This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 4-star Chance Gilbert at East Coweta. He ranks as the nation’s No. 4 S and the No. 56 overall prospect for 2027 on the 247Sports Composite. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 8 CB and No. 55 overall.
SHARPSBURG -- Chance Gilbert has seen a lot of change on his recruiting radar over the last four months. When February rolled around, he had four schools in mind: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets were fading. Auburn was right on the verge of overtaking them for that fourth spot.
Things have changed even more since then.
Gilbert told DawgNation that he’s only got two official visits scheduled as of now. His first OV will be to Georgia on May 29. He will then see Auburn on June 5.
Clemson and Georgia Tech are out of the picture. He said he’d still like to take an official visit to Tuscaloosa, but he hasn’t been able to schedule one with the Tide yet.
The Georgia football program has also built up some real steam over the last four months. That’s why the state’s No. 4 prospect for 2027 views UGA as his top school heading into those two OVs.
“When I think of them, I think of winning championships,” Gilbert said. “When I think of Georgia, I mean, they’re the No. 1 team on my board. The No. 1 team. So when I think about them, I most definitely think about winning and me being developed as a man and as a player.”
He says he just sees something “different” about UGA.
“When I go to the practices, everything is different,” he said. “When I go anywhere else, it is just, when you compare Georgia to other schools, I mean, you can get your answer when you just compare Georgia to other schools and stuff like that. I’m not saying I’m going to commit there, but they have good expectations, good standards, they’re a winning team and Kirby is still there. So that’s a great sign for Georgia.”
He has a high opinion of the development in Athens.
“It feels different,” he said. “The players are humongous. If you go there, you are going to get better. They’ve got 5-stars, a great team, great coaches and you’re going to get better. I’ve never met someone who didn’t get better at Georgia.”
That’s a preferred scenario for a couple of reasons. The UGA staff sees his 6-foot-1 frame and 170 pounds and projects Gilbert to bring his elite athleticism, ball skills, and blinding speed to the cornerback position in the SEC. He’s been rated the national services as a safety in the past, but the Rivals Industry Ranking now has him as the nation’s No. 8 CB prospect.
He’s also viewed as a top 60 overall prospect nationally by both national composites. The fact that Georgia has seen its top two cornerback commitments leave the class recently isn’t lost on Gilbert either.
“I saw two cornerbacks decommit,” he said. “That’s a better opportunity for me being in the Class of 2027.”
DawgNation projects Gilbert to be the highest-rated in-state prospect the Dawgs can sign in this class. That’s with six of the state’s 10-highest rated recruits already committed. Langston Hughes 4-star Kelsey Adams is currently the only UGA commit.
“When I think of Georgia, I always think of stability and development,” Gilbert said. “You can’t go wrong with those two things. I mean, they’ve been doing that for years, and they’re pretty much the only team, not the only team, there are other teams out there, but the team that has the most great stability.”
If he puts on more weight, he could be a safety. There’s also the ability to use him in the return game. Gilbert ran a 10.53 in the 100 meters his freshman year at East Coweta. He doesn’t run track anymore, but does go through some sprint workouts with some track team members.
Gilbert believes he would run a 10.2 in the 100 if he were still competing in spring track. If asked by the UGA staff, he said he’d love to be an asset to the kick return game.
“100 percent,” he said. “That’s one of my favorite things to do: Return kicks.”
Gilbert has had both of his labrums repaired while in high school. He’s expected to be fully cleared for contact by the end of July.
Those shoulder injuries are common among young players these days.
“Nobody I’ve talked to has questioned it,” East Coweta coach John Small said. “They were like, ‘It is alright. It is fine. We’ve got 18 guys a year getting [that same surgery] after the season.’ Then Chance goes to all these college practices, and he sees all these guys with two straps [on the shoulder pads] too, and that gives him confidence. He’s not worried about it.”
“Nobody has been negative about it.”
Small is a longtime head coach in the state. He was at South Gwinnett for 11 seasons prior to taking the job at East Coweta in 2017. Does he think Gilbert is a cornerback on Saturdays?
“I think he is a cornerback on Sundays,” Small said. “I mean, he has elite speed. He has elite ball skills. He’s long. Understands the game. The game is not too big for him mentally. He’s a very low-key kid in terms of I’m going to do my job and then celebrate with my teammates. It’s not about ‘me’ with him.”
“He’s very humble. He’s going to work on his craft. He’s never going to get ahead of himself where he’s already arrived. It is how do I get better? What do I have to do to get better?”
Look for Gilbert to commit in late June or early July.
“After my official visits, I will make my decision,” he said. “Or it may be a little longer. Who knows? I’m just doing what God wants me to do.”
