“Location, location, location” is usually a phrase reserved for real estate.

Don’t tell that to Georgia’s newest football recruit, defensive tackle Chris Mayes, who said Athens’ proximity to his home in Griffin was the key factor in his Aug. 22 decision to commit to the Bulldogs.

When the time came to choose which school would gain his services — Miami and Oklahoma State were his other finalists — Mayes received assistance in going over his options.

“Me and my mom sat down and talked it over, and we just agreed that Georgia was the best fit,” he said.

Mayes — who has talked with head coach Mark Richt, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and defensive line coach Rodney Garner already — was told by the coaches he would fit well in the Bulldogs’ 3-4 defensive alignment.

“They’ve been giving me words of wisdom here and there, and they just feel I’m going to be a great fit for the new defensive scheme,” Mayes said. “They feel like they can put me anywhere.”

The Spalding High School standout is considered a three-star recruit, with Rivals.com ranking him as the No. 31 defensive tackle prospect and Scout.com ranking him No. 45 at the position.

While those rankings may sound low to some, consider that this upcoming season is only the second year of his playing career, as Mayes decided before his junior year to trade his sneakers on the hardwood for cleats on the football field.

“I just decided to try out for the [football] team before I got out of high school,” he said. “And it proved to be a great decision for me.”

Whether that decision turns out to be a beneficial one for Georgia depends on how well Mayes sticks to his word.

So how strong is his commitment to the Bulldogs?

It is strong enough that Mayes said he is trying to get remaining uncommitted players to join him as part of Georgia’s 2011 recruiting class, including his friend Xzavier Dickson, a standout for Griffin High School who is one of the most highly-regarded defensive end prospects in the country.

“I’m trying to have an influence on Xzavier to join me, because we’re very close,” Mayes said. “He might as well come to Athens with me.”