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Eli Lederman
Four-star safety Zech Fort, ESPN’s No. 39 overall in ESPN Junior 300, committed to Georgia on Thursday, landing as the top-ranked member in the Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class.
Fort ranks as ESPN’s No. 5 safety in the 2026 cycle. Originally from Bellflower, California, Fort is a multiyear captain at Florida’s IMG Academy, where he completed his junior season this past fall. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound defender picked Georgia over Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State, with Florida and Florida State rounding out the top six Fort announced earlier this month.
Fort built tight relationships with Bulldogs assistants Travaris Robinson and Donte Williams, and took multiple trips to Georgia throughout his recruiting process. His most recent visit to the school came late last fall during the Bulldogs’ 31-17 win over Tennessee on Nov. 16.
Fort is now the highest ranked of five prospects pledged to coach Kirby Smart’s 2026 class. He follows wide receiver Vance Spafford (No. 83 overall) and in-state cornerback Jontavious Wyman (No. 127) as the Bulldogs’ third ESPN Junior 300 commit in the cycle. Georgia also holds 2026 pledges from three-star tight end Lincoln Keyes and junior college defensive tackle Seven Cloud, who will not join the program until after next season.
Georgia remains involved in the recruitment of five-star 2026 quarterback Jared Curtis (No. 4 in ESPN Junior 300) after he pulled his commitment from the program last fall. Four-star running back Derrek Cooper (No. 18 overall) was another high-profile exit from the program’s 2026 class last year.
Fort’s commitment continues a pipeline from the IMG Academy to Georgia under Smart. If he signs with the Bulldogs later this year, Fort will be the 11th IMG Academy graduate to join the program since the 2021 recruiting cycle, headlined most recently by four-star 2025 signee Dominick Bailey and five-star prospect Ellis Robinson IV in the 2024 class.
Georgia holds signatures from 15 ESPN 300 prospects in its 2025 class, which ranks No. 2 in ESPN’s latest class rankings ahead of national signing day on Feb. 5.