Georgia announces signing of elite CB A.J. Harris
Georgia went through with the formality and announced the signing of Central (Phenix City, Ala.) cornerback A.J. Harris on Wednesday, the first day of the 2023 Early Signing Period. Harris arrived to the UGA campus this weekend and began working with the team, meaning he was locked in days before his signing was announced.
Harris is one of nine 2023 signees who have already joined the team for Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl practices. Those players will not be able to travel with the team to the College Football Semifinal matchup with Ohio State on December 31 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN).
Fran Brown, Georgia’s defensive backs coach, and Dell McGee, the running backs coach, ran point on Harris’ recruitment. He committed to the Bulldogs back in June, approximately two weeks after taking an official visit to Athens.
At 6-foot-1 190 pounds, Harris is the nation’s No. 37 oveall prospect and No. 3 cornerback according to the industry-generated On3 Consensus, which equally weights the rankings of three other outlets plus the On3 in-house rankings. Harris is the No. 4 player in Alabama.
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“Polished, developed defensive back with positional versatility. Has good stature and size, checking in at 6-foot-1 and around 180 pounds prior to his junior season. A smooth mover and shows some technical refinement to his game. Coordinated and looks to have good ball skills for the position. Was a top performer at The Opening Finals prior to his junior season, showing anticipation and ball skills in picking off a number of passes while lined up as a safety. Played subpar competition at a small private school prior to transferring to a powerhouse public school as a senior. Has not shown high-end long speed to this point and may be best fit as a safety long-term, despite being considered as a cornerback prospect to this juncture.” — On3 Scouting
Harris is the crown jewel of a large, impressive defensive back haul in the 2023 class. Georgia came into the day with Harris and four-star prospects Chris Peal and Justyn Rhett committed at cornerback plus four-star safety Joenel Aguero at safety. It was also trending to land two more defensive backs in Kyron Jones, who is listed as a running back, and Daniel Harris, a one-time UGA pledge who is poised to jump back into the Bulldogs 2023 class.
Georgia will lose fifth-year senior safety Christopher Smith at season’s end. It is almost certain to lose redshirt sophomore cornerback Kelee Ringo as well. The UGA staff also appears to be bracing for some attrition via the NCAA’s student-athlete transfer portal at that position.
Kirby Smart and company currently sport the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class, trailing only Alabama. The Bulldogs had 23 commitments coming into signing day with a chance to add around four prospects before the three-day stretch is over.
