2014 Football Recruiting Update

As we pass the halfway point of Spring football, I wanted to give y'all an update on the recruiting picture for the 2014 class now that several evaluation camps are winding down. As mentioned in previous stories, The Migration is real, and we'll show you the geographic breakdown of the offers GT has sent out.

March saw Tech land it's first 2 offers, both hard-hitting defensive prospects...and both recruits that Tech offered very early in their recruitment.

Miles Taylor, Safety...Committed March 12, 2013 (first commit for 2014). Plays for Gonzaga College HS in the Washington DC Catholic league. Stands 6'0" 185 lbs, ranked as a mid-level 3-star prospect by Rivals. Also holds an offer from Iowa. Read AJC bio here, but Miles has great things to say about GT academics.

Tre Jackson, MLB...Committed March 15, 2013. Nicknamed "Stonewall" Jackson. Plays for powerhouse program Lowndes County HS in Valdosta, GA. Currently listed at 5'10" 220 lbs, not currently rated, and recruited to play the "Mike" (MLB) position in the 4-3. Tech is his first BCS offer, though this participant in the Georgia Rising Seniors HS all-star game will no doubt get several more.

Geography

Tech currently has about 147 offers out for the 2014 class (my best guess from various sources). This is a much larger number than years' past, helped out by the fact that we might sign 20-25 recruits. I've listed the states where those various recruits are located...

What immediately jumps out is that GA and FL still form the backbone of our recruiting focus, accounting for about 40% of the offers. In fact, recruits from the Southeast (GA, FL, AL, NC, SC, TN, LA) make up well over 60% of our offer sheet. The remaining offers include 33 in mid-Atlantic states (DC, VA, MD, NJ, PA), 12 in Midwest states (OH, IL), and an additional 10 nationally (TX, CA, CO).

The big difference in the offers outside the Southeast, compared to years' past, is that we're competing for very good talent this time (as opposed to the 'token' offer). Several top-notch recruits have GT on their list (4-stars S Montae Nicholson, S Marcus Allen, WR Jamil Kamara, and more). Several others have Tech leading their list (like RB Jamauri Bogan).

By Position (likely number taken) - favorites, leans, and soon to commit

QB (2) - Malkom Parrish is strongly leaning GT, and though he basically owned the competition as a CB at a recent Rivals camp in Atlanta, he still is looking to play QB and be a leader...ridiculous athleticism.

BB (1-2) - Few offers out, none close.

AB (1-2) - 20+ offers out. Jamauri Bogan is a strong lean, and has speed to burn. Several 'tweener' backs (BB/AB) also being looked at.

WR (2-3) - 20+ offers out, and will likely grow during Summer camps. Emanuel Beal (Hillgrove HS) is looking at Tech closely.

OL (3-4) - The current offer list is full of premium 4-star level guys (Nolan Kelleher, Sam Mustipher, Quenton Nelson, etc.), and likely Tech gets one of them. Another position where Summer camps will uncover more athletes to offer.

DL (3-4) - This includes DTs and DEs. Andrew Williams (younger brother of current Tech player Anthony Williams) is a 4-star DE prospect who may consider Tech more closely. Michael Sawyers and Kendall Baker have good relationships with Tech as well, but other recruits may visit and take advantage.

LB (2-3) - If Jackson signs, the Mike (MLB) spot is set. KeShun Freeman is a tweener LB/DE prospect who likes Tech's academics, but several recruits have yet to visit. Though not offered yet, Cameron Seward (Westminster HS) is an interesting 'hybrid' rover-type guy that could play Safety or OLB.

DB (4-5) - Likely where we might see the most quality because of opportunity to see the field early, 40+ offers out, and a lot of elite prospects who like Tech. Assuming Taylor signs, Tech likely waits on the next Safety spot for a 4-star level guy like Cortez McDowell, Marcus Allen, or Montae Nicholson (no favorites here just yet). As for CB, 4-star Step Durham is a strong GT lean. Malcolm Buggs and Allen Artis are other GT leans who could play Safety and CB. The last CB spot could also be a waiting game for a top-level recruit like Nick Ruffin, Myles Autry (younger brother of current Tech player Anthony Autry), or Terrance Alexander.

What's your take on the current gameplan of GT football recruiting?