LILBURN — Cortez Smith has committed to Georgia football.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pound rising senior announced his decision this afternoon in front of a packed fellowship hall.
“I’m going to Georgia,” Smith told DawgNation earlier this week. “I made the decision a couple of days ago. Actually, it was during my official visit, a few days after it ended.”
Smith’s recruitment journey saw some twists and turns. Miami showed strong interest, followed by a big push from South Carolina, and an impressive pitch from Georgia Tech.
So why Georgia? For Smith, it starts with the rigorous environment in Athens.
“It’s the community behind it,” he said. “They focus on you as a person, ensuring everyone receives the same attention in finances, education, resources, and health. The University of Georgia specializes in providing all these resources to everyone equally.”
Smith had been leaning towards Georgia for a while, reflected in his dedication to training and becoming a reliable center, following in the footsteps of Georgia’s All-American Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.
DawgNation first noticed Smith’s potential when he started as a center in 2021, as a true freshman.
Smith, now 16, was just 13 when he began starting.
“I liked the idea of starting,” Smith said. “But I had never played center before.”
Credit goes to the Parkview staff for their foresight. Despite never snapping in games, they transitioned him into the role just two weeks prior.
“That was not enough time to teach me how to snap,” he said. “For real.”
They didn’t ask him to identify the ‘Mike’ backer or set protections.
“They just said ‘Snap and do your job’ because we had a lot of seniors,” Smith said. “I was like the puppy.”
Watching that tape now, Smith shakes his head.
“I know the snaps were bad,” he said. “Not the greatest. But I did pretty decent considering I just started snapping a week ago.”
Smith was better than decent. He played winning football at 13 in Georgia’s largest classification in Gwinnett County.
He won’t turn 17 until October, meaning he will still be 17 when he first steps onto Dooley Field in the fall of 2025 wearing red and black.
“I’m really excited,” Smith said. “Many think I won’t be able to play at this school, that I’ll just be a number. But I feel I can work hard and achieve something great.”
Smith knows what to expect in Athens.
“It came down to how they can make me the best person and football player possible,” Smith said. “How I will feel being there and enjoying college.”
Georgia is gaining an exceptional individual. Smith did something unique at his high school commitment ceremony. He greeted and thanked everyone who arrived early to his event.
“That’s the first time we’ve seen something like that at a commitment ceremony,” Parkview head coach Joe Sturdivant said.
The first real good story we want to share about Cortez Smith
If it seems like there’s a story of achievement to tell with Smith, it’s because there is.
He received over 25 offers, ultimately choosing from a final group of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, and South Carolina.
Smith is a rare four-year starter in GHSA 7A football. Watching him play, the word “explosive” comes to mind, a quality not always seen, even among 4-star offensive linemen.
Smith also excels in track and field. This past spring, as an early enrollee, he won the 7A state title in shot put with a throw of 56 feet, 2 inches, and finished second in discus with a throw of 167 feet, 4 inches.
Smith’s athletic achievements are impressive, but there’s much to learn from how he handles setbacks.
When he took second in discus, he came from behind with a near state-title effort on his last throw.
“I came in second-to-lowest,” Smith said. “Surprised everybody with a big throw. Got second. Lost on the last throw. It was one of the biggest jumps in the last decade.”
Smith’s resilience was also evident after a tough game against Archer last fall. On a rainy Friday night, a bad snap by Smith led to Archer gaining possession and scoring the winning touchdown. Smith felt responsible for the loss, though no single play determines a game.
“The resiliency he showed the week after was amazing,” Parkview offensive line coach Brian Lane said. “He graded out at 96 percent the following Friday. He had a chip on his shoulder all week and didn’t let that moment define him.”
Smith was dominant in the next game, a tight 28-21 win against Newton.
“He came to work the next week, put that behind him, and grew from that moment,” Lane said. “After the game, I looked him in the eyes and said, ‘Dude, you had the best game. I don’t think you could have been any better.’ He executed perfectly. He’s very resilient. Most of the time he’s the ‘Alpha’ and dominating, but I was very proud of him in that moment.”
“I think he took the blame for that Archer game. He said, ‘That was my fault,’ and the next game he blew everybody up.”
The second real good story we want to share about Cortez Smith
Smith has joined Georgia’s 2025 football class as the 21st commitment. The four-year starter from Parkview High in Metro Atlanta is now the highest-rated recruit among the three Georgia prospects committed to Stacy Searels’ “Great Wall of Georgia” class.
