This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 4-star Justin Weeks at Douglas County High School. He ranks as the nation’s No. 24 DL and the No. 190 overall prospect for 2027 on the 247Sports Composite. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 22 EDGE and No. 196 overall.
The Bulldogs hired a Georgia native in Larry Knight this week. Knight’s main charge will be enabling the UGA pass rush to get more QBs on the ground in 2026.
Yet with any Kirby Smart hire, there will be a significant recruiting emphasis tied to Knight’s duties in Athens.
He’ll be tasked with making sure the Dawgs sign in-state priority targets like Justin Weeks.
Weeks, who recently transferred from Pace Academy to Douglas County, is an intriguing prospect. He’s rated as a DL by 247Sports, but Rivals has him at EDGE.
Former Georgia assistant Chidera Uzo-Diribe had been his primary recruiter. That naturally lends itself to Knight taking over his recruiting.
That said, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Weeks has a frame built for everything, even though his favorite part of the game is not putting QBs in the dirt.
“Stopping the run,” Weeks said. “I don’t know. I just love being in the middle of the fight and getting into it. Like I love getting to the quarterback, but going in there and hitting pullers and stuff, stopping the run. I really enjoy that. Being physical.”
With an answer like that, it is no wonder that he’s been a good fit for the Georgia staff in his process. He’s consistently shouted out the Dawgs as one of his top schools along with Ohio State over the last year of his recruitment.
That answer reflects what Kirby Smart’s Georgia program has always tried to develop at the EDGE spot. The complete football player. See Nolan Smith. See Azeez Ojulari. See Mykel Williams. Not just the pass rush ninja.
Weeks was in Athens for the final “Junior Day” weekend last month. His schedule was limited, but he wanted to squeeze that trip in.
He didn’t get to do the day-in-the-life program, but he got good face time with the UGA staff. Weeks also answered his trivia question about the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” during that competitive period.
“Knew it was Auburn and Georgia,” he said. “Got that one right.”
What feeling did that visit leave him with?
“I definitely felt it was more intimate,” he said. “Definitely built a connection with the coaches. Especially Coach [Chidrea] Uzo-Diribe. I don’t know if you saw that, but he went to the Dallas Cowboys. But when I was there, I definitely built a deep connection with him and also the assistant OLBs coach and Coach Smart.”
“We all talked a lot and it just felt really intimate to me.”
Weeks wasn’t worried about the merits of the coach Smart would hire to replace Uzo-Diribe.
“I know Georgia wouldn’t get anybody or a coach who’s just somebody,” he said prior to the Knight hire. “I know they would get somebody who really wants to win and really wants to help kids.”
The 4-star in 2027 has picked up the nickname “Too Tall” early in his career. The Dawgs project him to play multiple roles, but there’s one chief spot at this stage of his recruitment. That 6-foot-6 frame and 245 pounds scream versatility.
“Probably more of an EDGE,” he said. “As of right now, but once I put more weight on, probably maybe also the ‘5′ technique or the ‘7′ technique."
There are a few reasons why Georgia has prioritized him.
“One, it is my length,” he said. “I definitely use my arms a lot when it comes to getting off blocks and stuff and they see how explosive I am. Coach Diribe actually compared me to Mykel Williams. He loved my explosiveness and how I get off the ball.”
Weeks will be tested daily at Douglas County. He will match up in drills with 6-foot-9 major Georgia OT target Joshua Sam-Epelle.
“That will definitely be a challenge,” Weeks said. “Coming from Pace Academy, I definitely didn’t see anybody that size to go against in practice every day.”
Check out his junior tape below.
Justin Weeks: What is he looking for in college?
Weeks keeps it rather simple with his ideal college fit.
“Definitely a place I can call home,” he said. “Like a place I can call my second home. I definitely feel that with some schools. Then, really, a place where I can compete at the top level. Not just be there and play. I want to win.”
Georgia and Ohio State remain the “OGs” of his recruitment.
“I definitely want to add Tennessee and Miami for sure,” he said. “I’m definitely trying to go down there to Miami to see it, but Georgia and Ohio State for sure. They’re really up there for me.”
He’s said that Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and Miami are likely to get his official visits. Look for him to make his college commitment known sometime in July.
“I want to do Georgia in the springtime for the official visit,” Weeks said. “I’ve got my eyes on sometime in April or something like that.”
What makes Georgia different in his eyes?
“I’ve been watching their practices for a long time,” he said. “I just really like the way they practice and the way they develop players there. I like the way they coach. It is very different from a lot of the other schools. It is very intense. It is what I need and what I want in a school.”
Weeks has an NFL dream, but also a couple of family dreams. It begins with his younger brother Jordan Weeks.
“My little brother has autism,” he said. “I want to start a non-profit program for autistic kids.”
That’s a noble calling, but he also plays the game for family reasons. When asked about his “why” for the game, he brought up his mother, Rose Weeks.
“My why is my family because they motivate me a whole lot,” he said. “Definitely my Mom. She works day and night trying to get us what we need. Necessities and what we want. I really feel like I’ve got to pay her back with what I’m doing right now. I’m really doing this for my family just trying to focus on what I need to do.”
He will also be the first member of his family to play college ball.
“That’s really important to me,” he said. “I don’t want to let anybody down. I feel like I need to go to college, like I really want to, but I feel like I need to for everybody in my family.”
Have you seen this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly recruiting special yet? Check it out.
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