Former 5-Star DL Jordan Hall Explains Why He Chose Georgia Over Florida
In many ways, Georgia's ascent to the pinnacle of the college football world is a direct result of the tremendous recruiting success the program has enjoyed under Head Coach Kirby Smart. Under Smart's leadership Georgia has never finished outside the top three in the 247 Composite recruiting rankings and has posted two No.1 recruiting classes since his arrival in Athens. Georgia's 2023 recruiting class ranked second nationally behind Alabama and was highlighted by five 5-star prospects. One of those 5-stars in Georgia's 2023 class, defensive lineman Jordan Hall, was the subject of a fierce recruiting battle between the Bulldogs and SEC East rival Florida. On Wednesday, Hall joined current Georgia players Tate Ratledge and Zion Logue on the "Real Talk Georgia Podcast" and explained why he chose the Bulldogs over the Gators.
DL Jordan Hall - who selected Georgia over Florida - poses for a photo during a recruiting visit to Georgia.
While Hall ultimately elected to spurn the Gators and sign with Georgia, the Jacksonville native admitted that the Bulldogs had to overcome a strong affinity he initially had for his in-state school.
"Florida, I wanted to go there so bad. I wore their gear everyday to school. Everyday...It was always an uphill battle between Florida and Georgia."
Eventually, the Georgia was able to overcome the in-state pull, and when asked what the deciding factor in his recruitment was, Hall - the No. 4 defensive lineman in the 2023 cycle - explained that it was the recent NFL draft success enjoyed by former Georgia defensive linemen that put the Bulldogs over the top.
"Really Florida talked about a lot of nothing. So, I was like, Georgia talked about a lot of something. They're going to put people in the league. Florida hasn't put a D-lineman in the league since Taven Bryan and he's terrible, so, hey I'm going to Georgia."
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder also credited the relationship he was able to build with his future teammates in Athens as another leading factor in his decision to commit to Georgia over Florida.
"Honestly and truthfully, I talked way more with y'all [Georgia players] than I did with anybody at Florida. Nobody at Florida talked to me. Outside of my visits, even on my visits, I would walk past them and they wouldn't say nothing. They would just say 'you're big, bro' and that's it. That's the last thing I would hear from them. Here [Georgia], they would text me, comment on my post, the simple stuff. Just trying to lock in with me."
While Georgia had to overcome the natural pull of the in-state school in Hall's recruitment, the combination of NFL draft success and the culture within the Georgia program was enough for the Bulldogs to secure the commitment of the 5-star defensive lineman.
Other Georgia News:
- Former 5-Star DL Jordan Hall Explains Why He Chose Georgia Over Florida
- Rece Davis Tabs Michigan as No. 1 Team in College Football
- Zion Logue Praises the University of Georgia for Development of Life Skills
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