Since we last updated you on recruiting in the summer, lots has changed. On top of the Jackets stunning 2016-2017 season, they’ve picked up a pair of 2017 commitments, are hot on the heels of a few others, and the top targets in the 2018 and 2019 classes are starting to take shape. The Jackets amazing season has surely made a major impact with recruits and with national signing day just a week away, there’s no better time to update you on what the recruiting landscape for Georgia Tech currently looks like.

2017 Commitments

Jose Alvarado

Back in September, Jose Alvarado followed in the footsteps of Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury, becoming the next NYC point guard to commit to the Jackets. A flashy ball hander, Alvarado rarely turns the ball over and thrives in the open court. He can do a bit of everything you’d want your point guard to do, getting to the basket, finding open teammates, and knocking down the open jumper. He should have a chance to make an immediate impact with the departures of Corey Heyward and Josh Heath.

Curtis Haywood II

SHARPSHOOTER, SHARPSHOOTER, SHARPSHOOTER. That is all that needs to be known about Haywood, who at times can be lights out from behind the arc. The prep school wing, who committed to Tech in December, was relatively unknown until he blew up last fall, gaining offers and interest from a slew of high major schools. Besides the previously mentioned shooting ability, he has great size and versatility that could present a matchup problem for defenders on the wing.

2017 Top Targets

MJ Walker

The five star McDonalds All-American continues to be hotly pursued by coach Pastner and his staff. While his official list still contains nearly a dozen schools, most believe FSU and Georgia Tech to be the current top two. FSU is the only school Walker has used an official visit on and he has been to Tech unofficially multiple times. As of now, the Seminoles don’t have an open scholarship to use on Walker, which could explain the delay in his recruitment. Either way, the Jackets appear to be in the thick of things and have a great chance to pick up an instant impact scorer.

Jordan Tucker

Jordan Tucker, AAU teammate of current commit Jose Alvarado, has had one of the more interesting recruitments in the country. Last summer, Syracuse appeared to be the school to beat, but after Jim Boeheim’s announcement he was retiring, mutual interest appeared to fade. Eventually, Tucker announced a final two of Villanova and Indiana, but after his family moved to Georgia, where he attended Wheeler HS for his senior season, the Jackets got involved, along with Oregon. Tucker changed his final two to a final four, but after Crean was fired and Boeheim decided to return, Syracuse replaced Indiana in that final four. That brings us to today, where no one has any clue what Tucker is thinking. He has an official visits scheduled to Oregon and was on Tech’s campus unofficially many times during the season. The recent involvement of Syracuse throws a major wrinkle into things, but if Tech was able to gain his commitment, the four star wing would provide the Jackets with exactly what they need the most, shooting.

2018 Top Targets

Nassir Little

An electrifying athlete, Little is my personal top target in the 2018 class for a variety of reasons. Looking beyond his basketball talent, Little wants to major in “chemical bio-molecular engineering” and if that isn’t a Tech kid, then I don’t know what is. Coach Pastner and the staff have been on Nassir hard since being hired and he looks like a strong candidate to be Tech’s first commitment in the 2018 class.

Khavon Moore

Moore, the top ranked in-state player for the 2018 class, has yet to narrow his list down at all, but has previously mentioned that he could see Tech’s system being a great fit for him. At 6’8”, with the ball handling skills of a point guard, Moore could find himself bringing the ball up the court a lot for Tech, were they to gain his commitment. His recruitment remains wide open, but Pastner and his staff have made him a major priority.

Landers Nolley

Nolley recently identified Tech as one of the three schools recruiting him the hardest (along with uga and FSU). The four star wing had a strong junior season, but his recruitment is still very open.

Will Richardson

Like Nolley, Richardson recently identified a slew of schools recruiting him the hardest, listing Georgia Tech, uga, Auburn, Butler, UF, and Clemson. Richardson has seen his recruitment blow during the last few months after a monster junior season. At 6’4”, Richardson has pretty good size for a point guard and has a strong knack for scoring. He stays in contact with Pastner a lot and might quickly emerge as one of the Jackets top targets in the 2018 class.

Others to Watch

Drue Drinnon, Michael Devoe, Jamie Lewis, Trey Doomes, David McCormack, KJ Hymes, and many more.

2019 Top Targets

Ashton Hagans

Hagans, a consensus five star from Georgia, is clearly the Jackets top target in 2019, and for good reason. He’s one of the top point guards in the country and continues to improve. Hagans has been on campus unofficially multiple times, including attending a couple games this season. He recently announced he was enrolling at Oak Hill Academy, one of the top prep schools in the country for basketball, but I wouldn’t expect that to impact the Jackets involvement. With two more years to go, there is plenty of time for this recruitment to evolve, but the staff has already let Hagans know he’s their top priority.

Others to Watch

Isaac Okoro, Christian Brown, Elias King, Chandler Lawson, DJ Burns and many others. The staff has already extended offers to over 25 players in the 2019 class, making it clear how much emphasis they will put on establishing relationships early. While it is way too early to see which of those players the staff will have traction with, they’re making the necessary efforts to establish those necessary relationships.