Kirby Smart attends Savannah Christian-Cedar Grove football state title game

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart showed up on the sideline Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to see Savannah Christian face off against Cedar Grove in the GHSA Class 3A state championship game.

Recruiting is the name of the game in college football — Smart's program is not only a powerhouse on the field, but also at the top when it comes to attracting the best players in the country.

Smart was keeping a close eye on one of the Bulldogs top targets in Savannah Christian junior Elijah Griffin.

The 6-foot-5, 285-defensive lineman is a 5-star prospect who has been ranked as the No. 1 recruit among all positions for the class of 2025. Griffin has 97 tackles, including 31 for losses, with 17.5 sacks on the year.

He's got 31 offers according to Rivals.com, including Alabama, Michigan, USC, Ohio State, LSU and South Carolina, but Smart and UGA were ahead of the curve as they were the first to offer the talented Griffin, when he was an eighth grader.

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Another Savannah Christian star who already received an offer from UGA before ever playing a down of high school football is freshman edge rusher Damion Guyton. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound freshman edge rusher has 82 tackles, including 19.5 for losses and 10 sacks.

"Damion is just a freak on the edge," SCPS coach Baker Woodward said earlier this week. "He already has the body of a Power Five college player and he's just 14 years old, you just don't see kids that young looking the way he does very often."

Smart will also be keeping close tabs and fostering the program's relationship with Cedar Grove running back Bo Walker, who has already committed to UGA. The 5-foot-9, 205-pounder made his commitment to Georgia in October. He showed why he is so highly regarded in the Saints semifinal win over Calvary Day when he ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Walker has has run for 1,450 yards and 27 touchdowns and also has 37 receptions for 422 yards and another score.

Georgia has developed a reputation for its development of tight ends, and Smart will get an up close look at an SCPS star that UGA has not yet extended an offer to. Raider junior Logan Brooking, the son of former Atlanta Falcon and Georgia Tech star linebacker Keith Brooking, committed to Clemson on Nov. 3. His offers include Michigan, Florida, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Tennessee and Florida State.

Savannah Christian senior David Bucey's commitment to South Carolina is a strong one. The two-way star who plays receiver and linebacker for SCPS is going to the Gamecocks as a safety -- and this will be the first time Smart gets to see a future rival up close.

If Smart is looking to flip some other Power Five recruits, Cedar Grove has a couple underclassmen who have already made commitments.

Sophomore receiver Devin Carter, the son of former Florida State and NFL star running back Dexter Carter, looks to be following in his father's footsteps as he has committed to FSU. He has 51 catches for 923 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.

Cedar Grove Elliott Colson is a dual-threat quarterback who has run for 831 yards and six touchdowns, while throwing for 2,375 yards with 27 touchdown passes and just one interception. The junior has committed to UCF.

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Kirby Smart attends Savannah Christian-Cedar Grove state title game