Georgia Tech freshman safety Kaleb Oliver had a decision to make this past winter — Tech or Ole Miss?
The decision to become a Yellow Jacket looked considerably wiser Thursday evening following the resignation of Rebels coach Hugh Freeze after findings of personal misconduct, reportedly including a call to an escort service.
Oliver withdrew his commitment to Mississippi State in January after two assistant coaches with whom he had developed a relationship left for other jobs. Soon after, Tech and Ole Miss became his top choices.
“The day after I decommitted, Hugh Freeze called me,” Oliver said in June. “He called me himself. He was, like, I’m looking at your highlight (video) right now. I like what I see and all this stuff.”
Oliver, from La Vergne, Tenn., took official visits to Ole Miss and Tech. He quickly was won over by Tech, whose recruitment was led by safeties coach Andy McCollum.
“After the first day at Tech, I was like, Oh, yeah, this is where I want to go,” he said.
The strength of a Tech degree was among the factors in his decision, he said. A minus on the Ole Miss side? The NCAA’s investigation, which charged the school with a lack of institutional control and Freeze with a failure to monitor his coaching staff.
“They were on the verge of getting in all that trouble,” Oliver said.
Oliver is expected to compete for playing time this season on special teams and at backup safety.
