Georgia landed five-star linebacker Nakobe Dean. How did it happen?

Throughout his efforts to recruit five-star linebacker Nakobe Dean, Kirby Smart would make calls to the Mississippi product.

Sometimes, Dean wouldn’t pick up. Try again later.

“I’m sorry, coach, I can’t talk tonight,” Smart, Georgia’s head coach, would recall the coveted prospect saying. “I have to go focus on my school work and keep a 4.0 (GPA).”

That’s what Georgia is getting in a quiet-mattered Dean, who signed with the Bulldogs Wednesday during the early signing period. His academic statistics mirror the on-field numbers. In fact, that’s what brought him to Georgia.

Dean didn’t have an idea as to which program he would choose until a night or two before his ceremony at Horn Lake (Miss.) High School. It was between Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and LSU for his services.

Georgia sophomore Monty Rice, who hosted Dean on his official visit, didn’t have much of an idea either.

“He was very quiet and hard to read,” Rice said. “I didn’t know if he wasn’t going to sign or not, but glad he did.”

During his nationally-televised ceremony, a long-sleeved Bulldog t-shirt was pulled out of a Jordan shoe box after “weighing the pros and cons,” the coveted recruit said.

“It all came back to education,” Dean said in a brief interview with The Telegraph.

Added Smart, who said priorities of Dean’s family were academics, safety and football: “He wants to be an engineering student, and where better to do that than the University of Georgia?”

Smart indicated that Georgia’s engineering department worked diligently to map out a plan academically and mentioned tight end Jackson Harris recently graduated with an engineering degree.

Now that the Bulldogs have Dean in the fold, where does the five-star fit? Fortunately, for Dean, his opportunity could come fairly early as two of the other linebacker pledges — Rian Davis and Trezman Marshall — are dealing with injuries. Smart said Marshall will likely undergo shoulder surgery as Davis is tending to a torn ACL.

Georgia loses Juwan Taylor and Natrez Patrick from the rotation after this season, and Dean may have to play a role out of necessity.

“We’re losing about 800 snaps,” Smart said. “That’s a lot. Nakobe’s the only (signee) who is healthy right away, and he should be able to come in and compete.”

In regard to the interest being mutual, that was easy on Georgia’s end. Dean has been a priority while much of the 2019 class was recruited. He recorded 63 tackles and three interceptions as a senior to lead Horn Lake to a state title.

“He’s really fast, athletic, intelligent and high-character,” Smart said. “He has all of the intangibles. We’re excited about what he brings to the table.”

Georgia is hopeful to have Davis and Marshall back in time for fall practice, and that creates lofty potential for the Bulldogs’ front-seven. In addition to the newcomers at inside linebacker, Georgia also signed two of the nation’s top outside linebackers (Nolan Smith and Jermaine Johnson).

For Dean, the roster talent was also integral.

“There’s the culture of a rising program,” he said. “We are capable of being great. The competition will push us to want to be harder than one another.”

Added Rice: “They’re all good players — Trezman, Nakobe and Rian. We’ve got a good room, young guys who can play.”

Dean’s last preference — development — was what might’ve won the recruiting battle for Georgia over other SEC powers. Glenn Schumann, Georgia’s inside linebackers coach, displayed potential in development to Dean.

Dean first saw it by learning from Schumann at a camp, and the history of successful linebackers under Schumann — most notably first-round draftee Roquan Smith — spoke for itself.

“He has such an energy and youthfulness with coaching that position,” Dean said. “He’s also got a sense of interactiveness in his teaching.”

Those qualities allowed Georgia to be Dean’s last phone call of his recruitment. Smart, this time, had little issue answering to hear the news.