Georgia's sluggish start to the 2018 football recruiting cycle came to an abrupt halt Tuesday afternoon when the Bulldogs received a commitment from running back Zamir White of Laurinburg, N.C.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound White is the No. 1 running back nationally and the No. 6 overall prospect on the 247Sports.com composite rankings. He picked Georgia over scholarship offers from Alabama, Clemson, North Carolina and Ohio State.
"Ultimately my decision came down to choosing the place where I felt the most comfortable and where I felt confident about my ability to play early and be a major contributor," White posted on social media.
Georgia has two established senior running backs on its 2017 roster - Nick Chubb and Sony Michel - as well as sophomores Brian Herrion and Elijah Holyfield. The Bulldogs also signed D'Andre Swift, a consensus four-star running back from Philadelphia, back in February.
Second-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart expressed his excitement over White's commitment on Twitter - without naming him - posting "Size, Strength and Power," with check marks beside each one.
The Bulldogs also made a memorable recruiting splash in North Carolina five years ago by signing the tailback tandem of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Gurley and Marshall then combined for 2,144 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns as freshmen for the 2012 Southeastern Conference Eastern Division champions.
White, whose nickname is "Zeus," rushed 260 times for 2,159 yards (8.3 yards per carry) and 41 touchdowns last season as a Scotland County junior. His commitment resulted in Georgia jumping from 67th to 55th in 247Sports' team rankings.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.