Jaden Hunter Commits to Georgia: Bulldogs Land Legacy Recruit for 2017

A former Georgia player, new head coach Kirby Smart understands the importance of tradition within the Bulldogs program. That's why one of his first goals when getting hired at his alma mater was to convince legacy recruit Jaden Hunter that Georgia was where he belonged.

On Monday, Smart's efforts were rewarded.

Hunter, a 4-star outside linebacker prospect from the 2017 recruiting class, announced his commitment to Georgia via a video produced in conjunction with Rivals.com. He picked the Bulldogs over Alabama, Clemson, Florida State and LSU.

The son of former Georgia wide receiver Brice Hunter, Jaden Hunter is rated as the eighth-best outside linebacker and No. 135 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class. He's 6'3”, 218 pounds and will be wrapping up his prep career in the fall at Atlanta's Westlake High School.

Hunter and Smart—who played on the same Georgia team in 1995—have had a longstanding relationship, according to Jeff Sentell of DawgNation.

Smart was Hunter's lead recruiter while he was defensive coordinator at Alabama, and Sentell wrote that when Smart got the Georgia job, he sent Hunter a text message that read, “Come home, son.”

Brice Hunter is second in Georgia history with 182 career receptions and ranks fifth with 2,373 receiving yards. He was a seventh-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1996, spending parts of two seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was shot to death in Chicago in 2004, at age 29, following a dispute with a neighbor.

This marks the third commitment Georgia has for 2017, including 4-star linebacker Breon Dixon and 5-star athlete Richard LeCounte III, who is the top-rated player at his position in the 2017 class.

Georgia recently lost a 2017 pledge, as 4-star receiver Devonta Smith decommitted on Jan. 14.

Hunter figures to be in the mix for playing time in the middle of Georgia's defense in 2017, when it will likely be replacing at least two starters at linebacker, including junior-to-be Lorenzo Carter.

Unless otherwise noted, recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.