Georgia Football Loses 4-Star Recruiting Battle to SEC Rival

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have fought hard to make a strong impression on class of 2027 EDGE JaBarrius Garror. Formerly committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the pass rusher backed out on March 14.

Georgia has been firmly in the mix since he reopened his recruitment. The Mobile, Alabama, native has made two visits to Athens. The most recent was on May 15 for an official visit, the first he'd taken throughout the recruiting process.

The Bulldogs made a strong case and were named one of the four finalists that Garror was choosing from. The others were the Texas Longhorns, Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles.

Unfortunately for Smart and his staff, they didn't come out on top in this battle. On Friday, Garror announced his commitment, choosing the Longhorns according to Rivals' national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett.

It's a major loss for the Bulldogs. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Garror is a four-star recruit, the No. 12 EDGE, the No. 3 player in Alabama and the No. 107 player in the nation, per Rivals Industry Rankings.

The pass rusher is coming off a productive junior season at Vigor High School. In 15 games, he accumulated 106 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, 18 hurries, two pass deflections and one fumble recovery.

Now locked in with Texas, though, Georgia must turn its attention toward other options. The Bulldogs have offers out to five-star EDGE Abraham Sesay, four-star EDGE Chris Whitehead and four-star EDGE James Pace.

Smart and his staff are still well-positioned in the 2027 cycle as well. They've already landed 13 commitments, ranking seventh in the SEC and 17th in the nation, per Rivals.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit Makes Career Announcement After Losing Iconic College Football Role

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 11:46 AM.