Ellis Robinson nears in on decision; Chad Simmons discusses UGA

Georgia is already off to a strong start in the 2024 recruiting class, and the Bulldogs’ group could get even better a week from today. The nation’s No. 1 cornerback Ellis Robinson announced he’ll be making a commitment on February 1st, and Georgia currently holds the advantage according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Per the RPM, Kirby Smart and company have a 50.4% chance to land him ahead of second-place Alabama (43.4%). On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons discussed both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide recently with Josh Newberg on The Inside Scoop On3 Football Recruiting Show.

“To Georgia, the connection to Fran Brown. He knew Fran Brown from his time at Rutgers before he got to Georgia. Since he got to Georgia, they’ve really blossomed and gotten to know each other. They talk about a lot of things outside of football. Of course he’s been to both Bama and Georgia multiple times. He feels good around the environment, the coaching staff, the players there. You can’t count out Coach Prime and Colorado, but I think Alabama and Georgia are trending at the top.”

Simmons got a chance to see Robinson in person this past weekend at the Battle 7on7 tournament in Miami.

“I’ve had the pleasure to watch Ellis at least probably six or seven times since April of last year going back to the IMG private workouts, seeing him at spring practice and then seeing IMG play twice this season. This weekend as well. Ellis never disappoints,” Simmons said. “There’s something about him. Obviously on the hoof he’s 6-foot-1, super long arms, can turn and run. He’s shown he can play on and off coverages. He can be physical when he needs to. He tracks the ball extremely well. I love the attitude and mentality he plays with. It’s just very quiet confidence. He doesn’t yap it up a lot. He doesn’t talk. He wants to learn, he focuses on his task at hand. Whoever is front of him, he wants to shut him down. It’s not about getting in his head so much talking trash, look at me look at me. It’s about letting my work speak for itself. To me, I love to watch that kind of guy. When you’re that talented with that kind of an X on your chest, to kind of make your mark very quietly but no balls thrown that direction and when they are, they’re typically batted down or picked off. To me, just his play and the way he goes about the business says a lot about who he is.”

Simmons said that Robinson has told him since the beginning, ‘When I know, I know.’ That’s the case he believes with this decision coming next week. While the 2024 prospect is announcing his commitment on signing day for the Class of 2023, Simmons said he’s been trending towards a decision the last few months and acted as if he would be surprised to see Robinson carry this on much longer.

High School Scouting Summary

Ball-hawking defensive back with elite length and ability to make plays on the ball as a high school underclassman. Dominated competition in New York’s Catholic league as a sophomore, bringing in eight interceptions. Made several impressive, acrobatic picks. Has advanced ball skills as a cornerback, which he pairs with outstanding length. Measured in at 5-foot-11.5, 169 pounds with a 6-foot-7 wing-span prior to his junior season. Also tests as a very good athlete, running a 4.56 second electronically-timed 40-yard dash. Transferred to IMG Academy for his junior season and should see an uptick in competition as a high school upperclassman. – Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting

Robinson would add to Georgia’s already-ranked No. 2 class in the country with the Bulldogs having eight commits on board. Tight end Landen Thomas, the No. 1 player for his position according to the On3 Consensus, leads the way with a couple of defensive backs not far behind him. St. John Bosco safety Peyton Woodyard committed to Georgia on January 7th just days before safety Jaylen Heyward did the same less than a week later on the 13th. Woodyard and Heyward come in at No. 34 and No. 42 overall respectively and are joined by fellow top-50 commits linebacker Demarcus Riddick (No. 43) and wide receiver Ny Carr (No. 49) in the class. Running back Tovani Mizell, quarterback Ryan Puglisi and wide receiver Sacovie White round things out.