No. 1 Overall College Football Recruit Committed to Georgia Draws New SEC Interest

The most highly considered overall prospect in the 2028 college football recruiting class has already given his commitment to one SEC powerhouse, but that hasn’t stopped two others from making sure he knows they’re interested, too.

Five-star IMG Academy (Fla.) quarterback Jayden Wade, the consensus top overall player in his class, is on the books as a Georgia pledge, but a pair of insurgent contenders are looking to convince him otherwise, according to Rivals.

SEC powerhouses in play

Kirby Smart has some newfound competition after initially securing the commitment that should define the Bulldogs’ 2028 recruiting haul if he stays onside.

“I am looking at LSU and Tennessee,” Wade said, via Rivals’ Chad Simmons.

He added: “I’m not sure when I will visit those schools, but those are the main two.

“I like the offense at both schools. We see what Lane Kiffin does with quarterbacks, so I will check those schools out.”

Neither school has any commitments listed to their respective 2028 recruiting classes, but flipping a blue-chip prospect like Wade from the reigning SEC champion would make a massive first impression.

Bulldogs are still in a good position

Just because the quarterback is taking a look at other schools around the SEC doesn’t mean he’s lost any love for Georgia.

Wade remarked how impressed he was with how Kirby Smart and his program made an effort to know him and how hard they worked to get his initial commitment.

“They saw me early and believed in me,” he said, adding that he appreciates Georgia’s recent success in putting players into the NFL.

Georgia fans could take solace in what the quarterback said when he remarked: “It would take a lot to change my mind.”

How he ranks as a recruit

No other player at any position is more highly regarded than Wade when looking over the 2028 college football recruiting class.

Wade is considered the No. 1 quarterback and the top-ranked player overall in the country, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

That average also marks Wade as the top recruit from the talent-rich state of Florida.

Wade was marked as the top quarterback and the fourth-ranked player in the nation, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

What he’s done on the field

Wade has put up nearly 2,000 yards in his high school career, and is coming off his single-best performance this past fall, according to MaxPreps.

The quarterback completed more than 61 percent of his pass attempts for 1,376 yards with 20 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions at IMG Academy last season.

Wade rushed for 5 touchdowns while averaging 8 yards per carry over the last three seasons across 24 appearances.

In his career since the eighth grade, Wade is a 63.5 percent passer and is averaging more than 18 yards per attempt while posting 153 yards on average last year.

What the experts are predicting

Despite the interest in LSU and Tennessee that Wade is showing, the projection artists are still firmly in Georgia’s corner.

Wade is still expected to remain with the Bulldogs with an overwhelming 98.8 percent likelihood, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

No other school currently rates above 1 percent, according to that metric.

So while Wade may be listening to what Lane Kiffin and Josh Heupel have to say, it could still take some real convincing to get him out of Kirby Smart’s grasp.

(Rivals)

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