This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 5-star EDGE DJ Jacobs. He’s the nation’s No. 3 EDGE and the No. 11 overall prospect for 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 3 EDGE and No. 13 overall.
DJ Jacobs was just in Athens for the Alabama game. He’s spent his life “growing up” in Athens on Saturdays with his father, David Jacobs.
Jacobs played for coach Mark Richt a generation ago. He saw a most promising career cut short due to an unfortunate 2001 stroke on the practice field. Richt is DJ’s godfather.
His mother, Desiree Jacobs, is another UGA alum. She was in Athens for the Bama game, along with their youngest son, Dawson, on Saturday. The earrings she wore were a nice UGA-savvy touch. Dawson Jacobs is also ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 sophomore recruits in America.
Those ties are always present when they make a trip to Athens. It was another “awesome” trip. Jacobs also said he’ll be back for the Texas game later this year.
He’s been to Oregon for a game so far this year. He’s seen the Miami Hurricanes at home twice. There’s a trip coming to see Texas A&M take on Florida as well. He’s also been hosted by Florida State for the Alabama game.
FSU head coach Mike Norvell came to see his game against Milton earlier this year. He beat Georgia’s Kirby Smart by a week. That was the first time a college head coach had been on the sidelines watching one of his games.
Jacobs also saw his recruiting rankings rise again this week. 247Sports took a lot of his play through the middle of the season and elevated him to the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit for 2027 for their rankings.
It is going to be a contested recruitment. That’s why it was important for UGA to continue elevating the experience for him every time he’s in Athens. Jacobs got the opportunity to go through the locker room before the game.
He was also on the field well in advance of the other recruits. Jacobs got to go down to the field for pregame with Georgia’s other 26 senior commitments, plus three more commits in the 2027 class who were all on hand for the game.
That stuff was great, but it was also the little things that stood out to him.
“It was great, man,” he said. “The atmosphere was amazing. The field before the game was awesome. Fans everywhere. The tailgate was awesome. Just hanging out with everyone. It was just amazing. It was awesome. Just a Georgia feel, you know?”
Georgia senior EDGE commitment Khamari Brooks has taken an interest in his recruitment. Brooks and Jacobs would play the same position in Athens, but the Dawgs are only signing one player at that spot this year. That’s to better build their case for how much Jacobs would be needed in 2027.
“We just kicked it, you know,” Jacobs said. “It was good. I had a great time.”
Assistant coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who coached that position for the Dawgs, has made a strong impression so far recruiting Jacobs and his family. Freshman TE Ethan Barbour also looms large as a key relationship in UGA’s chances.
“You know me and Ethan are boys,” DJ Jacobs said.
That’s to be expected with the Georgia staff. They’re working every angle. However, sometimes the fan base can leave its own impression.
“Fans on the street,” he said. “They were seeing ‘Hey, what’s up?’ to me and my family. There’s not more you could really ask for. Just showing me love. Keep in contact with me. That means a lot, too.”
Jacobs, like his father, has demonstrated considerable toughness. He suffered an injury in a game earlier this year and played in the next two games after it. He took last week off against Savannah Christian because it was a non-region game, but he would have played in that game if his coaches had let him.
Look for him to return this week against Kell in the region opener.
“The back is back,” he said. “The back is good.”
DJ Jacobs: He’s made a strong impression on the state this year
When Jacobs and his Class 4A team faced Class 5A Milton this year, it left a big impression on that football program. The Eagles have won state titles in Class 6A and 5A across the last two seasons.
“Jacobs is what we thought he was,” Milton coach Ben Reaves Jr. said. “Great player. Definitely deserves the national attention he gets.”
Milton has a pair of young tackles who can play for any school in America. Freshman Landon Ghea already has a UGA offer and already fits the profile of an elite senior prospect. Sophomore OT Josh Evans also has an early offer from the Dawgs.
They both had some wins against Jacobs.
“Happy with how our tackles adjusted as the game went on,” Reaves said. “Can’t practice against talent like that.”
Blessed Trinity defensive coordinator Chuck Goddard was even more effusive in his praise for his junior EDGE. The former UGA letterman has been coaching high school football for 37 years.
He says that former Cartersville RB Ronnie Brown is the only other high school player he has seen who compares to Jacobs. Brown went on to star at Auburn and was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Goddard coached a future All-Pac-10 defensive end, Chase Thomas, when he was at Walton. Thomas went on to play in the NFL after starring at Stanford.
“DJ is just a bigger form of him,” Goddard said, “He’s just an unbelievable athlete. He’s got a great motor. He’s the best I’ve ever seen that I can think of. I’ve been in two state championship games and a bunch of quarterfinal games. I feel like I’ve seen a bunch of players.”
“He just has a motor that is, well, he’s just relentless. It crosses over in the weight room, too. He will come lift weights after practice. Both he and Dawson just have a great work ethic. It is just kind of amazing.”
What is he looking for? The big thing is relationships.
“People that I can really talk to outside of football,” he said. “Also, to check up on me.”
The other thing that stands out about Jacobs is his aggressiveness.
“He has the wheels and the will to make plays on the other side of the field when the ball is run away from him,” Goddard said. “It is just the craziest thing. He has this internal engine that just goes and runs things down from the backside.”
DJ Jacobs: Miami has made an impression here
“Miami, man, it is awesome,” he said. “Just going down there. They show me love, man. Just going down. Seeing them play like that and seeing them get after it was awesome. That’s why I went down there twice, man. I just wanted to see what they are about. It is really nice down there. It is hot all the time. It rains a lot, but yeah, it is good. The coaches are great.”
“Just good people down there. That’s why I went back, and also Georgia, they are still in it. I mean, they’ve got great people on their coaching staff, too.”
Does Athens still feel like home?
“Oh yeah,” Jacobs said. “Going home with my Dad and stuff like that. It was awesome. They treated us amazingly. I know everyone was locked in for the game, but it sucks. It sucks that they lost. I thought they had it to be honest.”
“Athens is a great place, man. Yeah, obviously going back and stuff like that. I’m excited to get back for the Texas game.”
Jacobs shared the latest insight on the college plan for both him and his younger brother. The 247Sports Composite ranks the 15-year-old Dawson as the nation’s No. 11 DL and the No. 89 overall prospect for 2028.
Goodard also called Dawson “a warrior” for the ability he has shown so far at Blessed Trinity as a two-year starter. Jacobs joked, we think, that he’s so good that he’s going to have to play where Dawson wants to go.
All kidding aside, it sounds like there’s a plan there.
“We really want to play together,” DJ Jacobs said. “We really want to play with a team that treats us both equally. We’re definitely trying to play with each other. That’s definitely the goal and also our parents don’t care where we go.”
“We could go all the way to Hawaii. I mean. I don’t know about Hawaii. I think they will care about that.”
Check out DJ and Dawson’s season highlights so far.
Jacobs, the 2028 DT, is the second set of highlights here.
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)
