Nation's No. 1 RB announces commitment after heated recruiting battle

There is about a year until signing day for the 2027 recruiting class, but one of the top players in the class is now technically off of the board.

As announced in a social media post on X, five-star running back Kemon Spell has officially committed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. Ranked as the No. 3 player in the country, No. 1 running back and No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania, Spell chose the Dawgs over programs like Miami, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame.

"I'm home go Dawgs," wrote Spell.

Prior to his commitment on Monday, Rivals' recruiting prediction machine viewed the Penn State Nittany Lions as the favorites to land him. To take it a step further, he also held a crystal ball to Penn State and Notre Dame over on 247Sports, indicating how much his recruitment has changed over the past couple of months or so.

According to Jeff Sentell of Dawgnation, Smart and his staff got a spell on campus over the past few days for their junior day event, and made quite an impression.

Go Dawgs🐶 pic.twitter.com/dLUMp6xb9z
— Kemon spell (@KemonJones9) February 1, 2026

"They got Spell in town last Thursday for an impactful weekend “Junior Day” visit and didn’t let him leave until he was ready to commit," wrote Sentell.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks toward the field during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Spell's season this past year was cut short to just five games due to an injury, but he still put up monster numbers. The McKeesport product rushed for 1,755 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also adding six catches for 114 yards and a score and two special teams touchdowns.

He's also a dynamic athlete on defense, as he added eight tackles and two interceptions.

According to Rivals' recruiting rankings, the addition of Spell led to the team's class growing to six total players, with the group ranking as the No. 2 class in the country. They were previously ranked as the No. 4 class in the country before Spell's commitment.

He marks the first five-star of the bunch, and the third player that ranks within the top 55. While Spell is committed to Georgia, it doesn't mean that the other programs on his list won't continue to pursue him.

The one downside to landing a commitment this early in a player's recruitment is the fact that teams have a long time to try and persuade him to change his mind. In this modern era of NIL that sees lucrative offers thrown all over the place, Spell may receive some hefty offers throughout the year to flip.