This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 3-star IOL Zykie Helton of Carrollton High School. He ranks as the nation’s No. 41 IOL and the No. 457 overall prospect for 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the No. 41 IOL and No. 477 overall.
Zykie Helton surprised some folks by committing to Georgia this week, just on the heels of the Bulldogs already accepting another in-state IOL who also projects to play center on the college level.
It was no surprise to those who know Helton.
“UGA just felt like home,” Helton said. “The connection I’ve built with the coaching staff - especially Coach [Kirby] Smart and my position coach - they’ve been real from the start.”
Helton, a former Alabama commitment, has been feeling strongly about playing for the Bulldogs for a while now. The 3-star IOL abruptly announced his commitment plan for this afternoon, committing less than 24 hours after sharing when he planned to commit.
“They’ve been real consistent,” Helton said of the UGA push. “They’ve believed in me and they’ve shown me exactly how I fit into their system and their vision.”
Georgia beat out Alabama, FSU, and Georgia Tech for his commitment. Helton becomes the 14th commitment in the 2026 class for the Dawgs. He’s the third OL commitment for Stacy Searels and the eighth in-state commitment for the class.
He has had a remarkable bounce-back story that included some illness and losing 60 or 70 pounds during his high school career. Helton, now back up to the 290-pound range, was an official visitor for the Dawgs during the May 30th weekend in Athens.
Helton joins his Carrollton High School teammate Ryan Mosley in the 2026 class in Athens. Mosley, a 4-star WR, committed to UGA just last month.
Check out his junior film below:
Have you seen this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly recruiting special on YouTube yet? Check it out below.
SENTELL’S INTEL
(Check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
