AJ Harris: The new 5-star CB commit told Kirby Smart he was going to play for him in the sixth grade

Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s the Intel. This rep has the latest with 5-star CB AJ Harris. He ranks as the nation’s No. 5 CB and the No. 25 overall prospect for 2023 on the 247Sports Composite ratings.

=========================================================

AJ Harris soaked it all in on Thursday night. He treasured that special time in his life, his college commitment, with family and loved ones.

Harris took some time to chat with DawgNation about it all.

“First off, before we get into the football aspect,” he said. “They are getting a young man that is a God-fearing young man. That is going to keep God first. That alone is going to keep me on the path that I need to be on in order for me to achieve all my dreams. God has set a path for me thus far and I believe I’ve followed it well so far.”

Hard worker. Working overtime. Being on top of everything. Ready on Saturdays. He had those thoughts.

“Then most definitely I feel like they are getting one of the best corners in the country,” he said. “Without a doubt.”

When he dropped his news, there was a call he got from lifelong friend Pearce Spurlin III. It came within seconds. Spurlin, his friend-slash-rival at Kirby Smart’s camps going back to middle school, was elated.

“No way.”

“Let’s freaking go.”

Those were Spurlin’s immediate thoughts. Harris will mean a great deal to this recruiting class first. But then he will mean more to another championship defense in Athens.

Spurlin, the elder statesman in this class by more than a year, placed the Harris news in the proper context.

“We are just setting the pieces in place for kids who love UGA and happen to be the best players in America,” Spurlin said.

There was also the text message Harris got from Arch Manning, too.

The 6-foot-1 rising senior was gracious and respectful in his thoughts about runner-up Florida. Especially their very well-respected defensive backs coach and co-coordinator Corey Raymond.

Harris, now the highest-rated UGA commit, now wants to shout from the rooftop and every social media platform he’s connected to about Georgia’s need now to sign both Manning and 5-star safety Caleb Downs.

“I’m going to tell the recruiting department to kick back and relax and watch me work,” Harris said. “I’m going to get the top guys and I’m going to make sure we get the national championship.”

But the need here is to slow all of that down a bit.

The aim here is to tell one story first. One really good story. It is the signature AJ Harris story about him choosing to become a Bulldog.

There was that story. But then he followed that up with another. It is tough to peg which one of those “need to know” stories about Harris becoming a ‘Dawg was better.

Before cornerbacks coach Fran Brown worked his magic bringing the ‘Dawgs from third or fourth place when he was hired, there was what Harris has always wanted to do.