Georgia HC Kirby Smart visits 4-star OL Mason Short hours after Alabama decommitment

Georgia has a number of big-time football recruits inside its own state this cycle, especially along the offensive and defensive lines.

One of those major targets this cycle is Evans (Ga.) four-star offensive lineman Mason Short. He chose the Crimson Tide in April 2023 over Georgia, but announced his decommitment on Tuesday after the departure of head coach Nick Saban and offensive line coach Eric Wolford.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart wasted no time getting in front of the hulking 6-foot-5, 300-pounder, taking a helicopter to his high school on Tuesday morning.

Prior to that, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye made the trip from Columbus down to Georgia to visit Short in person at his school.

The Big Dawg came in today to Evans!@MasonShort_ @KirbySmartUGA @EHSKnightsFB @UGAfootballLive @AthleticsEvans @RustyMansell_ @jeffsentell @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/O959jThEHE

— Barrett Davis (@barrettdavis4) January 16, 2024

Bulldogs have been unrelenting in their pursuit

Despite his commitment to the Crimson Tide, Short continued to hear from other programs. And with his primary recruiter leaving, he thought it best to reopen his recruitment.

“First off I would like to thank God for the blessings in my life and the opportunities I’ve been given,” he told Fawcett. “I would also like to thank Coach Saban and the coaching staff at Alabama for an amazing two years. With that being said I am reopening recruitment.”

Prying him away from the in-state Bulldogs will be tough though, as they’ve put the full-court press on him this fall. That includes inviting him to multiple UGA games and making him feel like a top priority in this cycle.

“They have told me they love my film this year,” Short told BamaOnLine in November regarding the UGA staff. “They’ll always tell me ‘you must think we’re stupid in believing you are going to sign with Alabama.’ They think they have a good chance to flip me.

… I have a good relationship with Coach Searles and Coach Smart. Coach Smart calls me a lot. He texts me a lot. I am not only hearing from them; I hear it the hallways at my school from teachers and other students. I hear something about UGA at least once a day.”