Making the Case: Will it be Georgia, Oregon or A&M for Tristan Jernigan
Tristan Jernigan has more than a dozen offers but in recent days the three-star linebacker has narrowed his choices to three programs.
Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M made the cut for the Tupelo, Miss., standout and while a solid commitment date has not been finalized it looks like one of those three programs will win out for his services.
And Jernigan will be a big-time catch in the 2024 class.The three-star linebacker is incredibly aware on the football field and also a devastating tackler who likes to hit people hard, track them to the sideline and make plays from his linebacker position.
In today’s Making the Case, experts from around the Rivals network make an argument for a particular school and then National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney issues his verdict as to where he sees Jernigan ending up.
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GEORGIA
“Georgia only recently jumped into the race for Jernigan, offering him on March 2 and hosting him in Athens the weekend of April 8. Despite that, the Bulldogs have already done enough to be among his finalists.
"During the visit to Georgia, inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann emphasized that Georgia is the place to be in order to develop as an inside linebacker. He showed Jernigan some of the players he’s helped coach and send to the NFL. That clearly resonated with the Mississippi prospect as he considers the Bulldogs against Texas A&M and Oregon.” – Jed May, UGASports.com
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OREGON
"It feels like Georgia is in the driver’s seat, but Oregon has certainly positioned itself well with Jernigan up to this point and he has yet to even step foot in Eugene. That visit with the Ducks is expected to take place by the end of the month, and you simply can’t count out Dan Lanning at this stage of the process. Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi have prioritized linebacker recruiting in the 2024 cycle, and Jernigan has become a viable option for the Ducks.
"Oregon has also not shied away from targeting recruits in SEC country and have already landed a top commitment from the state in the previous cycle with four-star running back Dante Dowdell turning down offers from schools closer to home in favor of playing in Eugene. Oregon should have a chance to make up some ground in the coming weeks, but Georgia feels like the landing spot as it stands now." – Matt Moreno, DuckSportsAuthority.com
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TEXAS A&M
“What makes A&M a factor for Jernigan? Simple: playing time behind a very nasty defensive line. Edgerrin Cooper and Chris Russell are gone after this year, leaving A&M with four scholarship linebackers — three of whom are freshmen this year. And what does a linebacker want? The ability to make tackles unmolested.
"As we saw in the spring game, A&M’s defensive front has the ability to be very, very good. That could mean a lot of tackles and attention for a guy like Jernigan.” – Mark Passwaters, AggieYell.com
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THE VERDICT
“Timing is important when considering Jernigan’s destination and only a few days after his visit to Georgia in early April, Jernigan released his top three. That tells me the Bulldogs really impressed him a whole lot and while they haven’t recruited him as long as some other programs, that doesn’t seem to be playing a major influence in his thinking right now.
"With Georgia’s back-to-back national titles, its success developing defensive players and its long list of putting players in the NFL, it seems like Jernigan loved his trip to Athens and can picture himself there. The Dawgs look to be the leader for him at this point.” – Adam Gorney, Rivals National Recruiting Director