Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. We discuss the unfortunate news about Zamir White‘s ACL tear in this edition and his future at UGA going forward.
That future still looks very very bright.
DawgNation was there Friday night when Zamir White scored his final 3 high school touchdowns for Scotland High School (Laurinburg, N.C.).
White, the nation’s No. 1 running back for 2018, put up Xbox One-like numbers. The 5-star recruit had 8 carries for 149 yards and 3 scores. He continued to deliver an average of 1.5 blocks (my tally) per series and even snagged a 25-yard reception coming across the middle as a slot receiver.
That converted a third-and-20.
But he was felled for a minute early in the second half with his Fighting Scots up big. He was down for a brief minute and then popped up and walked off the field under his own power.
Reminder: This is a player who never sweats and does not take water during the hottest summer practices in southeastern North Carolina. This is a tough, tough young man.
But we really learned that with this ACL tear stuff.
White stayed on the sidelines the rest of the game. He wasn’t on a trainer’s table. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound player then met a throng of well-wishers after the game.
It was so cold outside that everyone could see their breath, but White still gladly signed autographs and posed for pictures for about 10 to 15 minutes. He even autographed the back of a few cell phones. (That’s apparently a thing now.)
We know now that he did it with a torn ACL. White responded to the news via his Twitter account on Monday night. It was a bitter end to his Scotland career as his team is now in the third round of the North Carolina state playoffs.
What Zamir White sees ahead at Georgia
We have seen a different Zamir White at UGA this fall. He made it to the Kentucky and Mississippi State games.
White looked to be wearing the recruiter’s hat for UGA. He approached other prospects to talk to them about playing together.
“It is chill for me now at Georgia,” White said. “Back when I was undecided, it was a stressful time trying to pick the right school. It is all easy and it just family for me down at Georgia.”
Prior to the injury, he had a message for the fans in Athens.
“I’m coming,” White said. “Full steam. Full effect.”
Torn ACL or not, I don’t think that has changed one bit. He’ll have surgery, and then he will hit that rehab full steam, too.
He also was amped up to play with Justin Fields at UGA, among many others. Having a dual-threat QB with a big arm and a keen mind like Fields has will pull those defenders out of the box.
White’s strengths will mesh with the many talents that Fields can bring to bear on a scheme.
“Justin is a great person and a great football player,” White said. “That’s huge. I know him pretty well. We text one another a lot.”
Who does Zamir White still want to see at UGA?
White chatted up both KJ Henry and Trey Hill at Georgia earlier this year. Who does White still want to go get for the Bulldogs?
“Anybody, man,” White said. “Just come join the family, man.”
He said he was “done” with looking at other schools after his decision. That’s why he didn’t think about any other visits to football powers such as Alabama, Clemson or Ohio State after he committed.
“There are plenty more guys we still need to get to join that family,” White said.
He committed to UGA on June 27. That’s when that 8-5 record and the home losses to Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Vanderbilt were still on every Georgia fan’s mind.
“[Running backs coach Dell McGee] and [coach Kirby] Smart told me to look for the come up this year,” White said. “They told me that this year’s team will be something special. I trust them, and it came out the way they told me it was going to be.”
What does Zamir White want for Christmas? He wanted to see a few more of those elite linemen join the class at Georgia.
That would be:
- 5-star OG Jamaree Salyer (nation’s No. 7 overall prospect)
- 5-star OT Cade Mays (nation’s No. 15 overall prospect)
- 4-star OG Trey Hill (nation’s No. 34 overall prospect)
What would that mean? A line of 5-stars and elite talent in front of him. Indeed, White very likely will run behind a line in Athens made up almost exclusively of elite high school prospects.
“That is heaven,” White said. “That would be heaven right there, man. Those dudes are huge, too. So I would just hide behind them and just take off.”
If that comes to light, Scotland’s coaches could not imagine how a defense would contain White. The fact that he would also line up behind a quarterback the caliber of Jake Fromm or Justin Fields only increases the degree of difficulty.
“I want all of them,” White said. “Both of them to come. All of them to come. If they want to.”
White said he had a little hand in giving an encouraging word or two to recent UGA commit Jordan Davis. The 4-star defensive back from Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) chose UGA last week.
Scotland County faced Mallard Creek earlier this year.
“He wasn’t sure about it back then,” White said. “But I was like, ‘Come on, man.’ I told him about the Dawg family and told him he was welcome to come join us.”
White said he was “still very hopeful” that Henry would join the class at Georgia.
Before the Hedges shares its take on UGA recruiting
Did you know that DawgNation has a weekly studio show devoted to all things UGA recruiting?
It is a thing.
This week we chopped up the latest on White plus went down the line with recent marquee visitors to Athens such as 5-star defensive end Brenton Cox, 4-star outside linebacker Quay Walker, 4-star defensive back Gilbert Frierson and 5-star guard Kardell Thomas.
That is an interesting quartet. Especially since those guys are committed to Ohio State, Alabama, Miami and LSU, respectively.
We also have some highlights from White’s last high school game for Scotland, as well as some guy in a vest who is still battling a cough that just won’t go away.
Miss any Intel? The DawgNation recruiting archive will get you up to speed faster than Georgia All-America candidate Roquan Smith can find the football after the snap.