Georgia Tech went into the first day of the early signing period with 15 players having made commitments to sign with the Yellow Jackets. Coach Geoff Collins ended Wednesday with 13 signed, and none more expected for the day.
“We knew going into it, it was going to be a smaller class,” Collins said at a signing-day news conference. “We wanted to really focus on the quality that was in the class. I know we did that.”
Indeed, in the judgment of at least one of three major recruiting sites — 247Sports, Rivals or ESPN — eight of the 13 signees were rated four-star prospects. (By the accounting of the 247Sports Composite, it was two, Langston Hughes High running back Antonio Martin and defensive back Jaylin Marshall of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Who didn’t sign
Three players who had committed, four-star wide receiver Janiran Bonner of Cedar Grove High, offensive lineman Bobby Mooney of Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach, Calif., and defensive back Greg Delaine of Fort Myers (Fla.) High did not sign and were not expected to do so Wednesday. Cedar Grove coach John Adams confirmed that Bonner was not signing Wednesday. Tech also picked up a late addition, defensive back Rodney Shelley of Langston Hughes, who previously was committed to Eastern Michigan. Bonner and Mooney are expected to sign in the February signing period.
‘A really good class’
Collins called it “a really good class, a very targeted class, relative to a small senior class that we had, but there’s still spaces. There’ll be another signing period in February for some high-school guys and then throughout the next couple weeks, (we’ll) get some key transfers in the coming weeks.”
It was a smaller class than usual, but in line with what some other ACC teams did Wednesday as they look more to the transfer portal to add to their rosters. Several teams, including Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Wake Forest, had 12 or 13 high-school signees, according to 247Sports.
Offensive line
The class does address needs, particularly on the offensive line (Milton High’s Brandon Best and Johns Creek High’s Tyler Gibson) and at defensive tackle (K.J. Miles of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J., and Westlake High’s Horace Lockett).
“Obviously, they’re physically gifted, and they play really, really hard,” Collins said of Miles and Lockett.
Running backs
Two running backs, Martin of Langston Hughes and Jamie Felix of Camden County High, will bolster a running-backs group that has been depleted by the departures of Jahmyr Gibbs (transfer portal) and Jordan Mason (turning professional). Martin led Langston Hughes to the Class 6A state championship game.
“They’re both very, very talented,” Collins said. “Everybody that saw Antonio in the playoff run, just how physical he is, how powerful he is, how hard he runs. And then Jamie, his elusiveness, his speed, his toughness, his physicality – I think they complement each other very well.”
Even besides the signings, it was a busy day of roster management for Collins and general manager Patrick Suddes. Most notably, running back Jamious Griffin, who announced his intent to transfer Dec. 6, announced Wednesday that he will remain with the Jackets.
It’s a victory for Collins, whose depth at running back had thinned with the departures of Gibbs and Mason. Griffin now gives new offensive coordinator Chip Long two backs with experience to work with, along with returnee Dontae Smith.
Syracuse tight end on board
Long also took receipt of another experienced skill-position player, Syracuse tight end Luke Benson, whom Tech received from the portal. Benson, from the Philadelphia area, played 34 games in three seasons for the Orange. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Linebacker Ayinde Eley, who ranked second on the team in tackles per game and sixth in the ACC (7.5), announced that he will use his final season of eligibility. Freshman quarterback Chayden Peery announced that he will go into the transfer portal. His departure leaves Tech with two scholarship quarterbacks, returning starter Jeff Sims and incoming freshman Zach Pyron. Tech will certainly add to the depth through the transfer portal.
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