Georgia, Tennessee in recruiting battle for four-star WR

Kirby Smart and Georgia football usually get who they want on the recruiting trail.

That's one of the benefits of developing arguably the best program in college football. It's also a testament to what the Bulldogs have been able to do in regard to player development. Only Nick Saban at Alabama has had more success sending players to the NFL, and Saban is now retired.

As such, it's no surprise to hear that the Bulldogs are in the running for four-star wideout Thomas Blackshear from Savannah, Ga. Blackshear recently told On3 that in a two-way race between UGA and Tennessee, the Bulldogs have pulled ahead.

“Georgia has a slight lead over Tennessee,” Blackshear said. “Both schools are recruiting me hard and I like a lot of the same things about each school, but Georgia is a little bit ahead of Tennessee.”

Blackshear is a fan of Smart's offense and how the ball is likely to end up in his hands.

“I like Georgia a lot," he said. "Their offense spreads things out more now, they are throwing the ball more and I like how they play and practice."

The four-star does have a former teammate, Jake Merklinger, up at Tennessee, though. For now, that's keeping the Volunteers in this race.

"I have Merk up there too," Blackshear said. "He tells me about Tennessee, how the coaches are real and how much they want me and talk about me up there."

Ultimately, this appears to be UGA's recruiting race to lose, and that's good news for the Bulldogs because Smart rarely loses.

Per the 247Sports Composite, Blackshear is the No. 46 wide receiver in the 2025 class.