Another big fish is heading to Athens.
Class of 2025 offensive lineman Mason Short of Evans announced his commitment to the University of Georgia football team Friday morning.
Short de-committed from Alabama in January following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. That’s when the real work began. Hours later, Georgia football coach Kirby Smart landed on the Evans High School football field in a helicopter. Three months later, it paid off.
Short chose Georgia over Clemson, Ohio State and Kentucky. He plans to graduate early and enroll in January.
Short, a four-star prospect who is ranked No. 77 overall in the ESPN 300 in the Class of 2025 (11th offensive tackle), originally committed to Alabama in April 2023. But the football landscape changed when Saban announced his retirement Jan. 10. The ripple effect went through every part of college football.
LEGACY LIVES ON: ‘I’ll probably need a box of Kleenex.’ Mike Woods to continue family’s head-painting legacy
FIXING THE FRESHMAN: How kicker Peyton Woodring brushed off UGA football fans’ criticism and thrived
OFFENSE GALORE: Georgia football’s top returning receiver among assortment of weapons for Bulldog offense
“When he left, I didn’t think it was real,” he said. “I was at Ryan Bowers’ place training some kids for my senior project and one of the parents pulled me over to the side and said, ‘Hey, look at this. Breaking news on ESPN that Saban retired.’ Thirty seconds later, I get a phone call from my momma, and I said, ‘It’s probably real.’ She calls me and I get two calls from offensive linemen from Alabama breaking the news to me.”
His plan was to wait and see what happened before deciding, but that changed when another Southeastern Conference program made a significant hire from the Alabama staff.
“I wasn’t going to de-commit after that. I was going to wait,” he said. “After (offensive line coach Eric Wolford) left and went to Kentucky, that’s who I committed to, I backed off my pledge and reopened my recruiting.”
Short decommitted six days later, and the floodgates opened.
Soon after Smart visited Evans, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney dropped by to visit, and Short went on an official visit to Clemson shortly thereafter. New Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer reoffered Short, but it seemed to be too little, too late.
Smart, however, stood out among them all.
“What stuck with me was the significance of what I am to his program and how bad he wants me there,” Short said. “For him to do that was awesome, not just for the exposure to me, but for my town. Having him come down brought a lot of media attention to our school, which I love, giving other players exposure. We went down to the weight room and he talked to me and my family for about 35-40 minutes. He’s got places to be. For him to do that is awesome.”
Don’t overlook the value of a position coach. Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels could be seen on the Evans practice field two years ago, watching Short. Georgia was in from the start, and that relationship stuck with the young tackle.
“He’s awesome. All we talk about is hunting and fishing. There are a lot of hunting and fishing areas here and I’m just an hour away from Athens,” Short said. “What really drew me to him was his relationship with his players, how he communicates with them and how comfortable his players are around him. That’s what really drew me to Georgia, knowing I could be comfortable and have fun.”
2024 DAYS: Florida State’s Woad battles tough start, wind to become leader after 36 holes
‘It was a long time coming’: Texas A&M’s Hailee Cooper makes long-awaited 2024 ANWA start
A weight lifted off Mason Short’s shoulders after Georgia football commitment
The recruiting process can be a burden for high school athletes. Short basically went through the process twice, so Friday was a big day for the Evans junior. He was joined by his parents, Richard and Andrea, and his brother, Nolan, as he made the announcement in the school auditorium.
“I’ve been rehearsing in my truck 30 minutes before I got here,” he said. “Every single bit I thought I had in my truck, I did not say. My momma wanted me to write up a script, but I kind of just went out there and let myself speak. It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders and now I can go celebrate and eat some Mexican food.”
There’s a little bit of irony in the fact that, after years of traveling around the nation to camps, he chose a school fewer than two hours away. That’s the nature of recruiting, though.
For Short, this roller coaster has been as much about his community and teammates as it was about him. He’s been a vehicle for exposure for Evans High School football. According to coach Barrett Davis, more than 100 college coaches visited Evans last summer. Four players have already signed national letters of intent and more are surely on the way.
“At the time, I already had all my offers. I knew there was nothing more I could really take,” Short said. “Having all those coaches come by and bring the exposure to this place made me the most happy, more than myself getting looks. I’ve had guys this past two years because coaches came to practice and watch them ball out.
Now that he’s committed, is anything changing for Short in the near future? Probably not.
“I knew I would stay true to myself through the whole process. Even though I’m committed to Georgia today, the work doesn’t change,” he said. “I’ve been doing the work: going to bed at 8:30, getting up at 5. Nothing changes. Now I just have a logo attached to me. All I have to do is keep working with my guys and have a great senior season.”
2024-04-05 16:05:58
#offensive #lineman #commits #Georgia #football
