Archive for the ‘Georgia Tech’ Category

Georgia Tech QB target Juwaan Williams led Tucker to the 2011 Class AAAA state championship (AJC)

Quarterback Juwaan Williams, who led Tucker to the state championship this past season, was offered by Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior has around 10 early offers, including South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Kentucky, East Carolina and Central Florida. Georgia Tech is the only school recruiting Williams at QB, which he really likes.

“It was a great offer,” Williams told the AJC. “The system they run at Georgia Tech fits me to a ‘T.’ It’s just a little more reading that I have to do at the line of scrimmage. If I went to Georgia Tech to play quarterback, I’d have a chance to be the king of Atlanta. Georgia Tech is in the heart of Atlanta, and they have great fans that support the team.”

The other schools are recruiting Williams to play wide receiver or defensive back. Williams never played QB until he was needed at the position by …

Continue reading State championship QB offered by Georgia Tech »

Dalvin Tomlinson, who picked Alabama over Georgia Tech and UGA on signing day, was not connected to the Crimson Tide’s “grayshirting” scandal, according to his coach.

Two longtime Alabama commitments (both recovering from knee injuries) were told only weeks before signing day by Nick Saban that they couldn’t sign with the Crimson Tide this year. Both were given the option to “grayshirt” or delay enrolling at Alabama in 2013.

What we learned: If you commit to Nick Saban, it’s safe unless you get injured or Alabama has the opportunity to upgrade at your position before you officially sign the paperwork (AP)

Justin Taylor, a running back from North Atlanta High School, was apparently no longer needed after Alabama upgraded at the position when 5-star RB TJ Yeldon flipped from Auburn to the Crimson Tide. Taylor, who missed most of his senior season with a knee injury, ended up signing with Kentucky and had some strong comments for Saban: “[As] far as pulling the …

Continue reading Dalvin Tomlinson’s connection to Alabama ‘grayshirt scandal’ (UPDATED) »

Georgia Tech did much better with recruiting than it appeared in the team rankings, according to a couple of national analysts. On Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets signed 17, including 4-star DE Francis Kallon of Central Gwinnett and speedy QB Justin Thomas of Prattville, Ala.

Georgia Tech finished with a No. 58 ranking by Scout.com, and at 58 by 247Sports. The Yellow Jackets didn’t crack the top 25 of ESPN or the top 50 of Rivals.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson scored a top DE and QB for 2012 (AJC)

• Scout.com’s Chad Simmons: “I like their class. A lot of these kids are never as flashy as some others, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. It’s because of the system they run. They’re not always going to get the 6-foot-5. 300-pound offensive tackle and elite running backs in the option, or at quarterback, even though this year was an exception. Even though Francis Kallon gets a lot of the headlines and rightfully so, I’m very impressed with how they pulled …

Continue reading Recruiting experts: Georgia Tech’s class gets some love »

Beau Hankins both committed and signed with Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker from Birmingham, Ala., picked the Yellow Jackets over Arkansas, Wake Forest, and Central Florida among his 26 offers, which also included Stanford, Penn State and Iowa State.

“I think with his visit to Georgia Tech,  they kind of sold him and he felt like that was the place to be,” said his coach Terrence Amos.

Hankins is a 4.0 student who is ranked No. 1 academically in his class and a candidate to be school valedictorian. He will play ILB at Georgia Tech.

Continue reading LB Beau Hankins commits and signs with Georgia Tech »

SIGNINGS

Micheal Summers, WR, 6-1, 190, Statesboro

Comment: Picked Tech over Florida and Vanderbilt, others. … Projected to play WR, but may also get a look at RB. … Tech coach Paul Johnson has known Summers since he was a toddler, having recruited his father to play for Georgia Southern (he played at South Carolina State). … Clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash and measured with 38-inch vertical jump at Florida camp last summer.

Quotable: “I’ve been around Coach Johnson forever. Being from Statesboro, I knew all about what he did at Georgia Southern and winning those national championships. We’ve always had a good relationship. I was extremely happy when he got the job at Georgia Tech. I went there for camp as a freshman and fell in love with the program, and college itself. From then on, I’ve always wanted to go there.” — Summers

Freddie Burden, OL, 6-3, 290, Statesboro

Comment: Has been on Tech’s radar since last summer’s camp. … Finally got an offer …

Continue reading The Big Board: Georgia Tech signings »

• The Big Board at UGA
• The Big Board at Georgia Tech
• Around the South: SEC, ACC signings (Great stuff on here)

Happy Signing Day, Ya’ll.

This is the main hotspot to follow the AJC’s recruiting coverage on Wednesday.

Football stars from across the nation — and state of Georgia — began signing scholarship papers at 7 a.m.

