Cambridge wide receiver Craig Dandridge points to his family — mother, father, stepfather and sister — as vital contributors in his life.
However, his appreciation for his family is particularly heartfelt when he mentions his grandfather.
Lavorn Dandridge died on Aug. 3 of last year. Dandridge will write “8-3-24″ on his gear every game, notably on his right wrist.
“He was a five-star granddad,” Craig Dandridge said. “One of the best. The best granddad in the world.”
Dandridge, a four-star prospect on the 247 Composite and a top-50 wide receiver nationally in the class of 2026, recently took an official visit to UGA and knew his grandfather would have loved the experience — but also would have told him to stay focused, to keep God first and just keep working.
“The offers will come, but the hard work doesn’t stop” was something Craig said he could hear his grandfather saying.
“I think about him all the time,” Dandridge said. “I remember just being a little kid and talking to him about how I wanted to go to the NFL and be in college. Just being able to talk to him and him encouraging me and talking to me about how proud he was.”
Lavorn Dandridge, once bedridden, would watch highlights from Craig’s basketball and football games.
“I just know that he’s watching over me and is just happy and smiling that I’m actually doing it,” the prospect said.
Like many young athletes, Dandridge aspires to success at the collegiate and professional levels. He currently holds offers from dozens of D-I programs, though he recently announced his six finalists: Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia, Stanford and Tennessee.
The passing of his grandfather was a “main motivator” behind his impressive 1,400-plus yard junior year, which led to the avalanche of college offers.
He plans to make his college decision on June 25.
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