This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 4-star WR Travis Smith Jr.. He ranks as the nation’s No. 19 WR and the No. 146 overall prospect for 2024 on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the No. 11 WR and at No. 99 overall.
Travis Smith Jr. sounds like he’s gained a little more confidence in what the picture will look like for his eventual recruiting decision.
He couldn’t say that as little as three weeks ago.
That’s when the Georgia football receivers coach who had made him feel like an absolute priority in the 2025 class decided to take the same position in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
There was abundant speculation of names like Hines Ward and his current trainer Terrence Edwards to several others potentially being considered for the position.
Fast forward three weeks and Smith feels on much better ground with the opportunity to play football again at the University of Georgia.
That’s a big reason why Kirby Smart hired James Coley in the first place. That dude has always been able to recruit. Coley contacted him on the day word broke that he would take over for McClendon in Athens.
The relationship between those two has moved as quickly as Smith shreds layers of coverage and gets in and out of his breaks.
When they reach each other in the evenings, they often talk about what they are having for dinner.
“He’s a great guy,” Smith said. “Loves food. We always talk bout our favorite dishes while we are eating.”
Smith is set to take the first of a big three-trip-circuit of visits to check on the ‘Dawgs. That’s tomorrow for the first day of spring practice, then a return trip for G-Day and then he has already scheduled his official visit for May 31-June 2.
Alabama and Tennessee are the other schools on his mind. Those two programs are also expected to receive official visits from Smith.
The visit tomorrow will be big for a lot of reasons. It will mark the first time he’s met Coley face-to-face.
“Huge deal,” Smith said. “I’m excited actually. We’ve been talking on the phone. Just FaceTime and things like that. Just building that relationship. But meeting him face to face. That’s going to be a great one. Yes sir.”
The same goes for his parents, too.
What else does he want to see from his UGA spring practice opening day visit?
“Just competitiveness,” he said. “I want to see guys compete. I want to see the nature and just the whole vibe of the place while they are practicing. Just seeing if that completes me and fits me as I go there. At practice, I’m going to be doing that every single day out of the year. So seeing the competitive nature of guys. I want to see that.”
Smith recently checked out the new Alabama staff under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. He said he “took a piece” of the competition level among the Alabama receivers at that practice. He plans to compare that energy level and vibe to what he will see on Tuesday in Athens.
“The competitive aura of the whole place was intense,” Smith said. ‘When I go out to Georgia, I want to see or feel even more or the same way I did with ‘Bama.”
The 4-star WR at Westlake High in Atlanta seems to have repaired the connection he had with McClendon quickly so far with Coley. He feels like the ‘Dawgs found another position coach to replace what they have with the highly-respected “BMac” and said as much.
“Yes, sir,” he said. “They have.”
DawgNation caught up with Smith at the Pylon 7-on-7 Camp in Northwest Georgia on Sunday and he had a few other noteworthy statements about where things currently stand with him and the ‘Dawgs.
- On Coley: “He’s a smart guy, too. Does great with the offenses. In the past, he was the OC [offensive coordinator]. Just learning his history as well. It is amazing. So him as a person and also him as a coach, I believe it is a great fit.”
- On how quickly Georgia worked to restore that connection in less than a month: “It is crazy. Like I wouldn’t have expected it. I don’t think anyone did. But now that I am in this recruiting process a little more and further down, I get things like this happen all the time.”
- On if Georgia accelerated the intensity of its recruiting pitch upon McClendon’s departure to play catch-up?: “Not really. Actually. They’ve always been recruiting me hard. “BMac” actually recruited me heavily. Like real heavy. But Coley is doing the same thing by developing a relationship. But it hasn’t been much of a change. Because outside of me, they have other guys they are looking at, too. It is just the same.”
- Can this spring practice visit get Georgia back to where they stood in his recruitment before McClendon left for the NFL?: “They actually are already there. But this visit and many other visits I may take will be the determining factors of my decision. Just like I keep saying, being comfortable with the guys and seeing where I can get put to work every day that’s something I can’t wait to decide on.”
The series of events in the movement from McClendon to Coley gives him confidence that the University of Georgia’s football program is built around Kirby Smart at the top. He knows when vacancies like that come up, Smart will fill any opening with a quality coach.
He made his point about that and also found a way to show his appreciation for Smart hiring his new running backs coach Josh Crawford away from coaching receivers at Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets were one of Smith’s recently named Top 8 schools.
“You’ve seen what they’ve brought in for the running back room,” he said. “Coach Crawford, like I said, he was probably the biggest piece and reason why I even put Georgia Tech in that top eight. I had such a great relationship with Coach Crawford. So coach Crawford, I’m glad he’s in the building as well. With him being a pass receiver guy, I can always go to multiple guys for things I may need.”
Did that mean Crawford is also actively recruiting him to the ‘Dawgs?
“You already know,” Smith said, with a big smile. “The same way. Just in a different uniform. It is the best fit for him. I’m excited to see what he does with [new UGA transfer RB] Trevor [Etienne). I’m really excited. That’s going to be a scary backfield.”
SENTELL'S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
