UGA legacy got bombarded with interest from the Bulldogs
Jaden Hunter got what he wanted at midnight on Tuesday. The Westlake defensive end stayed up like it was a 4-star prospect’s version of New Year’s Eve.
Sept. 1 was the first day Class of 2017 recruits could receive permissible contact from NCAA member institutions. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder is the son of former UGA great Brice Hunter, but for some reason wasn’t sure he was wanted by his dad’s old team.
That’s no longer an issue.
“Last night at midnight I probably got like 15 coaches from UGA to hit me up with a (direct message) on Twitter,” Hunter said, who will be at the UGA game on Saturday.
Coach Mark Richt followed him and sent him a personal message.
“He just told me I was welcome at Georgia any time and every time you want to come for a visit,” Hunter said. “He said we need to get you back up here for a game.”
UGA was actually the first school to contact Hunter. The first DM came from a graduate assistant.
“Another coach said all the coaches up there love them some Jaden Hunter,” Hunter said.
Hunter released his Top 10 over the summer. He once had Alabama at the top, but that morphed into a two-way tie between FSU and LSU.
He said Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss was the first head coach to contact him. Hunter said he received “about 50 contacts” from coaches on Twitter Tuesday morning. UGA had more than a quarter of those. He said about 30 of those came by 12:05 on Tuesday morning.
“Georgia sent me the message they really want me,” Hunter said. “But what they have showed me now is it they wanted to wait until it was officially allowed by the NCAA to do it the right way.”
He made it clear UGA has an up arrow next to its stock now.
Hunter now feels he set his Top 10 list way too early. He said his top group includes UGA, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU and UCLA but declined to rank any of those programs at this time.
Check out the edits he received from other schools on Tuesday.
Feeling the Love from Ole Miss ?❤️? pic.twitter.com/7gKJT6aWfx
— jaden hunter . (@onejhunter) September 1, 2015
Now This Go Hard ??? #RollTide pic.twitter.com/gnxqrz5tFq
— jaden hunter . (@onejhunter) September 1, 2015
? #Allin ???? pic.twitter.com/set6lUReEc
— jaden hunter . (@onejhunter) September 1, 2015
Jeff Sentell covers 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.