Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has just one objective in mind for his 2027 class. Avoiding a Jared Curtis-like situation. But Curtis wasn’t the only one who flipped; a number of other commits, like Brady Marchese and Kealan Jones, also did the same. The Georgia head coach is making sure it doesn’t repeat next year, as is evident in his aggressive push to land a talented 4-star DB.

Smart took a personal visit to 4-star safety Jayden Aparicio-Bailey’s home to meet the player and his parents. Bailey posted a picture with his parents, where Kirby Smart is holding a baby, seemingly Bailey’s sibling, in his arms. The visit is undoubtedly a testament to the lengths Smart is willing to go this year to beat his rivals in recruiting.

Several programs are already eyeing Jayden, a 4-star and 29th-ranked safety in the 2027 class. He holds more than two dozen offers from Power 4 programs, including Ole Miss, Florida, Alabama, and Clemson. Notably, the Gators are pushing hard for Bailey, which explains why Kirby Smart is moving quickly to seal his commitment.

Jayden had an in-home visit by Florida’s safeties coach Chris Collins last week, which seemingly went well. The 6’2″ and 180 lb safety, in turn, took a visit to Gainesville for Florida’s Elite Junior Day. Finally, in Florida, Jayden’s visit went beyond expectations as he outlined the job done by the Gators’ coaches in recruiting him.

“Man, it was more than what we expected,” Aparicio-Bailey said. “Coach Sumrall is a great guy and just left my school right now. They definitely made it clear I’m a top priority for them. It’s a different environment, and everybody trusts Coach Sumrall. By talking and hanging out with the players, they like coach Sumrall. Just being down there, I fell in love with the new staff and culture.” But the Prattville, Alabama, native didn’t stop at that.

Jayden detailed his commitment timeline and promised to release his top 10 to top 12 schools in February. Not just that, he also emphasized how Florida has emerged as his “top of the list” destination due to Sumrall and Co.’s relationship with him. With these dynamics playing out and Florida pushing hard, Kirby Smart might have to do more than just personal visits. And by the looks of it, he is now willing to do just that. It won’t be easy, though, since Florida isn’t the only one aggressively pursuing Jayden.

Kirby Smart is facing pressure from all directions for Jayden Aparicio-Bailey

The Alabama native is consistently praised as an “elite” prospect due to his frame, ball skills, and intangibles. Since Jayden is originally from California, programs like USC have leveraged their West Coast ties to land him. Meanwhile, SEC teams are intensifying their recruitment efforts through frequent visits. Florida, despite already having intense recruitment, has another personal visit scheduled for Jayden on the upcoming Thursday. But Dabo Swinney’s Clemson isn’t lagging too much in making their intentions clear for Jayden.

According to reports, the prized 2027 prospect is set to visit Dabo Swinney’s camp on March 7. That happened after Dabo Swinney personally visited the defensive back, along with CBs coach Mike Reed, on Tuesday. Jayden, in turn, has also spoken highly of the job Dabo Swinney has done in recruiting him.

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“They stack up pretty well. They are definitely strong in my recruitment,” the Alabama native said about Clemson. “I am definitely looking forward to continuing the process with them.” Apart from Dabo Swinney, Jayden was also visited by Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and safeties coach Wes Neighbors. He also posted a picture with the coaches on X and thanked Pete Golding for “stopping by.”

All signs now point to Jayden’s commitment—filled with intense battles from teams all around the country. As for Kirby Smart, he must plan for the inevitable and consider secondary options if Jayden’s commitment doesn’t materialize.