This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 4-star RB Jae Lamar of Colquitt County High School. He ranks as the nation’s No. 8 RB and the No. 107 overall prospect for 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the No. 9 RB and No. 122 overall.
MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Georgia football program has now picked up a new commitment off the recruiting trail for the fourth straight day. Jae Lamar, the nation’s No. 8 RB prospect, chose the Dawgs over strong pursuit from Auburn, Clemson and Miami, among others.
On the surface, this home state pull from the South Georgia red clay means more than just the 21st commitment of the 2026 class. The Dawgs added an offensive weapon that fits the James Cook mold type of big-play. Lamar can be an SEC home run hitter in space.
This commitment also stands out for a few reasons:
- Lamar is the first RB pledge in this class after the Dawgs only signed one RB (3-star Bo Walker) in the last cycle.
- He adds some elite abiity to the RB room. The belief today is that Lamar will go on to sign with UGA. When he does, he will be only the second RB in the room, to go along with sophomore Nate Frazier, who was ranked as a top 10 national high school prospect at RB.
- It is a big win on the recruiting trail for second-year running backs coach Josh Crawford.
- The Dawgs went head-to-head with Miami and came away with the recruiting win for a player who grew up dreaming of playing for the Dawgs. Georgia was his dream school and he took the time to look around and see what everyone had to offer, but still came back to the homestate team.
- Lamar’s decision also serves as the highest-rated prospect to choose the Dawgs in the current streak of four straight days of seeing a new Dawg join the 2026 class.
“Growing up, I’ve always been a Dawg fan,” he said during the ceremony. “But I didn’t want to make this decision on being a fan. I wanted to actually go and view my opportunities because right when I got offered, I wanted to commit.”
Lamar came out to his ceremony in a red and black shirt. When he entered the cafeteria at Colquitt County High School for his ceremony, he had several Georgia rubber bands on his left wrist.
When he made the decision known in front of his family and community, it wasn’t long before he was swept up with emotion. He shed real tears about being in the spot to play for Georgia.
“I just thank God, man,” Lamar said. “I’m honestly speechless about this day. But man, I’m ready to go and play in college, man. I’m ready to go out and play for the University of Georgia. I’m going to stop all this crying.”
When he was asked on the national feed about what Georgia fans can expect seeing him in Athens, he gave a most viral answer.
“They better get ready to see me in that [end] zone, baby,” he said. “I’m telling you.”
Lamar was in his first season of varsity football last fall. He finished with 885 yards on 112 carries last fall. He was in a rotation with a couple of veteran backs but still averaged 7.9 yards per carry with BIG games against Lee County, Lowndes and Tift County.
He finished with 11 touchdowns and he has been laser-timed at sub 4.4 seconds in the 40. He’s 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs around 205 pounds.
“Jae” is actually short for Ty’jaevian. There’s something about a South Georgia back that his coaching staff gives him the No. 34 jersey. Still.
The Class of 2026 breakout literally says he “hates” getting tackled. He loves the physicality of football running between the tackles and yet has the ability to break it outside on anyone.
Why was it Georgia? The answer can be traced back to one of his first interviews with DawgNation.
“Georgia is my dream team,” he told DawgNation last October. “I have always wanted to play at Georgia [with] the great backs that come from there. You know Todd Gurley. There’s a lot of great backs out there and I think that it fits me there.”
Check out his junior film below:
Jae Lamar: The story you need to know
Lamar didn’t play those first two seasons of high school ball because he was a young man who was getting into too much trouble for his own good.
He wasn’t eligible to play football because he couldn’t stay out of trouble.
“Man, coming up I was a troubled child,” Jae Lamar said. “I mean, I honestly thank God for what he has done for me in the past few years, you know? Just because of the simple fact of if I was able to play football and keep doing what I had to do on the football field and be a troubled child, I would not be in the position I am today.”
He’s not proud of those reasons and owns up to them.
“I feel like God makes no mistakes about what he does,” Lamar said. “He’s had my life planned out great, you know?”
That full story can be found 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)
