DeAngelo Gibbs is not an over-the-top recruit. The 5-star recruit holds a lot of his true recruiting thoughts in.
Yet the nation’s No. 1 cornerback for 2017 told DawgNation the following when Kirby Smart was hired at UGA: “You know it will change a lot in my recruiting?” Gibbs said.
What does that mean? Gibbs was extended an offer to attend Kirby Smart’s first recruiting event this weekend with other luminaries like Willie Allen, Chris Barnes, Chad Clay, Ben Cleveland, Jacob Eason, Mecole Hardman, Jr., Elijah Holyfield, Julian Rochester, Tyler Simmons and Jamyest Williams this weekend.
Smart can now count Gibbs among that star-studded group today.
“I believe Kirby Smart can give Georgia everything it’s been missing and a whole lot more,” Gibbs said. “He’s a big-time powerful coach. Everybody knows that about Kirby.”
Both of his uncles played double-digits seasons in the NFL. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder could also be a No. 1 receiver in the SEC.
Gibbs has the highest expectations for UGA under Smart. He expects 10-win seasons to be the norm given his reputation. He feels that has to do with the attention to detail and the Alabama process he learned from Nick Saban.
It that means he will take an even closer look at UGA now. He told DawgNation, like other recruits, that he feels the culture of an underachieving program has been wiped away by the hire.
“Kirby Smart to Georgia is really kind of mind-blowing,” Gibbs said. “I want to see how he changes that program. Everybody knows he is a great coach and a great defensive coordinator. But can he be a great head coach? Can he control the whole team? Can he change the whole university to rally around him like they never have before? Can he find different aspects to the team that even Mark Richt wasn’t bringing?
Smart’s migration also means a great deal to his teammate and one of his best friends. Peachtree Ridge junior linebacker Breon Dixon didn’t have an offer from the previous defensive staff at UGA, But he had one from Alabama. Dixon, a fast and instinctive player, stood six feet tall and weighs about 210 pounds.
UGA wanted to see their inside linebacker recruits a little bigger than that.
“Breon had an offer from Alabama and Kirby Smart loved Breon,” Gibbs said. “So I can go ahead and predict Breon is going to have an offer from UGA real soon.”
Dixon will also be at Smart’s recruiting event on Saturday.
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.