Past Recruiting Battles Between UGA and Ohio State
It has been 30 years since UGA and Ohio State have shared a field together, but make no mistake, these two foes are more than familiar with one another. Each year, UGA and Ohio State each battle for some of the top prospects in the country. Here are some notable recruiting battles between these two national brands.
CJ Stroud
Stroud confirmed at his most recent media availability that UGA finished runner-up to Ohio State in his recruitment. Stroud mentioned taking a visit to UGA and having a relationship with Coach Smart and McGee. Ultimately, a strong relationship between Stroud and Kevin Wilson swung things in Ohio State's favor. Stroud would go on to throw for over 7500 yards in his career with the Buckeyes and will be a 1st round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Georgia added Carson Beck that cycle, who is thought to be firmly in the mix for the starting QB job for next season. The Dawgs also added Jamie Newman and JT Daniels from the transfer portal.
Paris Johnson
UGA was once a major player for Paris Johnson, who is also expected to be a first-round pick in this upcoming draft. Before he signed with Ohio State, Johnson took visits to Athens earlier in the year, and the Dawgs were in good position. UGA made him feel like a priority. However, it was ultimately Ohio State that was able to keep Johnson in his home state of Ohio. LSU was also a major factor. Fortunately, UGA was able to sign Broderick Jones at OT in the 2020 recruiting class. Like Johnson, Jones is expected to come off the NFL draft board fairly early in the upcoming NFL draft, if he declares.
Kojo Antwi
Antwi is one of the best WR recruits to come out of Georgia in recent memory, but this time it was the Buckeyes that entered into UGA territory and snagged his commitment. Antwi took multiple visits to UGA and was deemed a priority for Kirby Smart and his staff, but Brian Hartline and his recruiting prowess with WRs was too much to handle. Antwi has not recorded a reception in his first year at Ohio State, but is thought to be a breakout player for the Buckeyes as soon as next season. UGA signed 5 WRs in the 2022 class, headlined by De'Nylon Morrisettee and Dillon Bell.
Damon Wilson
Wilson is the UGAs most recent recruiting victory over Ohio State, but could end up being the most noteworthy in just a few years. Wilson committed to UGA on ESD over the Buckeyes, completing a huge recruiting win for Chidera Uzo-Diribe. For most of the recruiting cycle, Ohio State was right in the thick of things for Wilson, and likely was the favorite most of the way, However, UGA remained steady in their pursuit of Wilson, and beat the Buckeyes for a 5-star Venice (Fl.) product.
Zamir White
Zamir White was one of the biggest recruiting wins in the early years of the Kirby Smart era. Even with numerous ACL injuries, White had himself a productive career with UGA before heading off to the NFL. Georgia was able to lock up the NC native, but there was a time when Ohio State had a lot of momentum with White. However, Ohio State would end up signing two other RBs, one of those being Master Teague. Headed into decision week, White released a final group of Georgia, Clemson, Alabama, and North Carolina.
D'Wan Mathis
The end of the Justin Fields era at UGA was certainly an interesting time for everyone involved. Quickly. UGA had to adjust after losing what many thought to be the QB of the future in Athens. Georgia ended up flipping Mathis from Ohio State on national signing day, considered a huge victory at the time. The Dawgs also signed Stetson Bennett from the JUCO ranks. Mathis would end up starting a few games for UGA in 2020 before losing the job to Stetson Bennett. The rest is history.
