Steve Sarkisian beats out Kirby Smart to sign Georgia product, potentially gaining psychological advantage ahead of Longhorns-Bulldogs game

Steve Sarkisian is preparing to compete for the SEC title in his debut campaign in the conference with the Texas Longhorns this season. They will face the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game on Saturday.

Before this SEC Championship showdown, Steve Sarkisian dealt a massive psychological blow to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs by landing the commitment of five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry.

The program announced Terry's commitment through a video on social media. CFB reporter Brian Davis shared the video and wrote about how the Longhorns made a power move in the recruiting cycle.

"Horns announce the signing of five-star DT Justus Terry, a Georgia product that Sark steals right out from under Kirby Smart," Davis wrote

Hailing from Manchester High School in Douglasville, Georgia, college football fans had expected Justus Terry to commit to the Georgia Bulldogs. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have a history of building great defensive talents. This makes the fact that Sarkisian could entice the five-star DL to join the Longhorns, more remarkable.

Justus Terry had committed to Georgia in January last year before de-committing in March this year. He then flipped his commitment to USC for a short period before being on the radar of several teams again.

According to On3 Scouting, the 6-foot-4 DL is the second-best defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class and is ranked No.3 in Georgia. The other programs that were competing for his commitment were Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama.

---

Can Steve Sarkisian further rub salt in the wounds of Georgia?

Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian - Source: Imagn

While Kirby and his team lost out on the chance to have Terry play for them, they need to move past it. They have a chance at redemption for their performance last year. In the 2023 SEC championship game, the Bulldogs lost to Alabama.

Steve Sarkisian and his team won the Big 12 title last year. Unfortunately, they lost to Washington in the CFP semifinals, ending their hopes of winning a natty. The Longhorns will be looking to win the SEC Championship and to compete in the College Football Playoffs this year too.

The Texas vs Georgia SEC Championship will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The game will be broadcast on the ABC network.