Georgia football couldn't wait until Sept. 27 to claim a win over Alabama. Except this one is via the college football recruiting trail.

The Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart bolstered the 2026 class in a big way Wednesday. Georgia landed Southeastern Conference target Zykie Helton, a local talent from Carrollton. He also sent this message via Hayes Fawcett of On3 after verbally choosing his next school.

“Dawg Nation the wait is over, I’m home,” Helton shared to the recruiting insider.

Helton earned 24 total scholarship offers. He was also courted by Florida State and Georgia Tech — which landed on his final list of schools.

Auburn and Florida rose as two more SEC offers for him. Even Colorado and Deion Sanders extended an offer to Helton. But he adds to a growing and stout '26 recruiting class.

Helton's commitment also comes after major recruiting news for Georgia. A trio of four-star verbal commits opted to shut their recruiting process down, signifying their decision to stick with the Bulldogs.

How Georgia beat Alabama for talented recruit 

Georgia coach Kirby Smart leads his team onto the field before the start of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Helton spoke with Benjamin Wolk of Dawgs247 about his decision to join Georgia.

“Consistent coaching,” Helton began. “They are a winning program, and they put people in the NFL.”

But those weren't the only elements that played into his choice.

“They're one good football team. I've been waiting for it for a long time,” Helton told Dawgs247 previously in the spring. “A really good football team, a winning program. I come from a winning program. Why not go join a winning program?”

He cites offensive line coach Stacy Searels as his primary recruiter — who recently produced a trio of NFL linemen.

Helton isn't the only local recruiting win for Georgia over Alabama. The Bulldogs landed Zach Lewis of Suwanee on Monday. Smart and Georgia also beat Alabama out for four-star safety Jordan Smith on May 12. The College Football Playoff team of 2024 currently fields the nation's fifth-ranked recruiting class for '26.