Nolan Smith became the first signee for Georgia football in 2019. That just seems right.
Smith, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect for 2019 per the 247Sports Composite ratings, was the first signee announced by Georgia football during the early signing period.
That just seemed to befit the senior member of the class.
He’s the first Bulldog signee to be ranked as the nation’s No. 1 player in his class since 5-star DT Trenton Thompson in the class of 2015.
Smith committed to the Bulldogs in January of 2017. That decision came days before he would move to IMG Academy. There has been no Bulldog committed longer to the class than Smith. That’s despite his status as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect for this cycle on the 247Sports composite.
It wasn’t without a few chapters of drama, though.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound OLB prospect went through a few bumps in his recruitment with the Bulldogs, but he never publicly de-committed from Georgia. (Well, except for that April Fool’s Day joke.)
- There was the strong possibility for a time that he would de-commit and join his IMG teammate Xavier Thomas at Clemson.
- There was a constant appreciation for other programs like Alabama and Penn State on Twitter.
- While that might have been his social media image, Smith was constantly working on getting other members of this class to join him in Athens.
- In the end, he was a Georgia boy through and through. Smith, who carries a level of speed and athleticism that befits a 5-star receiver, will enroll early in January and go through spring drills with the Bulldogs.
Look for him to wear Lorenzo Carter’s No. 7. That was something Smith asked Carter if he could wear during his time as a recruit.
What is my favorite DawgNation story about Smith? There are many, but I’d have to say it was the first one. That was when he shared with me that he spent Christmas in 2016 helping to distribute plates of food the homeless in his native Savannah.
It shows a side of him behind all the prospect drama that most do not get to see.
7 links to quickly get you up to speed on Nolan Smith
- Georgia fans better go ahead and remember the name Nolan Smith
- Savannah native Nolan Smith commits to UGA as a cornerstone for the class
- Why Nolan Smith’s pledge to UGA is as strong as it has ever been
- Nolan Smith expects to test very well at the Nike Opening regional
- 5-star UGA commit Nolan Smith is the new No. 1 player in the country for 2019
- “Wolfpack” pairing of Nolan Smith and Jermaine Johnson seems lethal
- “Sack Whisperer” has a vision for 5-star Nolan Smith
