4-Star WR Devonta Smith Tweets Decision to Decommit from Georgia

Three days after winning a national championship with his old employer, new Georgia head coach Kirby Smart suffered a loss that could impact his chances of claiming another title.

Devonta Smith, a 2017 prospect who had pledged to the Bulldogs in August, announced on Twitter Thursday that he's re-opening his recruitment:

A 4-star wide receiver from Louisiana, Smith is rated as the No. 86 overall prospect in the 2017 class. He had been Georgia's second-best recruit for 2017 behind No. 1-ranked athlete Richard LeCounte III.

No reason was given for the decommitment, but 247Sports' Jake Rowe cited Georgia's staff turnover as contributing to the move.

"Smith was very close [with] former Georgia director of player personnel Sam Petitto, who will be taking a job at Alabama," he wrote. "Two other major factors in Smith's commitment to Georgia, Bryan McClendon and Jeremy Pruitt, are also no longer at Georgia."

Petitto, who had been with Georgia since 2014, is a native of Smith's hometown of Amite and was previously on the staff of Southeast Louisiana in nearby Hammond. McClendon is now co-offensive coordinator under Will Muschamp at South Carolina, while Alabama hired Pruitt to be defensive coordinator in place of Smart.

Smith, listed at 6'1" and 155 pounds, is also a standout basketball player for Amite High School in Louisiana. He recently scored 24 points against Loranger, skying for a pair of impressive dunks in the process.

Besides Georgia, Smith has scholarship offers from Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. According to 247Sports' Crystal Ball, 'Bama has the edge with five of seven experts (71 percent) picking the Crimson Tide as Smith's landing spot.

With Smith's departure, Georgia is left with just two commitments for 2017: LeCounte and 4-star linebacker Breon Dixon.

Unless otherwise noted, recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.