Georgia football hasn't had the best week on the recruiting trail this week, but things are beginning to turn for the Bulldogs in a big way. Four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone has officially announced his commitment, and he has committed to Georgia over rivals Auburn, Florida and Nebraska.
BREAKING: 4-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone commits to Georgia https://t.co/4EOFEh3Q8q pic.twitter.com/phlUNSYcnu
— Dawgs247 (@Dawgs247) July 18, 2025
Georgia quickly finds key replacement from 4-star DL
One of the biggest losses for Georgia on the recruiting trail this week came when five-star defensive lineman James Johnson flipped his commitment from UGA to Texas. Johnson was the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country according to On3, so losses really don't get much worse than that.
After losing Johnson it was clear that Kirby Smart and his staff needed to find his replacement as soon as possible. Thankfully they did just that on Friday by landing Sone, who according to 247Sports is the No. 4 defensive lineman in the country. Sone also is the No. 46 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class and the No. 3 player from Virginia.
Winning the recruitment for this talented of a player is exciting no matter what, but the fact that Georgia was able to beat rivals Auburn and Florida who were in Sone's final four makes this win that much better.
Georgia may not be done adding defensive linemen to their recruiting class just yet. Thursday the Bulldogs received a prediction to earn a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Anthony Lonon. Lonon is a top 300 player in the country and a legacy recruit for UGA, so it won't be surprising to see Lonon join Georgia's class in the near future.
But for now Georgia fans can celebrate adding Sone to their recruiting class. Earning a commitment from a top 50 recruit will always be a big deal, but in the case of Sone it's even bigger after the loss Georgia suffered earlier this week.