One of the biggest linebacker prospects in the class of 2018 will play for Georgia.
Four-star Adam Anderson is the No. 3 OLB in the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 43 player overall. He committed to the Bulldogs on Thursday. He shows on tape that he has some good explosion out of his stance, especially with a 6’4 frame.
Anderson’s commitment follows No. 1 overall recruit Justin Fields’ pledge to UGA earlier this month. He brings the Dawgs’ class to 12th nationally, third in the SEC.
He’s already decommitted from Georgia and LSU since August of 2016. His most recent decommit was from LSU back in July, and at the time it threw LSU’s class into flux.
Anderson, a four-star edge rusher/outside linebacker prospect from Rome, Georgia, was one of three commitments from Rome back in the spring. His classmate, Jamarcus Chatman, decommitted two weeks ago. Anderson and Chatman were easily the most well-regarded of the three, and without them, defensive lineman Ja’Quon Griffin may not be long for the class either. Running back AJ Carter decommitted earlier this week.
Losing Anderson is a blow, but not wholly unexpected in recruiting circles, as many suspected distance would eventually play a role.
Getting the Rome, Ga., native to recommit to the Dawgs makes him an outlier. Top recruits rarely saddle up with a school they already turned down, but doubting Kirby Smart on the recruiting trail as far as Georgia prospects are concerned isn’t the smartest idea. The Dawgs coach has proven he is starting to put a true fence around the state, or as much of a fence as you can in a state with as much talent as Georgia has.
Anderson has experienced a lot of adversity in his life.
Both his older sister and stepfather died little more than a year ago, leaving his mother to raise Adam and his younger brother, who is deaf, on her own. What’s remarkable about Anderson is he still finds a way to carry on. His Rome High coaches estimate that Anderson walked approximately 6 miles at 6 a.m. to get to church on Easter. He didn’t have a ride.
“I wanted to be there in church on Sundays,” Anderson said in a story by Sentell. “I’ve got a good relationship with God that I hope to keep working on getting better. He’s blessed me with a lot and I want to make sure I know I’m so very thankful for what he’s done for my life.”
Verbal commits are non-binding, and the coaches who secure them can move at any time they wish.