Newnan High wide receiver P.J. Harris committed to Georgia Tech in January. It didn’t come to public light until Monday. He just didn’t see the need.
Harris said he was “not trying to have everyone in my business. I know I knew and coaches knew and my family knew, so that’s all that really mattered to me.”
It became news only when he confirmed the commitment in a Rivals report. It’s not the usual, as prospects typically take to Twitter and other social media to announce their decisions. The more celebrated will sometimes make the announcement at a news conference.
“Some people knew, based off it getting around, but I wasn’t going to make it public,” he said. “I didn’t have a set date (to announce the commitment).”
Tech was the first school to make an offer to Harris, who appears to be a find for wide receivers coach Buzz Preston, Harris’ area recruiter. Harris, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, has had no other offers.
Newnan High coach Chip Walker, who was hired at the school in February from Sandy Creek High, said that Harris attracted the attention of college coaches visiting during spring practice, but he did not gain more offers because he wasn’t interested. Walker, who sent Calvin Johnson, Isaiah Johnson and Corey Griffin to Tech from Sandy Creek, among others, called him a “perfect fit” for Tech.
His game video suggests a player with good hands and a taste for clearing out defenders to support the run game.
“I’m not just going to be a catching wide receiver,” he said. “I want to be a receiver that can block, because if you can block, that’s going to make plays for the running game and if the running game gets going, that opens up the pass game. That’s just being a complete player.”
Harris was persuaded to commit to Tech by what he described as a family atmosphere that he felt at a camp there last summer. He appreciated, too, the individual coaching that he received from Preston.
“It wasn’t like I was just another player,” Harris said. “They took time to help me out and help my game and help my craft. So I felt like that was a big part that played a big role.”
Harris was quite glad to be joined in the recruiting class by three players who committed to Tech in recent days, Prince Avenue Christian School lineman Harrison Jump , Thomasville High safety Charlie Thomas and Peach County High linebacker JaQuez Jackson .
“That’s who I’m going to spend the next four years with,” he said.
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