Want to attack every day with the latest UGA football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel brings at least four days a week. This one offers up a view of the upcoming decision for one of the major remaining targets in the 2019 class for the Bulldogs. That’s 4-star CB Kaiir Elam.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Kaiir Elam pondered a very simple thought. But did not dawdle with it.
Definitely not. Check his film. He makes his move quickly there, too.
Does the nation’s No. 7 cornerback for this cycle know his college decision yet? Is there a school in the back of his mind? Does he have a Florida decision tucked away in his back pocket? His uncle, Matt, starred there for the Gators.
What about Georgia? Elam now has some very late interest in Colorado. Was that because of his relationship with former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker? That seems likely.
“College football is weird,” Elam said. “Every week a coach can change. Something can happen. I am just taking my time and making sure that I make the right decision.”
The reality here is there is no need to overseason any of that. Elam said succinctly he doesn’t know yet and hasn’t really even settled on a school privately yet.
“No,” he said. “I don’t. I like Miami. I like Florida. I like Georgia. I like Oregon and I like Ohio State.”
He will take his remaining four official visits in January and process all the data from there. That’s basically it. At least for now.
However, there is some intrigue for his first official visit coming out of the dead period. He has already been to Miami and so that will come down to either Florida or Georgia.
It looks like he will head to Athens for that week.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “Probably Georgia though.”
His other officials? Those sound like Colorado and Ohio State at this time.
His decision has evolved since he decided he would not sign during the early period. The movement made by coaches like Tucker hasn’t really been that extreme of a factor.
“For the schools, it is not really because of the coaches but it is how I feel about the schools and what they can do for me,” he said. “The schools I just named in my top five were probably not in my top five when the Opening took place because of the coaches and stuff like that.”
Florida. Georgia. Miami. Those schools have consistently been in the running for Elam.
A potential factor for Kaiir Elam?
If Player A goes to this school, does it really move the needle for Player B? It is a very interesting storyline. Especially for slow news days and interviews where players don’t really say much.
That’s not the case with Elam. He’s a guy heading to the college ranks that already treats his career in the manner professional players do.
That’s a no-brainer given the fact his father logged seven seasons in the NFL and his uncle also played in the SEC for Florida. But there was something about the way he repeatedly brought up Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson is the other major remaining cornerback target for the Bulldogs in this cycle.
“Tyrique Stevenson,” he said more than once on Saturday. “That’s my boy.”
He would later call him “his twin” later in the exchange.
“We’re both like similar,” Elam said. “I definitely want to play with him. He’s a ‘Dawg just like me from South Florida. He’s a good person at heart.”
Stevenson, the nation’s No. 5 CB on the 247Sports composite for this cycle, will announce his decision from the Army All-America Bowl in Texas on Jan. 5.
He will also enroll early next month.
Elam said Saturday that he feels Florida, Georgia and Oregon do recruit him the hardest.
Those schools check the quantity box.
“They probably go after me the most,” Elam said. So like quantity. But with quality Miami just leaves me alone. They hit me up every once in a while. [Cornerbacks] Coach [Mike] Rumph and I will have a conversation. I feel like the schools I am going to take officials to all have like quality [communication with him) and then like quantity [it is] Georgia, Oregon and Florida all do more.”
He also thinks that he has a chance to play right away at Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Oregon. He also lumped Tennessee into that group.
What does Kaiir Elam like about Georgia?
Elam had no trouble with breaking down his interest in the Bulldogs.
“I feel like it is a great situation for me to go be developed and win,” he said. “But my biggest goal is playing early and being developed by the best and graduating from a great school academically.”
But he did use an interesting term to describe the Bulldogs and their former defensive coordinator.
“Coach Tucker was the one really recruiting me hard,” Elam said. “So when he left it is a big void there at Georgia. Coach [Kirby] Smart helps with the DBs but he is a head coach. He works with everybody. So that kind of opened up a void for Georgia.”
“But I’m pretty sure [Kirby] is working on getting the best DB coach he can find.”
Elam said that Smart has told him about the guy or type of coach he has in mind there.
“He says he wants the best one,” Elam said. “I don’t really know who but he is working on getting the best one that is available.”
Smart recruits Elam now for Georgia. He’s joined by receivers coach Cortez Hankton and support staffer Bacarri Rambo.
Here’s something to consider. He doesn’t sound like a prospect that will wait on National Signing Day to make his decision.
“Right after I take all my officials,” Elam said when talking about the timing of making his choice. “Maybe.”
He said he hears South Florida Bulldogs like Tyson Campbell, James Cook and Divaad Wilson.
“Every time I go up there I hang with those guys,” he said. “They just want me to go somewhere that is best for me. Because at the end of the day they are going to be my competition. I am going to be competing against them to play. They just told me to go where I feel comfortable.”
What does Kaiir Elam like about Florida?
There are several pulls to Florida for Elam. That equates to constant contact from Florida head coach Dan Mullen and assistant coach Charlton Warren.
“The stability to go play and then my goal to graduate early and play early,” he said in reference to both Florida and Georgia. “Those are just great schools academically as well.”
The connection to both Georgia and Florida sounds the same to him. Elam kept answering questions about both schools in the same manner.
“I feel like I can accomplish my goals at Florida, too,” Elam said. “I’m a guy that wants to go somewhere that I am needed.”
He made his decision sound pretty simple on Saturday. It should come down to the ability to go play somewhere early and his relationship with the players at the program and on their way to that school.
He also has a lot of connections and ties to the Florida roster, too.
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