He is the eighth-highest-rated prospect in the 2025 class in Athens, with only three offensive players rated higher.
Smith first caught Georgia’s attention at a summer camp before his junior season, where he pancaked a current UGA freshman defensive lineman, showcasing his strength and skill. Since then, the Bulldogs have kept a close eye on him, with Searels playing a significant role in his recruitment.
“He’s definitely going to push me to the max,” Smith said. “He doesn’t take it easy on anyone.”
Parkview staff also hold Smith in high regard. Head coach Joe Sturdivant, who was hired in March 2023, was quickly impressed by Smith’s commitment.
“Since I’ve been here, Cortez hasn’t missed a single workout, voluntary lift, afternoon workout, track practice, or shot put practice,” Sturdivant said. “He hasn’t missed a thing. To me, that’s a football player.”
“That’s a guy who takes care of business. When it comes to projecting his future, I’m confident he’ll be successful. He’ll walk into a college meeting room with his notepad, ready every day. That’s essential for being a great football player.”
Smith’s leadership skills are also evident.
“He hustles every time. He’s always here. When he talks, everyone listens. His biggest growth has been in leadership. Combine that with his athletic ability and how well he moves, it’s impressive,” Sturdivant said.
Smith’s leadership is his greatest contribution to Parkview.
“As a football player, he’s a road grader. He can move. In our pro-style offense, he can reach a ‘3’ technique, which is challenging but he does it,” Sturdivant said.
In an offense like the Denver Broncos’ wide zone scheme, made famous by Alex Gibbs for Mike Shanahan, Smith can get to that ‘3’ tech from center in an “Over” front.
“I would show a play where he’s taking that guy and knocking him into the ‘D’ gap, pushing vertical, and blocking a linebacker—all at full speed. It’s really hard to get a high school kid to do that,” Sturdivant said.
Cortez Smith: He had an interesting take about NIL for recruits
Smith mentioned that he heard many negative remarks about UGA from other schools during the recruiting process, but these comments only motivated him rather than causing doubt.
When it comes to negative recruiting, it’s essentially a way of suggesting a player isn’t good enough for one program but would be welcome at another.
“I heard it a lot,” Smith said. “Everyone said I’d just be a number. I’m trying to prove them wrong.”
Smith also considered various NIL proposals. There’s a trend of schools offering significant financial incentives upfront, especially for the first season.
He has a different perspective.
“It is great and all, and I guess I would love it,” Smith said. “It is money, but I just feel like a kid my age shouldn’t have that much money handed to them. I haven’t even gotten to campus yet. I haven’t done anything yet. I didn’t work for it.”
The decision wasn’t easy for Smith, who dislikes being predictable.
“I don’t like people assuming where I’ll go,” he said. “I was leaning away from Georgia at first, but it’s just too good. The pros and cons are clear. What they offer? What they’ve done? There aren’t many cons.”
Today, Smith made his decision known. It’s not surprising that a prospect of his caliber, with his background, had been trending towards UGA for some time.
There are a few key things to note about Smith. First is how effortlessly he can reach a 3-tech on film. This isn’t advanced O-line play for him, even in his third season of GHSA football—he could do this as a freshman at Parkview. Considering he was just 13 years old, it’s remarkable.
“He can really do anything,” said Parkview offensive line coach Brian Lane. “As an offensive lineman, he can play all three positions. But seeing him reach a 3-tech from center and make it look good is impressive. He’s an amazing athlete—strong, fast, and knowledgeable about every position on the field. He knows what everyone is supposed to be doing.”
“His greatest characteristic is probably his understanding of everything.”
Smith’s best position on Saturdays will be at center. Georgia will face a battle at center after Jared Wilson moves on to the NFL, which could be after this fall or after the 2025 season.
If Smith plays early at UGA, it will be due to his understanding of the game and his footwork.
“His feet are so smooth,” Lane said. “Everything looks effortless. Sometimes we watch him and feel like he’s not giving his max effort, but then we see he’s getting places. It’s like he just makes it look so easy, almost as if he’s not trying.”
It’s hard to believe we’re watching a young man who is 15 and barely 16 years old in those junior clips.
That’s why he’s a Dawg today.
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