Zech Fort is one of the top safeties in the 2026 class and has lofty ambitions to not only play big-time college football but in the NFL as well.
So when it came down to decision day, Georgia emerged as the team for the four-star safety from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy because of how the Bulldogs play football and especially because coach Kirby Smart played the position and knows it as well as anybody.
Having two defensive backs coaches in Athens – Donte Williams and Travaris Robinson – that knew Fort from different coaching stops was also an added bonus as the four-star looked at his favorites.
On Thursday, Fort picked Georgia over Notre Dame and Ohio State as the main contenders with Alabama, Florida and Florida State as the other top teams.
“The way they play football, just grinding football, the intensity,” Fort said. “From what I’ve watched, especially the game against Tennessee, I want to be a part of that. That’s who I am as a player.
“Coach Smart played safety so there’s no one better to teach me about the position than him. My relationship with coach Donte and T-Rob stood out.”
The connections between Fort, who is originally from California, and Williams and Robinson go back years and that played a huge role in his final decision.
“Donte recruited me when he was at USC and he’s from California so we have that California line,” Fort said. “Coach T-Rob recruited me when he was at Alabama and I’m really close with him so it’s just like the perfect fit.
“Coach Donte will work with the safeties one day and then coach T-Rob will work with the safeties one day and vice versa.
“Just getting knowledge from both of them, from their perspective and then coach Smart coaching me at the safety position, too, that should give me all the tools I need to continue to be an elite safety that will prepare me to get to the next level and he a first-round draft pick in the NFL.”
