It looked like a trip to Florida threw a monkey wrench in the University of Georgia's plans to add a commitment from four-star cornerback William Poole III (Atlanta/Hapeville) this month. But after talking it over with his family, the 6-foot, 180-pound prospect realized his first instinct was the right one.

I just shared the news with Coach Smart that I am committed to Georgia," Poole said. "I have been a Dawg fan since I was yay high, and I love everything about Georgia.

"In my heart, I felt like this was the place I needed to be. The home feeling and support - knowing that at Georgia every Saturday I will have multiple members of my family there. That really helps the transition out of the home for freshmen. To be honest, when I looked at the plusses and minuses closely, there were no minuses for Georgia."

William Poole III CB | 5-11.5 | 180 Hapeville Charter (Atlanta, GA) Class of 17 247Sports Composite 0.9529 Natl 100 Pos 12 State9 Predictions: 96%

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(What's next for the Bulldogs? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Bulldogs newsletter now!) Poole recently gave his parents the news that he would be staying close to home.

"My mom was happy that she does not have to move to Florida, and my dad, of course, he was happy," Poole said. "Words cannot even describe his reaction."

The Bulldogs' defensive coordinator is someone Poole has established a tight-knit bond with over the last few months.

"Coach Mel Tucker, me and I really built up a strong relationship. He and Kirby Smart were recruiting me when they were at Alabama, and when they came to Georgia we just grew even closer. I look at Coach Tucker like a father figure - I can go to him with anything and he is straight-forward with me. We talk just about every day, and he says I fit what he looks for in a long, rangy cornerback who can play early."

Poole had Georgia's head coach sweating for a few weeks, as he recently postponed his plans to commit last month.

"I silently committed to Georgia a few months ago, but then I visited Florida. Coach Smart is really passionate about his guys, so when I told him that, he said they got in my head, but he was just joking around. He understood and said nothing changed with how much he wanted me to be a part of his program. He is fired up now."

According to Poole, the recruiting process is over.

"It feels great to be committed to Georgia," Poole said. "It is a weight off my shoulder that I can now shut my recruitment completely down. I am 100 percent committed to Georgia and I know that is where I want to be. I am just glad to be a Dawg."

The No. 100 prospect in the 247Sports Composite now plans to put on his own recruiting hat and join fellow commitments Richard LeCounte III, Jaden Hunter and Breon Dixon in trying to reel in other talent to join them in Athens.

"I plan to get Jamyest Williams, Trey Blount, Nate McBride, Malik Herring on the commitment list," Poole said. "I also want AJ Terrel and Deejay Dallas to come back to the fold as well."