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Elite 2026 safety Jireh Edwards visits Georgia

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•02/01/25•

HunterShelton_

Jired Edwards Georgia
Photo: On3Sports

Last month, Georgia was included in the top five for Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star safety Jireh Edwards, one of the top defensive backs in the 2026 cycle.

This weekend, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder is in Athens spending time around head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. UGA is looking to leap toward the very top of Edwards’ recruitment as he also considers Oregon, Auburn, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

Earlier this week, Georgia safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson went in-home with Edwards. The blue-chipper told On3’s Steve Wiltfong that the visit went “great” and that Robinson was “a coach he would play for.”

“UGA is a great program with an amazing culture that Coach Kirby Smart is building,” Edwards said.

Last weekend, Edwards visited Auburn. That trip to The Plains left the Tigers high on his list. Hugh Freeze and his staff just signed three players from St. Frances Academy and have another committed in the 2026 class in three-star safety Wayne Henry.

Making an early impact is important for Edwards. He’s looking to make an immediate splash at wherever he lands and that’s factoring into his recruiting process.

“Making an impact as a true freshman, seeing what guys like Caleb Downs did and what JJ Smith did and are doing as a true freshman is the type of impact I want to make in college football,” Edwards told On3.

Edwards is the No. 37 overall prospect and No. 4 safety in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in Maryland.

Georgia already building top 2026 recruiting class

The Dawgs closed January with a bang, landing a commitment from IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star safety Zech Fort on Friday. The No. 101 recruit is the third four-star prospect to join the 2026 UGA class to date.

“Since I visited Georgia when they played Tennessee, I knew it,” Fort told On3. “Seeing what Georgia was like and what they represent as a team as a program, we represent a lot of the same things.”

Tustin (Calif.) Mission Viejo four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford headlines the pledge list, checking in as the No. 75 recruit and No. 13 WR in the cycle. Spafford, Fort and Jonesboro (Ga.) four-star cornerback Jontavius Wyman are all top-15 players at their respective positions.

Saline (Mich.) three-star tight end Lincoln Keyes and Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern defensive lineman Seven Cloud round out the class, which ranks No. 10 early on in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.