Dawgs land nation's No. 2 guard

It did not take long for Georgia to begin to reap the benefits of a successful G-Day event, as Rivals100 offensive guard Netori Johnson committed to the Bulldogs on Tuesday.

“I’ll be making Georgia my home and committing,” Johnson said.

Making a 'home' for himself is what made Georgia the right fit, according to the nation's No. 2 guard.

“I knew Georgia was the right fit for me because there aren’t many colleges I take visits to and feel at home," Johnson said. "Some colleges, you go there, and it’s just a bonus trip. With Georgia, I feel like I can go there and be myself. It just feels like home. I know I’m going to play with a team full of kids from Georgia, from home. They’re my boys, and Georgia boys go the hardest. Some guys might not be from there, but 95-percent of us will be.”

Credit Georgia's staff for its decidedly large role as well.

“I’m cool with a lot of the coaches, and I love the staff," Johnson said. "Coach [DJ] Looney, Coach [Kirby] Smart, Coach [Sam] Pittman. They keep it real with me. Coach Pittman is a great coach. He’s put a lot of offensive linemen in the league.”

The shift in personnel paired with Saturday's impressive showing by fans moved the needle heavily.

“I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but it’s the coaching staff. I’ve seen things change," Johnson said. "I don’t think Georgia has ever put 93,000 people at a practice game. I’ve never seen that before. That was a big change and eye opening. For my mom to say it felt like home to her and for me to only be an hour up the road where she can make all my games or drive four hours, that’s what changed for me. My mom’s never been to Alabama. I know she’d say something nice about them, but I’m an hour up the road from Georgia and home.”

Another factor that benefitted the Bulldogs was the opportunity Johnson sees on their offensive line.

“I really believe I can go there, play, and start as a freshman," Johnson said. "I don’t feel like they have a guard more athletic than me or stronger once I get built up. I think I can play as a freshman, and that’s one reason I really want to attend there.”

As expected, Cedar Grove teammate and fellow commit Justin Shaffer aided the decision.

“One of my teammates is going there, and I’m coming with him," Johnson said. "We both play the same position. We’ll battle it out, but, at the same time, we can both play left and right guard. That would be really cool to say we’ve got two Georgia commits on the same team. It’s just home for me.”

Going forward, fans may still see Johnson taking visits on the recruiting trail, but he maintains that changes to his commitment are quite unlikely.

“Past the announcement, I don’t know if I’ll take any other visits," Johnson said. "I want to say that I will be 100-percent, but I don’t know if I’ll take any other visits. I don’t know yet. Recruitment is fun. I might want to go and just have fun, but I know I’m not going there. It’s fun, though. Official visits are fun. I can’t say I won’t take another visit.

"I can say that I’m 100-percent, that will be my school, they’re number one on the list. There will be no more top schools.”

Now, the Bulldogs will wait for his signature on National Signing Day.

“I think I’m going to wait it out until February," Johnson said. "I don’t think I’m going to early enroll.”