Georgia’s 2025 recruiting class took a notable hit early Saturday.

Justus Terry, a 5-star defensive lineman who pledged to UGA on Jan. 16, 2023, announced that he has flipped his commitment to USC. Terry made the big announcement in an Instagram post.

 

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Terry’s decommitment stings a bit extra, as he’s a Georgia kid. Kirby Smart has long prioritized in-state recruiting as the head coach of a major problem in one of the most talent-rich states.

A standout at Manchester (Georgia) High School, Terry is listed as measuring 6-5, 275 pounds. He is rated the No. 2 defensive lineman, No. 2 player in the Peach State and No. 8 prospect overall in the Class of 2025 on the 247Sports Composite.

Terry’s 247Sports profile notes that Dell McGee was his primary UGA recruiter. Earlier this year, McGee was hired as Georgia State’s new head coach.

No cause for panic

The old saying in college football recruiting was a recruitment isn’t over until the fax is in. While fax machines have been replaced, it’s still true that no recruitment is truly over until the Letter of Intent is signed and submitted.

Georgia won’t give up on recruiting an elite in-state talent like Terry. The December Early Signing Period is still over 8 months away, plenty of time to convince Terry to flip back to play for his home-state school.

Even if Terry sticks with USC, Georgia should be fine. No program manages to land all of its first-choice recruiting targets. Kirby Smart and his staff, though, have a way of loading up on the most talented players.

UGA signed the Composite’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2024. The Bulldogs finished No. 8 in the recruiting rankings for 2016, the transition class between Mark Richt’s departure and Smart’s hiring. Every class that has followed has finished in the Composite’s top 3.

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