4-Star Josh Imatorbhebhe Says Georgia Offer 'Adds New Dimension' to Recruitment

Josh Imatorbhebhe earned his first scholarship offer last January, watching that list expand to include more than 20 teams during the past 14 months.

Despite holding an array of collegiate opportunities from across the country, one offer frustratingly eluded him throughout the recruiting process. Georgia—the flagship football program in his home state—changed that Thursday by extending a scholarship on campus. 

“It felt like before Georgia was kind of tugging me back and forth with my emotions," Imatorbhebhe admitted.

A conversation with Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt cleared things up Thursday for the 4-star wide receiver. Georgia does indeed want him, a sentiment that seemed difficult to grasp in recent months. 

"They were showing interest during the summer after my sophomore year and a few games into my junior season I thought things were going pretty well for me on the field," he said. "I was expecting an offer. Instead, that’s when it seemed like they pulled back and I was like 'Why?'"

Imatorbhebhe caught a career-high 59 passes for 1,072 yards and 15 touchdowns at North Gwinnett High School in 2014, per MaxPreps. He collected offers from Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Louisville, Auburn and Arizona State after the start of his junior campaign, while his relationship with Georgia remained relatively quiet. 

The Bulldogs, who suffered late class of 2015 decommitments from 4-star receivers Darius Slayton and Van Jefferson, reignited interest this month. Georgia invited Imatorbhebhe to attend a spring practice last week, though he was reluctant to attend due to a less-than-ideal rapport with the program and homework obligations. 

Upon some encouragement from his high school coach, Imatorbhebhe made the 50-mile drive to Athens. 

“I guess you could say I went there with blind faith, because I really didn’t want to get my expectations too high about an offer possibly coming," he said. 

Imatorbhebhe spent a couple of hours watching the Bulldogs work through drills and scrimmages, becoming more familiar with how things operate during a practice session under Richt. 

Afterward, Georgia players were treated to a speech from program legend Herschel Walker before heading back to the locker room. As team members dispersed, Richt approached Imatorbhebhe with a formal offer.

Georgia may have been late to the party, but that's when it officially joined the race for his commitment. 

Changes within the offensive coaching regime seemed to serve as a catalyst for increased interest in Imatorbhebhe.

Longtime Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo accepted the head coach position at Colorado State in December. Georgia responded by hiring former St. Louis Rams and New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and later shifted veteran running backs coach Bryan McClendon to wide receiver duties.

“The coaches could tell how I felt and basically said, 'Look, please don’t hold it against us. We have a new offensive staff and we’re really high on you,’” Imatorbhebhe explained. "They were really apologetic about that and tried to make me understand that I’ve become a priority now.”

He hopes Georgia follows through with sustained interest and dialogue, something he views as an essential part of the recruiting process.

“I’m not going to a school where I don’t feel wanted, so it’s important for me to hear from the coaches on a regular basis," Imatorbhebhe said. "(Auburn coach) Gus Malzahn called my coaches earlier today to talk to me and we spoke for 15 minutes, so that sends a message right there."

Credit: 247Sports

He's excited about his new offer from a nearby powerhouse and hopes it translates into a stronger relationship with the Bulldogs coaches.

"With Georgia being so close in proximity, I would hope they’d visit my school to check up on me and make me feel like I’m truly wanted on their campus," Imatorbhebhe said. "The only way to see that is when coaches go out of their way to establish communication.”

Georgia joined the mix with enough time to enter his cluster of contenders. Imatorbhebhe plans to begin trimming down that list at the end of spring. 

“I didn’t want to be greedy by focusing on one school that hadn't offered me when 20 other programs already had," he said. "I was pretty content with the coaches who had been involved in my recruitment, but now Georgia adds a new dimension to my recruitment. It gives me more options about whether I want to stay closer to home or go further away.”

He is on the verge of exploring schools of the "further away" variety. Imatorbhebhe will visit Arizona State, USC and Stanford during spring break between April 3-8, before returning home to attend the April 11 spring game at Florida, where his brother is an early enrolled freshman.

He has a list of elements he's looking for at each potential landing spot.

“My mom and I were talking about priorities for finding the right college program the other night," Imatorbhebhe said. "First is academics, second is a need—not just a want—at my position and third is quarterback.”

Georgia already holds a pledge from the top-ranked 2016 passer in Jacob Eason. 

“Just to see his accuracy, stature and strong arm makes him somebody I’d really love to play with," Imatorbhebhe said. "He looks like a good quarterback, but also a good leader. If the chips fall that way and I end up at Georgia, I’ll definitely be happy that he’s the guy throwing me the football.”

All quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.