UGA Football News
5-Star WR Demetris Robertson’s decision could come soon
The talent was on display in early January at the Army All-American Army Bowl game, and many schools have been vying for his services for quite some time. But that has heated up significantly since Demetris Robertson (5-11.75, 175) showed what he can do on the big stage.
Traditionally, a player would sign his letter of intent on National Signing Day, but Robertson decided to stall his decision due to his unfinished high school basketball decision and re-taking the SAT multiple times in order to visit Stanford. He and his family place a heavy emphasis on academics, so the potential of attending a school with an academic prestige such as Stanford appealed to Robertson’s family.
Georgia and Kirby Smart have been contenders for Robertson’s services throughout his entire recruiting process, and they may have taken a slight lead in the closing stages.
Robertson, who plays for Savannah Christian Prep, signed a financial agreement with Georgia on Sunday, giving him unlimited communication with the school. A tweet released by Smart shows the two have signed the agreement, because publicizing the name of an unsigned player would be ruled a violation.
@d_rob4 great having you and your family in Athens! #CommitToTheG pic.twitter.com/TAxpI1oCUI
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) March 20, 2016
Robertson has also signed financial agreements with Georgia Tech and Cal-Berkeley, so this is not a letter of intent by any means and does not mean he has narrowed down his options. He is also expected to sign these agreements with other contenders Alabama and Notre Dame. It’s solely for the purpose of putting ink to paper and gaining that sense of unlimited communication with these universities.
The reason I say this recruiting saga may be on its way to a close is due to the timing of events. Robertson’s trip to Athens will be one of his last, and he hopes to make his decision a few weeks before he would reach campus.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Robertson’s trip to Athens went well as expected with it being one of his final scheduled visits. The academic aspect of each of his contending universities plays a big role in which school he decides to attend, as previously mentioned. According to Jeff Sentell from the AJC’s DawgNation, the family met with university president Jere W. Morehead on the Terry College of Business for over an hour and came away very impressed.
Academics may be the primary concern for the family, but the athletic aspect has a significant impact on his decision as well, as a future in the NFL could very well be prevalent. In the same interview with the AJC, his older brother and guardian Carlos said that they were very impressed with the organization of the program, and that it resembled a “well-oiled machine.”
Kirby Smart caught on to the family’s enjoyment on his visit and began a sales pitch to Robertson. His method of conveying Robertson was somewhat unique, as he linked back to the success of others at Georgia in hopes that it would click with him in order to make Georgia the right fit.
“A big sell for me was to go back and look at the guys I played with in the mid to late 90s that didn’t make NFL rosters,” Smart told reporters during a spring practice press conference on Tuesday. “I don’t want to hear about Hines Ward or Robert Edwards, or whoever the pro first-rounders – tell me how the guys are doing that didn’t make it in the NFL. We went and did an intensive study and found guys who are doing well and are successful in different fields.”
Smart went on to say that Georgia is actively pursuing the five-star due to the team’s need for speed, and the talent of Robertson would bring that to his team.
The impression by the family leads me to believe that Robertson will soon narrow down his choices, and a signing day type announcement should be expected soon. Georgia could very well be Robertson’s answer that many around college football conglomerate are waiting for.