Kirby Smart knows that building a program isn’t just about recruiting for the upcoming year. That is why the Georgia head coach has been hitting the (virtual) pavement hard in his pursuit of potential recruits for the Bulldogs’ class of 2022.
By Steve Wright
That chase paid dividends this week as Tift County (Tifton, GA) DT Tyre West elected to stay in his home state and play his college football in Athens.
A 4-star prospect per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, West is a beast already as he stands at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds. That bulk – plus no lack of ability – see West rated as the No. 43 player in the nation, the No. 4 DT, and the No. 5 player in his class from the state of Georgia. He chose the Bulldogs over a host of other suitors including Alabama, Florida, and LSU.
As a junior, West put up a monster stat line that included 31 solo tackles, 16 QB hurries, 12.5 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles. He is a massively strong human and he uses his weight to either beat offensive linemen with pure power or to destroy ball carries with his violence at the point of contact.
This violence and ability to deliver a hit is obvious in his highlight video. Playing as a defensive end he is often unblockable and when he gets to the QB or RB the impact is always massive. West tackles with an outstanding technique for his size and shows a level of backside pursuit not always seen from players of his stature. That motor and drive is going to be put to use somewhere in Smart’s defensive system, with West projecting as a DT with the ability to stuff the run while developing into a dominant inside pass rusher over time.
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