Georgia just found out a few weeks ago that they made the top 10 for four-star offensive lineman Jackson Roper. He is Colorado's top ranked recruit, so head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffalo are going to be serious players in his recruitment.
Colorado usually doesn't stand much of a chance battling Georgia for a recruit, but when it comes to players from their state they definitely have a chance. Roper however recently took a visit to Athens, and after that trip he revealed that Kirby Smart made a lot of progress in his recruitment.
"After my visit, they're (Georgia) closer to one than they are to 10."
Jackson Roper (@JacksonRoper_CO) released a top 10 that included Georgia a few weeks ago. How did this week’s visit to Athens help the Bulldogs for the 2027 O-lineman?
— Jed May (@JedMay_) March 21, 2026
“After my visit, they’re closer to one than they are 10.”
Roper explains why: https://t.co/2vIjV6XW3x
Georgia is catching up to Colorado, Deion Sanders for 4-star Jackson Roper
According to 247Sports Roper is the No. 164 overall player in the country. He also is the No. 9 offensive lineman and the top ranked player from his home state of Colorado as well.
The fact that he is from Colorado is why the Buffalos have a chance in this recruitment. If he was from any other state they would probably not be a factor at all, but he potentially grew up a Colorado fan and sometimes that is too difficult for even Georgia to overcome.
The good news for Smart and Georgia though is that Caolorado has not been very good under Sanders. They have had a lot of hype thanks to Sanders' name, but that hype hasn't turned into many wins. So even though Roper may be a Colorado fan he may still prefer to go to a school where he has a better chance to win.
This isn't the only recruitment where Smart is attempting to steal a recruit out of school's backyard. They are battling Ohio State for an elite recruit who is from Columbus as well, but this battle against Colorado should be a little easier to win.
Georgia unfortuantely does not have an official visit scheduled for this summer yet, but that could change. Roper himself said UGA is closer to No. 1 than to No. 10 in his recruitment, so it may just be a matter of time until another visit gets on the books.