Georgia added a major recruit in the 2025 class with the in-state commitment at cornerback.
It took a group effort to close the deal for 4-star cornerback Jontae Gilbert, but close the deal Georgia did.
On Saturday, the Douglass-Atlanta (Ga.) standout announced his college decision. His final visit tipped what his choice would be. Gilbert committed to Georgia over other programs like NC State and Georgia Tech.
Gilbert spoke with Dawgs247 about the decision, and it was a conversation with Kirby Smart at the end of July that helped seal the deal.
“Yes, I worked out. But it was the talk with Kirby that really opened my eyes,” Gilbert told Dawgs247. “He kept it straightforward with me. He said he wanted me. He said he wanted and he needed me there. He talked about a couple guys leaving next year in that cornerback room, so he’ll need me and [cornerback commit] Shamari [Earls] and other guys.”
The turning point for Gilbert and Georgia came on May 31.
Gilbert had been recruited by Georgia for the last several year. He had previous contact with Georgia coaches, including Will Muschamp, Glenn Schumann, and Fran Brown. But the most significant push from the Bulldogs came after his camp workout with Smart, Donte Williams, and Travaris Robinson.
From that moment forward, it was clear to Gilbert he was a priority target.
“Really, I went to the camp. I did great at the camp. Coach Smart was really impressed with me. That was great. We talked for an hour after the camp, saying what he liked about me, what I needed to work on, which I really liked because he kept it honest with me. That was all really good.”
During that camp, Gilbert ran a 4.51, eliminating any doubt about his ability to play cornerback at Georgia.
“There was some speculation saying I could run, that I couldn’t cover, stuff like that. I came there to prove I could do what people were saying I couldn’t do. It felt good,” he said. “Coach Smart really likes that I compete at a high level. He told me he wants to surround himself with people that like to compete.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback will split time as a boundary corner and nickel at Georgia. His primary recruiter has been Donte Williams, who recruited him back when he was at USC.
“To him, when he was at USC, I was the No. 1 guy he wanted,” Gilbert said. “That relationship with Coach Donte played a big part.”
With Gilbert’s commitment, Georgia’s Class of 2025 now sits at 23 commitments, including defensive back pledges from Gilbert, Earls, Todd Robinson, Jaylan Morgan, and Rashad Johnson. That puts Georgia at an over team score of 291.77 in the 247Sports Team Rankings, leapfrogging LSU back into the No. 3 spot behind Ohio State and Alabama.