After a whirlwind of activity swarming around his college choice, Evans offensive lineman Mason Short ended all speculation and announced his commitment to Georgia Friday morning.
Evans’ 4-star offensive line prospect, Mason Short is headed to the University of Georgia to continue his academic and athletic career. He announced his decision on Friday morning during a commitment ceremony at Evans High School’s auditorium.
After backing off of an initial commitment to Alabama once coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, Short, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound rising senior, reopened his recruitment and chose Georgia from a top four that included Ohio State, Clemson and Kentucky. He cited the bond he felt with the Bulldogs’ coaching staff as the major thing setting UGA apart.
“My relationship with the coaches there, I love Coach Smart and Coach [Stacy] Searels,” said Short. “It’s not about the facilities. All of those places have top notch facilities. It all comes down to the place that feels like home. Ultimately, Georgia became my place.”
The class of 2025 offensive lineman is listed as a four-star on every recruiting website and is one of the most highly sought after recruits in Columbia County history.
On April 2, 2023, Short committed to play at the University of Alabama, but with the Crimson Tide’s legendary coach Nick Saban announcing his retirement on January 10, 2024, Short chose to de-commit about a week later.
New Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer pursued Short and tried to get him to reconsider going to Tuscaloosa. A shift in Deboer’s staff may have caused Short to look differently at the Tide.
“I really loved Coach Deboer and Coach Huff when they came down,” Short said. “But about a week after that I got word that Coach Huff was going to the Seattle Seahawks and I felt comfortable with the schools I had narrowed it down to.”
On March 29, 2024, Chad Simmons of On3 recruiting wrote that Short narrowed down the list to just Georgia and Clemson.
“I love Coach Luke at Clemson,” Short said. “It was just his first year and I felt honored to be one of his first recruits there, but I just felt like Georgia was a better fit for me.”
Evans football coach Barrett Davis has coached Short all three years and spoke very highly of him.
“It’s big for our school to have someone like him,” said Davis, heading into his fourth year at the helm of Evans’ program. “These things don’t happen in Columbia County football very often. It’s once every decade or lifetime if you’re lucky. Having a good kid who has remained humble through it and who is a great football player on top of it, it’s been a blessing to have. Also, being able to kid that size football wise has been awesome.”
Short still has his senior season to play at Evans before he graduates and heads to Athens.
