There is a new candidate for the fastest man on the Georgia football team. His name is Arian Smith.
Smith, the nation’s No. 14 WR recruit and No. 72 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite ratings, chose to be a Georgia Bulldog on the first day of the early signing period.
The 4-star prospect chose the Bulldogs over Alabama in a signing ceremony from Lakeland Senior High which was aired live on ESPN2.
“I want to say that I will be attending the University of Georgia.”
That’s how Smith shared his decision with the world live on national television.
The Florida resident has a rare top gear for a college football prospect.
Or a college sprinter. Period. The best time that he has posted in the 100 meters has been at 10.31 seconds.
That type of speed is faster than any prospect Georgia has signed in the Kirby Smart era, including former 5-star and current NFL rookie Mecole Hardman, Jr.
The Florida resident stated even stated on that live ESPN2 appearance that the way the Bulldogs used Hardman was an influence in his decision. He rolled off the ability to affect the game on offense and in the return game on special teams ask key reasons for choosing UGA.
Smith also plans to run track in Athens with his buddy Matthew Bolling. Those two teamed up together to set the under-20 record in the 4X100 relay (38.62) at the Pan Am Games this summer. He made his decision to choose Georgia while wearing his purple Team USA jacket from that event.
When he made the decision, he unzipped that jacket to reveal a red Georgia shirt.
The 4-star recruit said he trusted the coaches at Georgia to use him properly so he can reach the NFL after his time in Athens is up.
“It was just something about the coaches,” he said. “I just feel comfortable with them.”
He becomes the 17th public commitment for the 2020 class. Georgia assistant Scott Fountain was the lead recruiter here and it was another big get for Fountain in this class.
Smith is now the fifth prospect from the state of Florida in the 2020 class in Athens.
Arian Smith: What this decision means for Georgia football
That type of low 4.3-speed in the 40-yard dash definitely gives the Bulldogs more of a fear factor for its offensive attack. The Bulldogs didn’t have that type of deep speed threat to influence SEC defensive coordinators not to stack defenders in the box to limit the bread-and-butter run game.
That was something the Bulldogs sorely lacked in their 2019 offensive attack. He also becomes another top 100 overall prospect at the receiver position. Georgia definitely didn’t have enough elite depth at that position when it faced LSU earlier this month in the SEC championship game.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound speedster will be an instant game-breaker whenever he touches the football in Athens.
He just recently took his final official visit to UGA before the early signing period.
Smith is now the sixth-highest rated commitment in the 2020 Georgia class for this cycle. He transferred to Lakeland Senior High from Mulberry High in Florida for his senior season.
The Under Armour 2020 All-American selection will not be able to enroll early.