. This week’s recruiting trail reinforced that priority and that intent came into sharper focus with UGA’s upcoming Junior Day. 

“Georgia will host a wave of recruits this weekend for a “Junior Day” event,” DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell wrote on X on January 16. “5-star safety Chance Gilbert is expected to make the trip. How does Gilbert feel about the Dawgs? Who else is in town? There’s another 5-star in-state safety that tops the list.”

It underscores just how heavily Georgia is leaning into its backyard for elite defensive talent. Junior Day will feature 16 total prospects, nine of them from Georgia, a ratio that reflects Kirby Smart’s long-standing philosophy.

Chance Gilbert stands as the centerpiece of the weekend. The East Coweta standout is the nation’s No. 2 safety in the 2027 cycle and the No. 2 overall player in the state. At 6’1 and 175 pounds, he brings verified speed and multi-positional value, having played both receiver and safety last season. His track background separates him even among elite recruits. He ran a 10.57 in the 100 meters as a freshman and believes he is now capable of running in the low 10.2 range after recovering from surgery that limited him during his sophomore year.

As a junior, Chase Gilbert recorded 58 tackles and three interceptions, while also contributing heavily on offense with 16 receptions for 393 yards and five TDs. That averages out to 24.5 yards per catch, a number that illustrates his ability to flip the field quickly. He even added a 68-yard rushing TD, reinforcing the versatility Kirby Smart covets in his defensive backs.

Georgia is not alone in his recruitment. Clemson and Georgia Tech have both made strong impressions, and Alabama remains firmly in the mix. Still, the Bulldogs continue to sit squarely among his top choices. 

“They are definitely a top three team,” he said in October. “I mean, it’s home. It is Georgia. You can’t go wrong with stating home. If you start there, you have a high opportunity of going pro and you’re going to the league if you start at Georgia. That stands out to me.”

Chance Gilbert may headline Junior Day, but he is not the only elite safety on campus. 5-star Casey Barner from McEachern, a 2028 prospect, is also expected in Athens. He emerged early as one of Georgia’s most explosive defenders regardless of class. Projecting forward, the idea of the safety duo anchoring the secondary is a vision Georgia is actively selling.

That same vision guided Kirby Smart’s other in-state stops. On Thursday, he landed his helicopter at Howard High School in Macon to check on 4-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole, a 2027 prospect. The No. 6 safety confirmed he will be in Athens later this month. After Macon, he checked on Houston County, home of 4-star safety Jordan Smith from the 2026 class and 2027 OT Braylin Mills, a 6’7, 340-pound prospect already drawing national attention. 

Kirby Smart also stopped at Locust Grove to see 2027 OT Timi Aliu, ranked No. 17 nationally at his position. Georgia continues to recruit in-state linemen aggressively, and Aliu fits the long-term profile. All of it leads to something bigger than individual commitments.

The chemistry behind Kirby Smart’s Georgia roster

Jeff Sentell also recently identified a trend that explains why Georgia’s recruiting feels so cohesive. Nearly a third of the roster shared a high school locker room with at least one current teammate. The 2026 roster alone will feature 31 players with a prior high school connection in Athens, roughly 30 percent of the group as the SEC moves toward a 105-man limit.

There are now two sets of brothers on the roster, including Lawson and Carter Luckie, and Nnamdi and Ekene Ogboko. Beyond that, programs like IMG Academy, Buford, Warner Robins, Camden County, and North Oconee have multiple alumni on Georgia’s roster. Khalil Barnes anchors the North Oconee group while Ellis Robinson IV headlines the IMG contingent. What it suggests is simple and powerful. Georgia is recruiting talent, familiarity, trust, and shared history. Those connections reduce friction inside a locker room and accelerate cohesion on the field. When pressure hits, that matters. 

And as Kirby Smart continues to lock down Georgia’s borders, it is becoming clear that the Bulldogs are reinforcing relationships that already know how to win together.

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