“Dawg fans crying again”: CFB fans react as Lincoln Riley beats Kirby Smart’s Georgia for 4-star Jadon Perlotte’s commitment

Kirby Smart and Georgia's football program missed out on the recruiting trail as four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte flipped his commitment from the Bulldogs to the USC Trojans. Perlotte, previously committed to Georgia in December 2022, had fans buzzing with his surprise decision to join Lincoln Riley's USC.

247 Sports composite rankings think highly of the former Georgia commit, putting him as the 165th-best player and 20th-best linebacker in the country. The 6-foot-2.5 LB made official visits to Alabama, Miami, and Tennessee too. However, it was his visit to USC on June 28th that sealed the deal.

The news didn't sit well with Georgia fans, who flooded social media with a mix of shock and humor.

"It's not flipped, it's offered more money 💰," one added.

"Atlanta or the beach. Hmmm 🤔," one commented.

Another wrote, "Dawg fans crying again😂."

Some fans couldn't resist taking shots at the situation, with one commenting:

"Didn’t want to go to jail," a nod to the recent RaRa Thomas arrest.

“Loving that LA weather," one IG user wrote

"In other words, Kirby backed off and said see ya 😂 Go Dawgs" "West coast lifestyle is unmatched," commented one more.

Screenshot via Instagram/@rivalsdotcom

Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs reeling from recruiting loss

Georgia Bulldogs coach is facing a recruiting slump, and things just got worse. Top prospect Xavier Griffin, a four-star linebacker, committed to Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans three days ago. The No. 21 prospect chose USC over Georgia owing to concerns over Smart's handling of team culture.

This comes on the heels of WR Rodarius "Rara" Thomas's arrest on multiple charges, further complicating Smart's recruiting efforts. Back-to-back losses have raised questions about Smart's ability to retain top talent.

Smart faces an uphill battle to restore momentum. With Griffin gone, focus shifts to Smart's strategy to regain the trust of top recruits and revitalize Georgia's recruiting pipeline.

While the above recruits who flipped won't have any effect on Smart's roster for the 2024 college football season, Georgia's long-term plans have taken a hit. Only time will tell if Smart can bounce back from these setbacks and reclaim the Bulldogs' recruiting mojo.