Georgia 'in a very good spot' for elite 4-star DL Aydin Breland

There seems to be no stopping Georgia on the recruiting trail. The Bulldogs are on pace to finish the 2024 cycle with the No. 1 recruiting class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking, further solidifying the dynasty that Kirby Smart is building in Athens.

The pledge list consists of 26 commits, 16 of whom are top-150 overall prospects, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Somehow, that isn’t the end of the road for the UGA staff this cycle, as there are still multiple high-end recruits on the board that are considering the Bulldogs.

One of, if not the most important name left uncommitted for Georgia is Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star defensive lineman Aydin Breland. The No. 36 prospect is set to announce his decision on Oct. 14, choosing between UGA, Miami and Oregon. DawgsHQ recruiting insider Jake Rowe spoke with On3’s Josh Newberg to break down where the Bulldogs stand with the elite lineman.

“All signs right now point toward Georgia being in that catbird seat,” Rowe said. “It’s tough to really nail down recruitments now, because everybody’s got a card to play … but I think Georgia going into these final 10 days or so is in a very good spot.”

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Bulldogs had final visit with Breland before commitment

Breland took official visits to all three finalists in June, but opted to return to Athens for a game visit on Sept. 16. In total, he’s made five documented trips and could be in line to join his Mater Dei teammate, four-star running back Nathaniel Frazier, who pledged to the Bulldogs on Aug. 6.

“They got that last visit. They got the unofficial visit. They got the voluntary visit … he chose to visit Georgia during his bye week. That was a big step,” Rowe said. “Nate Frazier did the same thing over the summer and that was part of the reason that combining that with what you were hearing behind the scenes was why you liked Georgia for him … with every day that goes past, and you don’t hear anything to the contrary, you feel more confident in Georgia’s chances.”

It’s a tight race for the 6-foot-4.5, 300-pounder, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Georgia has the slight edge at 26.7%, while Oregon and Miami are at 20.1% and 14.4%, respectively. Despite them being in third, Rowe sees the Hurricanes as the bigger threat to Georgia rather than Oregon.

“My gut feeling says Miami is probably the biggest challenger to Georgia at this particular moment,” Rowe said. “I think he does want to get away — coming out of that Georgia official visit in June, Miami was the team that was really laying in the weeds there and folks felt like that’s the team you’ve got to watch out for.”

Aydin Breland Scouting Summary

“Aydin Breland is a pass-rushing defensive lineman with rare movement skills for his size. Measured in at around 6-foot-4.5, 320 pounds in the off-season prior to his senior season. Has good length for the position with arms over 33 inches. Has a naturally large frame, with his weight fluctuating between 280 and 320 pounds for most of his high school career. Typically lines up at defensive end for SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei. Moves like a much smaller player. Pushes the pocket with his speed to power. Bowls offensive tackles into the backfield on contact. Has the strength to stack and shed linemen to make plays against the run. Tracks down plays with his notable pursuit athleticism.

…Punishes offenses for leaving him unblocked. Also participates in track and field. Turned in a personal best throw of 46-6 feet in the shot put as a sophomore. Works as a rotational player for Mater Dei and is not as productive as most other blue chip defensive linemen to this point. Finished his junior season with 24 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Older for the cycle, turning 19 years old in January of his senior year.”

Breland has an On3 NIL Valuation of $159K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.