Georgia lands four-star offensive lineman Cortez Smith
The Georgia Bulldogs continued the build in the trenches with another key piece, four-star Parkview offensive lineman Cortez Smith, announcing his pledge to Stacy Searels and company on Saturday.
Smith, a 6-foot-3, 315 pound interior prospect, becomes Georgia’s third offensive line commit of the Class of 2025, joining fellow four-star projected interior players Mason Short and Dontrell Glover. Ranked as the nation’s No. 157 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, Smith is the nation’s No. 11 interior offensive lineman and No. 19 overall prospect per the same metric.
He chose the Bulldogs over the likes of Georgia Tech, Miami, and South Carolina, among other offers.
“To me, that’s O-Line University. There are a lot of big shoes to fill, but I definitely like setting the bar at whatever school I’m at,” he said of the Bulldogs in early May.
He spent his official visit in Athens on June 21, a trip which helped seal the deal for the Bulldogs.
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“It’s the perfect college environment that has a super support system,” Smith told DawgsHQ’s Jeremy Johnson following that trip.
A major part of that support? That would be the man he’ll be under in Athens.
“Coach [Stacy] Searels has always been a stand up coach, as well as a person since day one,” Smith said.
It was a familiar refrain when speaking of the Georgia offensive line coach earlier in the year.
“It’s great talking to coach Searels every time,” Smith said. “He has the same energy about effort and toughness. That’s what you have to be.”
In the end, however, it’s about the vibe in Athens, and it’s one that permeates throughout the culture of the program.
“The fact that they want to make you better is big,” Smith said. “They actually care about you like a family member…I feel like everybody has the same mindset. Everybody just buys in. We’re going to do great things. Everybody cares about each other.”
Cortez Smith is the twenty-first commitment of the Class of 2025 for the Georgia Bulldogs.
