Kamari Lassiter Sees Opportunity and Stylistic Fit With Georgia Football
It is no secret that the secondary is a key focus for Georgia in the 2021 recruiting class. At present time, it is realistic that the Dawgs could be looking to replace as many as five or six defensive backs after the 2020 season. Obviously there are a lot of unknowns with the upcoming season and if it were to be canceled or delayed until the spring, it is unclear how the future plans of current UGA defensive backs could change. However, one thing that is certain is that Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, and company need to add depth on the back end of their defense in this class.
One prospect that Georgia is honing in on to fill one of those spots is a 4-Star cornerback Kamari Lassiter. Lassiter received his offer from the University of Georgia in late April and the relationship with the Dawgs staff has developed very quickly. In fact, in the short period time from April 30th to July 1st, Georgia has established enough of a relationship with the 6'0" 185-pound cornerback to land in Lassiter's Top 6 along with Georgia Tech, Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, and LSU.
We at Dawgs Daily on SI.com recently caught up with Lassiter. The 4-Star corner shared with us his hopes for the 2020 football season, the state of his recruitment, and more.
On COVID-19 and the 2020 high school football season, Lassiter told us at Dawgs Daily that he and his American Christian Patriots teammates, "have been working out and practicing for about a month and a half now." Lassiter went on to say that he believes at this time his school and high schools in Alabama will be able to have a normal season. However, we all know that those decisions are fluid and the outlook changes daily.
American Christian Academy (ACA) is located squarely in Crimson Tide country in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We asked Lassiter would him currently being located in Tuscaloosa make it more difficult for teams outside the state to recruit him and possibly secure a commitment from him over Alabama and also Auburn. Lassiter quickly responded, "I do go to school in Tuscaloosa, but no sir, it won't be. I'm originally from Georgia." Lassiter moved to Tuscaloosa and American Christian Academy in 9th grade from Savannah, Georgia after his Mother received a promotion at work and informed him it was time to go.
Since arriving at ACA, Lassiter has proven to be a tremendous playmaker on both sides of the ball but has excelled even more so on defense as a cover corner. "My favorite coverage is man coverage. Press man!" shared Lassiter. "I enjoy messing with people's minds, talking a little trash, and baiting quarterbacks is great. That's my favorite part is baiting the quarterback."
Lassiter explained that having now established himself with his coaches, they give him a lot more flexibility in how he plays a certain defensive call or coverage and that is an aspect of the game he enjoys very much, the mental chess match of offense vs. defense. "I'm still playing to the call. But, my coaches trust me and they let me play it how I'm able to play it" said Lassiter.
The conversation turned to recruiting and specifically a recent Twitter post by current Georgia commit Lovasea Carroll. Carroll posted a screenshot of himself and Lassiter FaceTiming Georgia Defensive Coordinator Dan Lanning. When asked about the photo, the post, and the conversation, Lassiter succinctly responded, "They're trying to get me on the team. Trying to get me to join the squad, showing love. That's all that is." Lassiter described talking to Dan Lanning by saying, "Coach Lanning is a fun guy. He knows how to flip the switch. He definitely knows his stuff when it comes to football, but he's also a cool guy and can get real and it's good talking to him."
On his recruitment and his top six overall, Lassiter told Dawgs Daily, "Georgia is up there with the best of them in my recruitment. That defense! The defense is amazing, up in the top 5 in every aspect of defense last year. Coach Smart has a great plan. They play a lot of DBs and I feel like I could definitely fit well into that system. Also, the academics are great and that's a big plus for me."
Lassiter intimated that opportunity is a big selling point with UGA for him. Georgia could be losing five to six players out of the secondary at the conclusion of the 2020 and the 2021 class will be vital in helping to replenish the depth.
Academically, Lassiter either wants to go into the fields of mechanical or chemical engineering and is going to thoroughly vet all of his options in the top six when it comes to course offers and majors. Also, other than football, one of the cornerback's favorite things to do is eat. Lassiter said, "I love to eat!" So rest assured if visits are allowed to get underway soon, he'll be checking out the foodie scene in Athens. However, Lassiter has visited before and already has some familiarity with the town and the campus.
Kamari would like to be committed before the first game of his senior season. "Right now I think just talking to the coaches and judging the interactions will be enough to make a decision" shared Lassiter. The 4-Star corner has already been on a visit to every school in the top six but LSU. Lassiter is unsure as to whether or not he'll narrow down his options further before announcing a commitment, but this is definitely a recruitment for the Georgia faithful to keep an eye on as the decision making process is underway and could be drawing to an end sooner rather than later.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDailySI.
