BRADENTON, Fla. — Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.
That’s how Georgia fans should feel if they see pictures of UGA receiver commitment Matt Landers from Saturday’s pool play from the IMG 7-on-7 National Championships.
Yes, he was wearing a pair of Alabama gloves. No, that is nothing to worry about. He borrowed those from four-star Pro Impact teammate Tyreke Johnson before pool play began.
No statement there. He made his statement on the field in the first minutes of pool play. Landers raced to the back corner on the end zone and made a twisting turn and high-pointed a ball over the outstretched arms of a defender for an early score.
That’s what he is coming to Georgia for. That’s what 6-foot-4 receivers do in the red zone. Landers told DawgNation on Saturday that he was recently measured a half-inch away from the 6-foot-5 mark at a recent visit. He also weighed in at 175 pounds.
“I had a very good time,” Landers said. “I had fun at their recent camp. I had a great time competing. I had a workout with the coaches. They taught me a couple of new things. I hung out with the players and had a great time.”
Landers got the chance to spend some time with UGA receiver Jayson Stanley.
“He said he loved it when he came here,” Landers said. “He said when he committed that he loved it just as much as I do now and he said that when he committed he knew he wasn’t going to go anywhere else. He just told me that I was really going to love it.”
He also got to hang out with future UGA quarterback commit Jake Fromm during his recent visit.
“Real funny guy,” Landers said. “I am going to look forward to playing with him.”
What has happened since he committed? He said he’s heard a lot from Auburn since that pledge.
“Auburn has been after me mostly,” Landers said. “They want me to get up there. I haven’t seen that place yet. They want me to come up there and see how things look.”
How hard will it be for another program to get him to reconsider his commitment?
“I can’t really answer that question,” Landers said. “Georgia is real high on my list. As of now, that’s who I want to be with next season. I don’t think I am going to de-commit. Now I’m with Georgia, but my options are still open to me.”
That answer should not raise anyone’s blood pressure. He clarified that position with a few subsequent statements.
“I’m excited about the future of Georgia football,” Landers said. “I feel that we are going to win some … national championships. Just because of Coach Kirby (Smart) and how he came from a winning organization. He is going to bring all of that over to us. I feel the recruiting we are getting and what we saw in the spring game is everything you need to see to know that Georgia is going to get really far in the future.”
He compared his interest in UGA to other schools by using the metaphor of a 40-yard dash.
“Georgia is killing it with me right now,” Landers said. “They are running a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash and the next closest school to them is probably only running a 4.6 in the 40. That’s how far ahead of everybody Georgia is right now.”
Landers does plan to take all of his official visits. He will not enroll early.
The senior at Lakewood High School (St. Petersburg, Fla.) is rated as a three-star recruit and as the nation’s No. 94 receiver for his class. But Landers is a raw recruit that has just two years of high school football under his belt. Look for that measure to climb along his senior campaign.
Landers is the son of the former UGA basketball player Toney Mack. Mack, a former Mr. Florida Basketball, had some very bright moments on the hardwood during his three seasons in Athens.
“He said when he was there playing basketball he had a fun time going to school on that campus,” Landers said. “He said I will love it there.”
Landers has thought about wearing No. 1 or No. 21 at UGA. That would be his father’s old number from the hardwood.
“I’ve thought about that,” Landers said. “That would be cool.”
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges. Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.