Georgia has an intense football rivalry with Florida that is showcased every fall on the field, and it’s a special one.
But in mid-June, the Bulldogs and Gators have showcased a recruiting battle centered around 4-star offensive tackle Kennedee Jackson, who had been committed to Florida since June 2. That commitment took a massive turn as big as the 6-foot-6, 301-pounder himself, with the Lithonia, Ga., product announcing on Saturday that he has flipped his pledge from Florida to Georgia, meaning he’s now chosen to stay in his home state to start his college career.
Jackson told On3’s Hayes Fawcett of his intentions to head to Athens to play for Kirby Smart instead of Gainesville for the 2027 season.
It appeared that Florida was going to lure Jackson from the state of Georgia to a rival SEC state after Jackson took an official visit to Gainesville. But just 1 week later, Jackson visited Athens and shortly thereafter he had a change of heart and mind, and will now be wearing red and black in the fall of 2027 instead of orange and blue.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Jackson is currently the 112th-rated player overall in the Class of 2027. Georgia’s new prize is also the 12th-ranked offensive tackle in the class and the 8th-ranked player from the state of Georgia.
The Dawgs now have 14 commits in their 2027 recruiting class, which is currently ranked 20th in the country, according to those 247Sports Composite rankings.
Georgia and Florida are going head-to-head in recruiting right now, but soon the Bulldogs and Gators will be battling on the field for SEC supremacy. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the odds for the top teams in the SEC to bring home the conference trophy in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
