Georgia adds another five-star in Brenton Cox

An hour before he was supposed to announce his college decision on national television, Brenton Cox looked at his high school coach, Kevin Whitley, and told him, “I don’t have a hat.”

Whitley and Cox were in the media center at Stockbridge High School. In front of them, ESPN set up cameras and lighting equipment. Cox, a five-star defensive end, wanted to use hats in his decision ceremony, but he hadn’t bought any. Whitley told Cox to ask a teacher at Stockbridge who graduated from Alabama for a hat.

Whitley then called Henry County athletic director Curt Miller, a Georgia fan who was driving to the ceremony, and asked if he had a Georgia hat with him. Miller did. When the television feed cut to Cox for him to announce his decision, there were two hats on the table. Cox reached for Miller’s red Georgia visor and pulled it over his head.

With Cox’s decision, six five-star recruits have signed with the Bulldogs.

“It just felt like home,” Cox said of Georgia, “and I’d rather put on for my home state.”

Minutes later, after posing for pictures and receiving congratulations from fellow students, Cox signed his national letter-of-intent, ending a recruitment that caused him to lose sleep. Cox committed to Ohio State in late April of this year, but as the months passed, he doubted the decision he made. Cox decommitted from Ohio State on Dec. 6, five days after taking an official visit to Alabama.

He officially visited Georgia last Friday.

An early enrollee, he had to make a decision quickly. Since Cox decommitted from Ohio State, Whitley could see the looming decision weighing on him. Every day, Whitley would look at Cox and remind him the recruiting process was supposed to be fun. It had become a drag.

“I kept thinking about it every five minutes,” Cox said.

Cox settled on his final decision at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, an hour and a half before he appeared on ESPN. But Cox hesitated when it came time to reach for the borrowed hats.

Sometimes during their announcements, recruits waver in order to increase the tension of the moment. Cox paused as well, looking at the Alabama hat first, but not because he wanted to extend an already arduous process.

“I almost picked up the other hat,” Cox said. “That's how close it was.”

Cox did pick up the Georgia visor, though. As he adjusted its strap, the Stockbridge media center filled with cheers and shouts of “Go Dawgs!” Cox said he will play outside linebacker, defensive end and possibly middle linebacker on Georgia’s defense. Thursday, he’ll take two exams.

For Cox’s mother, Latarsha Louis-Cox, her son’s decision is bittersweet. He ended a long and stressful process on Wednesday, but he also came one step closer to leaving home.

However, Cox feels relieved. Now, he said, he can sleep through the night.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Georgia adds another five-star in Brenton Cox."