Demetris Robertson is set to visit UGA this weekend. It only feels like the recruiting world has been waiting nine months for the nation’s No. 1 receiver prospect for the Class of 2016 to choose a school.
It will be the most anticipated UGA visit since that Jacob Eason fellow had the state in a panic back in December. So what should folks expect on when Robertson is expecting to decide?
Robertson is the lone remaining unsigned five-star prospect for 2016. He hails from Savannah, but he’s got UGA, Alabama, Cal, Notre Dame and Stanford among his options.
Despite all the hype, Robertson was able to play a basketball game in Metro Atlanta area last Saturday. A local fan in the stands just knew he was a good athlete that piled up about 20 points worth of buckets in his final prep game. The fan asked Robertson what grade he was in and heard he might play football. Was it at quarterback?
Then he asked Robertson, “Where are you going to school?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Robertson said with a slight laugh. “That’s what everybody is trying to find out.”
Robertson is a very grounded person, but moments like this make sure he understands the big picture. What should everyone expect with his upcoming UGA visit? He just shaved more than half of the points from the SAT score he needs to take an official visit to Stanford. He’s now only about 40 or 50 points away from that goal.
“I’m going to keep going and taking it until I get it,” Robertson said.
He has two official visits left. UGA is planned this week and he hopes to also visit Alabama and Stanford prior to his decision. Look for that in mid-March, but he made it clear he was under no personal deadline. He still sounds a few weeks away from a decision.
The 5-star prospect also said he’s not likely to sign a letter-of-intent.
“Right now we’re probably about thinking about the financial aid papers,” Robertson said.
That binds a UGA, Alabama, a Georgia Tech or a Notre Dame to hold a scholarship, but allows him the freedom to take the SAT until he qualifies for an official visit to Stanford.
He just signed up for an SAT tutoring course now as he approaches that exam in the future. Another test is set for March 5. The results should follow back two weeks after that.
“I really think about patience for me right now,” Robertson said. “I’m not trying to rush things. I’m not trying to go somewhere I don’t want to go. I want to sit down and see everything a long way out because my academics are the most important thing to me. A lot of people might not believe it but that’s what I’m basing my decision off of. I know wherever I go I am going to ball out.”
He just wants to see Stanford. He’ll use an official or an unofficial visit to do so.
“That right there is in the works,” his older brother and guardian Carlos Robertson said. “He wants to get out there and see what they have so he can make an informed decision. He doesn’t want to be like he never got to go to Stanford to see those guys before he made that decision. … That’s just being smart about it.”
He had a recent conversation with Kirby Smart at UGA. Robertson said he was also going to take a visit to UGA no matter what before he makes a decision.
“I talked to Kirby (Smart) and really he just wants to get me up there,” Robertson said. “He really hasn’t called or talked to me a lot. I haven’t talked to him that much, but I’ve been talking to him a lot more the past few days. He just told me he really wants to get me down there. He wants me to do the visit because he was kind of worried about me not doing the visit. I told him it was all good and we are going to do that visit and things like that.”
Robertson still hears from UGA early enrollees Jacob Eason and Isaac Nauta.
“They tell me how great Georgia is,” he said. “They want me to get up there and see it on my own. I’ve been with those guys. I’ve battled with them. It is an honor to be around and play with them and for them to reach out to me and show the consideration that they want to see me at Georgia.”
Robertson made it clear he has a relationship with UGA’s signing class that is unlike any other class at any program. He bonded with Eason and Nauta, plus other signees like Ben Cleveland, Mecole Hardman, Jr, Jaleel Laguins and Julian Rochester at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
“I know all those guys really well,” Robertson said.
The relationship he has with UGA assistant coach Glenn Schumann is another link.
“I really know how he is,” Robertson said. “I really know the kind of guy he is. He’ll put in early work with you and stay late as well. He’ll take care of you. He is like a family member to me.”
The Savannah Christian standout stated it would’ve been “50-50” whether or not he would have committed to Alabama before his junior season if Schumann had not been on that staff. Carlos Robertson even felt Schumann was the main reason his brother committed to Alabama.
“Alabama is still pretty high up there,” Demetris Robertson said. “You can’t go wrong with Alabama. I talk to Coach (Billy) Napier a lot, but I haven’t got on the phone much with Coach (Nick) Saban lately. I’ve spoken to (offensive coordinator) Lane Kiffin lately, too.”
Robertson is not sure everyone sees things from his point of view.
“Everybody might think I’m lying about academics first and things like that but it is true,” Robertson said. “I really want my academics first because football isn’t going to last long. I think everybody is just seeing what they want to see. Fans want me to put football first but that’s not the reality of football. Football can bring me a lot of fame and attention and set me up but I also want to set myself up with my academics and a degree. If football doesn’t work out for me, then I am still all good.”
Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.
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.