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The 2017 recruiting class got a boost after a flurry of commitments last weekend, and heading into the final weekend before National Signing Day, Paul Johnson and his staff will look to reel in a few final commitments to close out the class. Per Rivals, six players will make their official visits to Tech this weekend, and a pair of longtime Tech commits will also be on campus on unofficial visits. Let’s take a look at this weekend’s visitors and how they fit into the bigger picture.
Marlon Williams (Wide Receiver - Mobile, AL)
Size: 6-0, 189
Status: Uncommitted
Getting a receiver in this class became a priority after Harland Howell and Christian Philpott announced their transfers, and Williams appears to be the staff’s top target at the position. He decommitted from USC on January 10 and has since visited UCF and LSU, according to 247Sports, and he’ll visit Tech this weekend before making a final decision. While Williams is smaller than many of Tech’s receivers, his film indicates he is the type of player that Tech covets at the position: a physical receiver who is aggressive as a blocker and is good at battling for position on deep passes.
Adonicas Sanders (Wide Receiver - North Charleston, SC)
Size: 6-1, 195
Status: Uncommitted
A two-star recruit on Rivals, Sanders has reported offers from a pair of FCS schools, Western Carolina and Presbyterian. He shows good open-field speed in his film, and Tech does have room to take both receiver targets in this class, but it’s likely that Tech would offer Sanders only if Williams were to commit elsewhere. That scenario is very possible, so the receiver situation is worth monitoring over the next few days.
Kaleb Oliver (S/LB Hybrid - Murfreesboro, TN)
Size: 6-3, 195
Status: Uncommitted
A four-star recruit on Rivals, Oliver is the highest-rated recruit among Tech’s remaining targets. The current class is already deep at both defensive back and linebacker, and two other recent commits—Avery Showell and Jaquan Henderson—could be given a look at the hybrid/nickel spot. Based on the projected scholarship numbers, Tech seems to be recruiting more for talent than need here, but regardless, Oliver would be a tremendously valuable pickup who could contend for playing time this fall. He has offers from several SEC schools, though, and according to 247Sports he visited Ole Miss last week.
Tariq Carpenter (Safety - Ludowici, GA)
Size: 6-2, 191
Status: Committed to UCF
Tech flipped defensive end Antwan Owens from UCF over the weekend and will try to do the same with Carpenter, a two-star recruit on Rivals and a three-star on 247Sports. Most of Tech’s defensive back commits project as cornerbacks, and safety depth is a looming concern with strong safety Corey Griffin and reserve Shaun Kagawa entering their final seasons, so Carpenter would be a valuable addition to the back line of the secondary.
Brenton King (Kicker - Hoschton, GA)
Size: 6-0, 165
Status: Committed to Georgia Tech
After Joseph Bulovas decommitted on Monday morning, Tech acted quickly and secured a commitment from King that evening. It appears the staff had a solid contingency plan in place, as King—who had previously been committed to Old Dominion—is the top-rated kicking prospect in the state of Georgia (according to 247Sports’s rankings). He’ll take his visit this weekend, and barring something totally unforeseen, he’ll be on the Flats this summer with some Butker-sized shoes to fill.
Corey Dublin (Offensive Lineman - New Orleans, LA)
Size: 6-4, 282
Status: Committed to Tulane
According to Rivals, Tech will also bring in an offensive lineman for a visit this weekend. Dublin, a recent Tulane commit, is not rated on Rivals and is a three-star on 247Sports. It’s unclear how much contact Tech’s coaching staff has had with Dublin up to this point, but as Joey noted earlier this week, the offensive line is a group that the coaching staff still needs to address in this class. If Tech were to offer Dublin, it would be his first offer from a school in a Power 5 conference, according to Rivals.
Other Notes
- Longtime commits Tre Swilling and Bruce Jordan-Swilling will be on campus this weekend on unofficial visits.
- Two more recruits had visits planned for this weekend: defensive end Robert Porcher IV and linebacker Quinton Miller. Both of them appear to have cancelled their visits. Porcher committed to Virginia Tech on Monday following a visit there last weekend, and Georgia Tech may no longer have room for another linebacker.