Georgia pulled off perhaps its biggest commitment for the class of 2012 when defensive end Jordan Jenkins announced his intentions to play for the Bulldogs on “The New College Football Show” on Monday night.

JORDAN JENKINS

Ranked by many publications as the No. 1 overall prospect in Georgia, it was thought Jenkins was all but locked by Alabama and head coach Nick Saban ahead of their clash with LSU for the BCS National Championship.

The Hamilton native admitted after his commitment that Alabama had been his leader early on in his recruitment, but the Bulldogs fought their way back and pulled off a huge victory over the Crimson Tide on the recruiting trail.

“I never thought I would have went to Georgia,” Jenkins said on the live broadcast. “But it’s a benefit for me. I want to go to a place where I can feel comfortable, and that’s the main reason I committed (to Georgia).”

Jenkins also acknowledged that the play of Jarvis Jones — the Southeastern Conference’s sack leader in 2011 — stood out to him.

He said that although Jones was a great player at Southern California — where Jones played his freshman season before transferring — Jenkins noticed that Jones’ game went to another level when he arrived at Georgia.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 245 pounds, Jenkins is expected to come in and compete immediately at both the “Sam” and the “Will” linebacker positions.

Both positions require a unique ability to rush the passer while also being able to cover space out in the open field on pass plays or wide runs, areas where Jenkins excels.

These positions also require not only the biggest and strongest players, but the most athletic.

Jenkins runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, owns a 39.5-inch vertical and has clips on Youtube where he is seen throwing down dunks for the Harris County High School basketball team.

Jenkins becomes the Bulldogs’ third five-star commitment for the class of 2012, according to Scout.com.