This is where we’ll do most of our chatting throughout the morning, and we’ll also update this page with news as it happens.

Check back for updates.

TOM LEMMING SPEAKS ON RECRUITING

On the eve of signing day, the AJC’s Chip Towers talked with Tom Lemming – You know, the guy from the “The Blind Side” movie? He’s also CBS Sports Network recruiting coverage and will be on TV all day on Wednesday.

Here are some comments from Lemming on UGA and Georgia Tech – again, on the eve of signing day:

Lemming on UGA

“I have them 19th nationally but they only have 17 players so they have one of the smallest classes so far. They were of the teams I’ve written …

Continue reading The AJC’s Signing Day Central »

Dalvin Tomlinson has the paperwork from Georgia Tech, Alabama and UGA, says his coach. Where will he sign? (AJC)

Georgia Tech, Alabama, and UGA must all feel like they have a shot on Dalvin Tomlinson, the AJC Super 11 defensive end from Henry County High School.

The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder has gotten a letter-of-intent in the mail from each of his three finalists, his coach told the AJC.  On Wednesday morning, Tomlinson will sign a football scholarship with Georgia Tech, Alabama or UGA.

“There’s nothing new … well, I mean, Dalvin hasn’t told anybody anything,” Henry County coach Mike Rozier told the AJC. “He knows where he’s going but he’s not telling anybody. That guy is tight-lipped and poker-faced. His own family members, his aunt and uncle, they don’t know.”

Georgia Tech and Alabama have been rumored to Tomlinson’s frontrunners since last summer. The Yellow Jackets dispatched coaches to see Tomlinson the past two weeks, according to Rozier. Georgia …

Continue reading Dalvin Tomlinson: Got scholarship papers from Georgia Tech, Alabama and UGA in mail »

OL-TE Grant Radakovich (Photo from RaidersFB.org)

Grant Radakovich, the son of Georgia Tech’s athletics director Dan Radakovich, will be playing football  at Mars Hill.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound center from Walton High School said he committed to Mars Hill over Mercer and UNC Charlotte. He is projected to play tight end at the North Carolina Div. II school.

“I liked Mars Hill because I wanted to get a small-town feel; I really liked the campus and it will be something different that metro Atlanta,” Radakovich told the AJC.

Radakovich said his father approved of the decision. “He just supported me with any way I wanted to go. I had the opportunity to walk-on at Georgia Tech but I wanted to go ‘blaze my own trail’ if you will. I’m excited about Mars Hill. It’s good fit for me.”

Radakovich has a 3.61 GPA and plans to study Business. He started on Walton’s team that finished as runner-up for the Class AAAAA state championship.

SINCE YOU LAST REFRESHED THIS …

Continue reading Grant Radakovich, son of Georgia Tech AD, makes college decision »

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Will Sandy Creek High School offensive lineman Will Adams flip his commitment from Georgia Tech to Auburn?

Information was limited coming out of Will’s camp on early Sunday evening. He was huddled with family members in deep discussion after returning from an official visit to Auburn.

Both Auburn and UGA made last-minute offers on Thursday to Adams, who opted to visit with the Tigers this weekend. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive lineman has been committed to Georgia Tech since last summer.

“There’s nothing right now,” Adams told the AJC. “We’re still talking about it. I’m still committed to Georgia Tech, we’re back from Auburn and we’re talking things over.”

Adams had a surprise guest tagging along with him on the visit to Auburn. It was his high school teammate, WR JaQuay Williams, who is the state’s No. 1 prospect at WR and is torn between sticking with …

Continue reading Will OL Will Adams stick with Georgia Tech or switch to Auburn? (UPDATED) »

Ex-Georgia Tech DE Junior Gnonkonde will sign with ACC rival North Carolina (AJC)

Ex-Georgia Tech recruit Junior Gnonkonde committed to North Carolina on Sunday night.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive end from Lanier County High School picked North Carolina over offers from South Carolina, Wake Forest, Central Florida, Syracuse and Louisiana Tech, among others.

“He met with the head coach before the basketball game and said ‘I’m comfortable; I don’t need to look anywhere else,’” said Lanier County athletics director John White, who is also Junior’s legal guardian.

“I tried to get him to wait and Junior said that he didn’t need to wait, so he went ahead and committed.”

Gnonkonde was Georgia Tech’s first commitment for 2012, pledging to the Yellow Jackets last February. However, 10 days ago, Gnonkonde said Paul Johnson informed him that his scholarship offer was being withdrawn because his test score “was too low.” White disputes the claim.

After …

Continue reading Junior Gnonkonde: Ex-Georgia Tech recruit picks UNC »