The calls were made early this morning. Georgia now knows. Florida knows. South Carolina also got the final word.
It just took Devonte Wyatt until 4 a.m. this morning to come to the following conclusion: He’s sticking with his commitment to Georgia. Every detail — especially the small academic and athletic fits — was weighed and chopped up.
“His all-and-all decision was Georgia when it was all said and done,” Towers coach Dr. Brian Montgomery said.
What did it come down to?
“He said it was his dream school and he likes the relationship that he has with the academic person who was there,” Montgomery said. “He said he was most comfortable and happy with the accommodations and the trust level he had with that person to help him with going to school there.”
Montgomery called Will Muschamp. South Carolina had made him a priority and hated to lose him.
“He was disappointed and they had definitely looked forward to having him in their program,” Muschamp. “It was a close decision as things were really neck-and-neck here at the very end late. This wound up being very close.”
Wyatt had said after his UGA official visit on Jan. 20 that things were “50-50” between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks. His parents also accompanied him on his final official to Florida last weekend.
They advised their son to go to Florida after that trip.
How did Georgia coach Kirby Smart react to the news?
“He was excited and felt relieved because those other guys were coming pretty strong at him,” Montgomery said while describing Smart’s reaction. “He just said that was a relief because it is so tough to fill in those interior linemen. Especially getting a good tough solid one. Coach Smart said it was tough filling in those spots.”
The 4-star DT commit had been wavering to South Carolina should credit his coach for thoroughly vetting that decision.
Montgomery hit him with every scenario. What happens if Will Muschamp or Kirby Smart leave? What happens if defensive line coach Tracy Rocker bolts to the NFL? What would his record be like if he was at Florida or South Carolina?
Montgomery asked Wyatt to predict records for those three teams in 2017. He wanted Wyatt to place himself on those teams.
That final process took about five hours.
Wyatt will be the first member of the Towers program to sign a major football scholarship since Miles Gooch chose Virginia back in 2009.
He’s believed to be the first Towers product to sign and play at Georgia since Jimmy Poulos in 1970.
Wyatt joins seven other members of his team at are a ceremony at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. That will take place in the school auditorium.
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