The Georgia Bulldogs missed out on five-star pass rusher recruit LaDamion Guyton, who committed to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Guyton’s commitment to Texas Tech does not come as a shock. The Red Raiders had been building momentum to land the five-star class of 2027 recruit, but they typically are not among the teams to land top recruits in Georgia. That may be changing in the current name, image and likeness (NIL) era.
On3 reports (subscription required) that Texas Tech reached a $3.5 million NIL deal to land the coveted defender. Guyton is expected to be paid $3.5 million over three seasons with him expected to earn $1.4 million as a junior. Guyton’s deal has annual escalations and he could earn more with incentives or renegotiation.
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The rising junior is ranked as the No. 2 recruit in his class, per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher plays football for Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. Guyton is the top-ranked recruit in Georgia and the No. 1 edge rusher prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Guyton is a special talent and has an impressive combination of size and explosiveness. He’s been very productive in high school and is also a track and field athlete. He previously played high school football with Georgia freshman Elijah Griffin.
Savannah Christian’s Elijah Griffin and LaDamion Guyton (No. 18) pursues a quarterback
Guyton was long projected to commit to Georgia before the tide shifted over the summer. The elite pass rusher will still remain a major priority for coach Kirby Smart and UGA because we’re a long way from signing day for Guyton. Georgia will continue to focus on relationships as opposed to transactions when it comes to recruiting.
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The Bulldogs have a troubling recent trend of missing out on elite in-state recruits. Georgia has just two commitments from top-10 recruits in the Peach State in the class of 2026. This comes after Georgia signed six of the 10-best in-state recruits in the 2025 cycle.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: $3.5M NIL deal lures LaDamion Guyton away from Georgia football
