Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and his staff are now focused on the 2027 recruiting cycle. One position of need is wide receiver. Colbie Young, Dillon Bell, and Noah Thomas have all gone to the NFL this season. The Bulldogs did sign former Georgia Tech WR Isiah Canion through the transfer portal. That gives Georgia just eight WRs on the roster for 2026.
One WR Smart and his staff would love to sign in this cycle is Bluffton High School’s Amare Patterson. He already has ties to Georgia as his cousin, KJ Bolden, has been a starter for the Dawgs the last two years. He is from Ridgeland, South Carolina, which is only about an hour from Summerville, where Georgia WR legend AJ Green is from.
Patterson stands 6-foot-1.5 and weighs 189 pounds. The 247 Sports Composite rates him a 3-star. He is the No. 406 recruit in the country, the No. 53 WR, and the No. 9 recruit in South Carolina.
“After a great workout with Georgia Football and Coach Coley, I’ve earned an offer from the University of Georgia,” Patterson wrote on X.
Patterson visited Georgia back in September during the Georgia-Alabama game. He even got to hang with Georgia legends AJ Green and Champ Bailey.
Even though Patterson is scheduled to visit Georgia this Friday, coach Smart visited him in South Carolina on Tuesday.
How Patterson feels about Georgia
Georgia WR coach James Coley visited Patterson in his home last week. This is what he had to say about Coach Coley.
“He was basically just telling me that I am the guy for his program,” Patterson told UGASports following the visit. “He likes my size and physique, and how much ball knowledge I’ve got, and how fast I am.”
Speaking of how fast Patterson is, here are a few numbers off his Hudl profile:
- 40 Yard Dash: 4.44
- 100 Meter Dash: 10.74
- Shuttle: 4.22
- Vertical: 32″
- Bench: 245 lbs
- Deadlift: 415 lbs
- Clean: 235 lbs
Patterson is not just fast; Zachariah Branch ran a 10.4 100-meter for comparison. He’s also strong. He may be 6-foot-1.5, but he’s built to play the X receiver position. He is set to make his commitment announcement on July 25, but will be back in Athens at least three more times before then. Including the visit this weekend, another in the spring, and then an official visit in June.
Here is what Patterson had to say about Smart’s ability to develop players.
“He’s all about winning, and he’s going to get players to the next level,” Patterson said of Smart. “Like I said, I want to play at the next level. He’s developed players and produced multiple first-rounders, so that was really big for me—seeing other guys who came from the same background as me become first-round picks.”
