Four-star WR commit on UGA: ‘Georgia’s has the best everything’

Vance Spafford was sold on the Georgia Bulldogs when he visited Athens earlier this month.

He took some time to think about it, but ultimately, the four-star 2026 wide receiver from Mission Viejo, California knew that he wanted to make the nearly cross-country trip to play college football for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

“Like they say, when you know, you know,” Spafford told On3 regarding his recent commitment. “I definitely felt it right after we left the facility to go home from Georgia. I wanted to take my time because I didn’t want to just react off of emotion. I just wanted to make sure. And my feelings kept stable for about three weeks and I was ready to make the move.”

For Spafford and many top recruits like him, Georgia has become the “new Alabama” in regard to program building. Smart has turned UGA into a perennial championship contender and he has three College Football Playoff championship wins since 2017 to hang his hat on. That includes back-to-back CFP titles in 2021 and 2022. 

The Bulldogs are 7-1 this season and are No. 3 in the new CFP rankings so a trip to the playoff is once again likely, especially since it is now a 12-team format.

That’s the type of program recruits like Spafford want to commit to at the end of the day. 

“Georgia has the best everything. I want to win games in college. So you go to the best team. They have always the best of the best. Georgia has a great defense, they have a great offensive line, which attracts a great quarterback. And then great quarterbacks attract great receivers. So I love the way they get talent and how the coaches call plays. Their playcalling is great. Coach [Mike] Bobo does a really good job and I think it’s a very good fit for me.”

In Spafford, the Bulldogs are getting a star recruit. He’s ranked as the No. 10 wide receiver in the country as well as the No. 10 recruit from the talent-laden state of California, according to the 247Sports Composite. He went for 1,576 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore for his high school. As a junior, he’s caught 48 catches for 895 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He’s Smart’s third 2026 commitment, joining four-star cornerback Dominick Kelly and three-star cornerback Jontavius Wyman. Ole Miss, Nebraska and Arizona were also in the running for Spafford’s commitment.