The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a key difference maker on their coaching staff when Kirby Smart left for Georgia following Alabama's National Championship run last season, and now the Crimson Tide have lost a four-star recruit to their former defensive coordinator.
Four-star quarterback recruit Jake Fromm switched his oral commitment from Alabama to the Bulldogs Wednesday, and he adds a top-tier pocket passer to Georgia's 2017 class. Georgia's first-year head coach had his program in the top-ten in recruiting on National Signing Day last month and has already shown his ability to lure top talent to the Bulldogs program.
Fromm made the announcement official Thursday morning by posting his decision on social media, and he thanked Alabama head coach Nick Saban for the opportunity to play football at Alabama's historically great program. "I am so blessed and so thankful to announce the commitment to my hometown team," Fromm wrote. "I am verbally committing to the University of Georgia."
The Bulldogs recruited one of the top quarterbacks in the country in five-star recruit Jacob Eason, and many expect him to take over quickly for the Bulldogs in 2016. Smart has tried to dismiss the speculation surrounding the new Bulldogs quarterback, and he has said that two quarterbacks Brice Ramsey and Greyson Lambert would be competing for the job. The Bulldogs new head coach likely doesn't want too much pressure on his young quarterback, but a lot can change between now and Georgia's home opener against North Carolin in September.
Georgia finished tied in second place in the SEC East conference last season with a 5-3 conference record and is looking to reestablish itself as one of the dominant programs in both the SEC and in college football. The Bulldogs Alabama do not play each other during the 2016 season, but it wouldn't be a shock if both teams won their respective division and created a showdown between Smart and Saban in the SEC Championship game.
For now, Smart is likely just focused on building his team for the 2016 season, but the fact that he has been able lure top recruits to Georgia over Alabama has already shown the instant impact that he has had since arriving in Athens.