Elijah Jeudy wanted to go to a place that would push him to be the best he could be.
But unlike many high Division I prospects, he didn’t just want it to be on the football field.
Jeudy is a junior at Northeast High School and widely considered one of the top defensive recruits in the nation for the class of 2021. On Sunday, on his Instagram account, Jeudy announced he would continue his athletic career at the University of Georgia. But he wasn’t just going to be a top football player.
“I think the thing that I liked the best about it is that when I was there, everything felt good, they wanted me, I could be myself, I just felt right there,” said Jeudy, who lives in Mayfair. “The other thing I liked, a lot of schools had the major I wanted (sports marketing), but Georgia, the coaches and the school push you. I need that. I do well in school, but I need someone to push me. Education is so important, and I wanted to go to a place where it’s important. Georgia made it clear it really is.”
And so Jeudy, who has been tearing it up on the football field the last two seasons, and still has another one to go at Northeast, is bound for the SEC.
If he plays like he has the last few years, he’ll fit in at what is traditionally the best college football conference.
A two-way lineman, playing mostly defensive end (although sometimes he switches to outside linebacker) and tight end, Jeudy started turning heads shortly after he gained a starting job early in his sophomore year. Ever since, he’s been getting attention from other teams and colleges.
“I got an opportunity to start because we had an injury and we needed a defensive end,” Jeudy said. “Once I got in, I started to play well. Even after I broke my hand, it got crushed, I came back and played pretty good. We had a good defense, I just tried to do my part.”
Jeudy is a talented football player with God-given speed. He credits his dad, a former football player, and mom, a former basketball player, for the speed. But the strength, that comes from pure work.
Even during the layoff when schools are closed, and a scholarship already in his back pocket, Jeudy has been hitting the weights hard.
“We have a gym in the basement, and I’ve been working out hard,” said Jeudy, who stands 6 feet 3 and weighs 250 pounds. “I’ll lift by myself or with my brother. He plays football for Northeast, too.
“My speed, a lot of people are surprised by my 40 time. Last time I ran it, I ran a 4.8. That’s from my family. I get speed from them. They support me a lot, too.”
Family support has never been a problem for Jeudy, which was evident when he made the commitment to Georgia. While Bulldog fans were turned into his Instagram account, more than 2,000 people watched as he made his decision public for the first time.
He wasn’t alone. He was at a house with his mom, dad, brother Josiah, 15, sister, Sarai, 13, his grandmom, uncle and his girlfriend.
“I didn’t tell too many people, a few teammates, my parents, I didn’t want everyone to know,” said Jeudy, who had offers from schools all over the country. “I was nervous because I had to do it and give a little speech. But it did help to have so much support. My family is very supportive, they’re always in my corner.”
He also has the support of his high school, which is natural since he and his teammates have been having so much success over the last few years.
This year, Northeast won its fourth consecutive Public League championship, and the Vikings also put quite a scare into St. Joe’s Prep before falling in the District 12 Class 6A championship. The Hawks are loaded with Division I talent, but this year so were the Vikings. Both teams will be loaded next year, too, and Jeudy hopes they have another chance to play in the championship. If they do, it will be the fifth time in a row they will meet in the unofficial city championship game.
“I think we should be really good next year,” said Jeudy, whose team will play under first-year head coach Eric Clark, who replaced Phil Gormley, who stepped down after the season. “Northeast has great coaches. They definitely make us better. They’ve been great to me. I’ve gotten so much better because of them.”
And now Jeudy has to focus on only one thing. That’s playing.
“It was so stressful, but once I decided, I felt good about the decision,” said Jeudy, who made the announcement on his birthday. “It will be nice to just play. I’m happy with Georgia, and now I can play at Northeast.”
