Kirby Smart’s Two-Word Message After Beating Alabama in Recruiting Battle originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

When it comes to landing talented high school recruits, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs are undoubtedly among the programs that regularly come out on top.

That’s why it’s unsurprising that they are consistently battling for the same players, and one name each has been trying to land is class of 2026 interior offensive lineman Zykie Helton.

However, Georgia took the lead after Helton made an official visit on May 30, as On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported on Wednesday that Helton had committed to the Bulldogs.

Head coach Kirby Smart reacted to the announcement with a two-word message on X: “Go Dawgs !!” 

Go Dawgs !!

— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) June 11, 2025

On3 ranks Helton as a three-star recruit, the No. 41 interior offensive lineman, the No. 55 player in Georgia and the No. 477 player in the nation.

Alabama wasn’t the only team involved in this recruiting battle, as Helton had also received offers from programs such as Florida State, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State and Auburn. 

However, things could certainly change, as Helton still has two official visits scheduled: one with the Seminoles on June 13 and one with the Crimson Tide on June 20.

For now, though, Helton is set to play under Smart and is a nice addition to Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class, which features a total of 14 commitments, ranking No. 2 in the SEC and No. 5 in the nation, per On3.

Related: Nation’s No. 1 Recruit Sends Clear Message to Former Tennessee Commit

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.