Keelan Jones, one of the early defensive pledges in Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class, has officially backed off his commitment to the Bulldogs-and he's not heading far. The three-star safety has flipped his commitment to Georgia Tech, shaking up the in-state recruiting landscape just days before the early national signing period.
Jones originally committed to Georgia back in April, giving Kirby Smart and his staff another versatile piece in the secondary. But with signing day right around the corner, he’s decided to reopen his recruitment-and he didn’t waste time choosing a new home. The Yellow Jackets are now the beneficiaries of his flip, adding a player who, while not a headliner on paper, brings solid upside and local ties.
According to the composite rankings, Jones is the No. 546 overall player in the 2026 class, the 44th-ranked safety nationally, and the 58th-best prospect in the state of Georgia. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but they tell a story: he’s a legitimate Power Five-level talent with room to develop.
It’s also worth noting that Jones took official visits to both Georgia Tech and Florida over the summer-even after committing to Georgia. That’s not uncommon in today’s recruiting world, where verbal commitments are often more like placeholders than final decisions. Still, it’s clear now that his interest in Georgia Tech was more than just a courtesy visit.
For Georgia, this decommitment doesn’t derail what’s shaping up to be one of the top classes in the 2026 cycle. The Bulldogs still have 29 players locked in, headlined by five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and a deep group of blue-chip talent from across the country. The class remains loaded, balanced, and built to sustain Georgia’s national title aspirations.
And while losing a safety like Jones isn’t ideal, Georgia fans have seen this story before. The Bulldogs have a track record of flipping players late in the process-just ask KJ Bolden, who famously flipped from Florida State to Georgia on signing day a couple years ago. With the early signing window set for Dec. 3-5, there’s still time for Smart and his staff to make a late splash if they choose to.
But even if the Dawgs stand pat, it’s hard to argue with where they stand. This class is big, it’s talented, and it’s positioned Georgia to keep stacking wins well into the future.