The Texas Longhorns had another shot on Saturday, and once again, the Bulldogs dragged them into a fourth-quarter fight they couldn’t win (35-10). Since Texas entered the conference in 2024, the Longhorns still haven’t managed to break through against the Bulldogs. But why can’t Texas get past Georgia, even with all that talent on the roster? Head coach Kirby Smart offered a blunt answer to the same after the late-game beat-down.

“Being a more physical team, you have to recruit physical players, and they have to buy into that process. I don’t know that a lot of these kids nowadays, they want checks; they don’t want physicality,” said Kirby Smart during the post-game conference. “And if you have the check and no physicality, you end up with nothing. So we’re not just getting checks in our place, we’re hitting people.”

While acknowledging that Georgia players earn plenty through NIL, he stressed that the program’s identity isn’t built on money. Saturday night was proof of that. After Texas pulled within 14–10 late in the third quarter, Georgia responded with a decisive 21-0 run in the final period to close out a 35-10 victory. The fourth-quarter surge once again highlighted the culture Smart has built in Athens. A team built to outlast and overwhelm opponents when it matters.

Smart’s comments came during a weekend in which recruiting news also broke in Georgia’s favor. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo secured a commitment from Jayden Wade, the top-rated quarterback in the 2028 class, giving the Bulldogs two No. 1 QB commitments across two future cycles. Wyatt joins 2026 five-star Jared Curtis, continuing the trend of quarterbacks gravitating to Bobo’s system.

The commitment came just one day after the Texas win, and analysts credited Bobo’s consistent ability to attract quarterbacks who fit Georgia’s DNA of physicality. “Mike Bobo just landed the No. 1 rated QB in the 2028 class,” reported Rusty Mansell. Now, Georgia has two #1 QB commitments, but from different classes. While 2028 QB Jayden Wade committed just one day after their win against Texas, they already have Jared Curtis in the 2026 class. Hayes Fawcett summed it up best, writing, “Georgia QB recruiting has been ELITE !” And the credit goes, at least in part, to Mike Bobo.

Under his guidance, Carson Beck posted a record-setting completion percentage in 2023, and before that, Bobo shaped the careers of quarterbacks like Aaron Murray and Matthew Stafford. More recently, his adaptability was on display in last year’s Sugar Bowl, where he rebuilt the offense to fit Gunner Stockton after Beck opted out.

This season, in the game against Texas, the Bulldogs’ offense dominated, especially in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 of their 35 total points. Now, Georgia’s offense ranks 27th nationally with 429.9 YPG.

With that, while recruiting now seems to be taking a positive turn for the future, Kirby Smart celebrated Wade’s recruiting win over powerhouse programs like OSU and Texas, writing on X, “Go Dawgs!!” But is this recruiting win for Georgia actually a loss for Texas and other programs?

Jayden Wade’s take on Kirby Smart’s Georgia

On September 27, Jayden Wade came for a visit in Athens during Georgia’s game against Alabama. Although Georgia lost that game to Alabama 24–21, there was still enough strength in their performance to impress Wade. That’s why Wade told Rivals’ Jeremy Johnson, “Georgia is one of my top schools. I enjoyed being at the game. I would like to see more.” And after Georgia’s win against Texas, Wade may have felt it was the right time.

On Sunday, Wade made it official, announcing his decision during a live stream. The IMG Academy star chose the Bulldogs over OSU and Texas, with a finalist list packed with heavyweights like Oregon, Michigan, Washington, and Florida. But Kirby Smart’s winning streak may have sealed the deal in the end.

Losing the 6-foot-4 and 190-pound no. 1 QB can be a sting for power programs considering his track record. In his first year at IMG, he completed 73 of 120 passes for 1,383 yards. So the talent is real. Now, the Bradenton, Florida, native becomes the 2nd commit Georgia has landed in the 2028 class, joining unranked TE Asa Wall.

While it’s the second time in three cycles the Bulldogs have landed the top QB, joining Curtis, this recruiting win seems to bring more success for the program in the future.