This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting has the latest with 5-star TE prospect Kaiden Prothro. He ranks as the nation’s No. 4 TE and the No. 37 overall prospect for 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the No. 3 TE and No. 26 overall.
Let’s rewind the clock three months. When the heat of the official visit season for the 2026 class was kicking off, the Georgia football program was a major contender for the following 5-star recruits.
LB Tyler Atkinson. RB Derrek Cooper. DL James Johnson. TE Kaiden Prothro.
Texas was also in play for each of those talented prospects, too. The Longhorns were eventually able to lasso Atkinson, Cooper and Johnson into their 2026 class. Texas came into the Peach State to land Atkinson even flipped Johnson away from the nation’s No. 1 class.
Cooper was briefly committed to UGA and seriously considered returning to the class.
It is not often that Georgia goes 1-for-4 in a head-to-head with another SEC program for players the program had prioritized.
As it turns out, the Longhorns tried to make it a clean sweep. They almost did.
Clarence Prothro, his father, said that Texas made a “significant offer” to try to sign him. Prothro confirmed Texas finished up behind Georgia as his No. 2 school.
“They made a significant offer to him,” his father said. “From the get-go, the whole recruiting process, we always said it wasn’t about the money. It was about the best place for him that is going to develop him and get him to the next level.”
“Money wasn’t really a concern in that aspect.”
The 5-star from Bowdown High School sounds set on going to UGA.
“I’d probably say I am done done,” he said. “I’d say I am locked in with Georgia. Just trying to focus on the season. Get right for the season and finish off with a bang.”
Prothro will be in Athens a lot this fall. He echoed the same sentiment that 5-star QB Jared Curtis told The Tennessean this month.
“I’m going to be at every Georgia home game,” he said. “I should be at every one.”
That said, his runner-up was Texas.
“Just the things they do there are similar to what Georgia does,” Kaiden Prothro said. “Texas is a good program, just like Georgia, but at the end of the day, I’d just say that Georgia works harder than them and just did all the right things.”
He acknowledged the offer from Texas, but said he didn’t feel any pressure.
“They offered what they offered, and at the end of the day, it is just what is best for me and who is going to develop me the best.”
Prothro said he knew he would be a Dawg a week after his official visit. The Prothro family even thought about shutting down his recruitment, but opted to take all of his planned official visits.
That included the OV to Texas. The Lamborghini rides were all out that weekend. Truth be told, they’d have done better with Prothro by lining up a few of the luxury automaker’s SUV models.
There was a moment on the Florida official visit when Prothro let the way he was leaning slip out. It was at breakfast.
“It looks like we are going to be going to a lot of Georgia games,” Kaiden Prothro told his father.
That was the first little sign he’d ever given his Dad. Those two didn’t go into much detail about his recruiting thoughts during the process for the family.
“That was when I most likely knew after the Florida visit,” Kaiden Prothro said. “Just ready to get the recruitment process over and just lock in with a team that is great. Just what they do there. Just going to a lot of visits, I narrowed it down and knew that Georgia was the best fit for me.”
The Longhorns were his last official visit.
The Prothro family said Georgia, especially tight ends coach Todd Hartley, really sold them on the program on his first official visit.
Hartley’s presentation was especially moving, his father said.
“Just Hartley breaking me down with the film and seeing what they do there and what they develop there and the talent they have there,” Kaiden Prothro said. “It is just unlike any other I feel like, and the people there are just awesome. They really care for you, and they really want you to get to where you need to be.”
TE or WR: The latest thoughts for Kaiden Prothro
Prothro has had more time to think about his future college position. For the longest stretch of his recruitment, the family put a lot of stock into something Kirby Smart told them earlier this year.
It would hinge on his body growth. He currently weighs about 218 pounds. If the 6-foot-6 Prothro doesn’t get much bigger than the 230 or 235-pound mark, he’ll likely flex more to a receiver spot.
If he bulks up into the 245 or 255-pound range, he’d likely spend most of his time with his hand on the ground at TE.
He did admit that thought does enter his mind when he’s hunched over a delicious meal.
“Well, really, I kind of do want to be a tight end,” he said. “I feel like I would do better things there and just the [future] opportunity in the league and what they have there at Georgia, of course, in the tight end room, is just awesome.”
Hartley has told Prothro he’s excited and can’t wait to have him in Athens.
“He just told me to trust him and I’ll go where I need to be,” Kaiden Prothro said.
It sounds like Prothro is on the right track. For him to maximize his long-term NFL potential, his best future position will be at tight end. It will be a bigger matchup advantage there for him against safeties and linebackers, rather than trying to get open against cornerbacks regularly.
Have you seen this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly recruiting special on YouTube yet? Check it out below
SENTELL’S INTEL
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