Georgia ‘a top school’ for elite 2025 DB Jontae Gilbert

Atlanta (Ga.) Douglass 2025 four-star safety Jontae Gilbert is officially looking at his options. Gilbert decommitted from Ohio State on Saturday after a year and change of being locked in on the Buckeyes.

Gilbert has taken multiple visits to Georgia since the Bulldogs offered in January. The No. 35 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings is now looking to get on more campuses this fall.

He has a boatload of offers that he didn’t have the first time around. Gilbert is already beginning to look toward narrowing things down a bit.

“I’m really just looking forward to taking these visits and narrowing things down a bit really,” Gilbert said. “I need to get a good look at these places and try to figure out where I’m going to be.”

Gilbert already has Georgia locked into one of those spots.

“They will be a top school for sure, that’s the home-state,” Gilbert said. “That would be good to play for my hometown.”

Georiga’s coaching staff stands out to Jontae Gilbert

Playing for the home-state program is intriguing for Gilbert. It is not the end all be all. Georgia has the four-star’s attention due to their coaching staff.

Gilbert feels Georgia has an opportunity to develop him on and off the field. The Bulldogs’ staff has begun to build a strong bond with him as well.

“It’s really the coaching staff,” Gilbert said. “They have great defensive back coaches, great defensive staff, so that’s great to have coach (Will) Muschamp. He’s coached under Nick Saban. He has a great defensive mind. Coach (Fran) Brown does as well.”

Gilbert has connected with Brown on his first few visits to Georgia. Co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has also made an impression on Gilbert.

“I’m just taking it all in really,” Gilbert said. “He’s a smart guy and he knows football really well.”

Georgia depth chart making things interesting for Gilbert

Gilbert has his eyes on what is happening in Athens in Georgia’s secondary room. Malaki Starks is entering his sophomore year in Athens.

He could turn in two more big seasons and head for the NFL. That would leave the door open for early playing time for anyone in the class of 2025.

Georgia only has one safety now committed in the class of 2024 in four-star Peyton Woodyard. Five-star KJ Bolden announces his decision on Saturday with Georgia among his contenders.

Gilbert is looking at all of the things in motion as an opportunity in Athens.

“Starks may be gone when I would get there, so they’d need some more safeties to come in and play,” Gilbert said. “I want to see how the secondary as a whole and how they develop. That’s going to be interesting to see and it’ll play a big role in my recruitment.”

Georgia commits already reaching out

Gilbert decommitted from Ohio State on Saturday and within minutes of his decision reaching the internet, his phone filled up with texts from future Bulldogs.

He heard from five-star quarterback commit Dylan Raiola as well as high school rival Quintavious Johnson.

“They were just telling me that it’s the place to be and that I needed to come down and visit,” Gilbert said. “It was good hearing from them. Dylan is the number one player in the country right now, so it was good hearing from him.”

Gilbert is looking at the schedule and trying to decide when to make his way to Athens for visits this fall. He has his eyes on Georgia’s match-up with South Carolina on Sept. 16 but Gilbert doesn’t have anything officially planned yet.

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