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Now that we are moving this series over to the defense, where better to start than right up front? This year’s recruiting class as a whole was on the smaller side, but Georgia Tech picked up two new players for the middle of the defensive line: Horace Lockett and KJ Miles.
KJ Miles
Miles committed to Georgia Tech last summer (July 4) over some pretty impressive reported offers: Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and several others. He stands at 6-4, 288 pounds, and joins the Yellow Jackets from St. Peter’s Prep in Orange, NJ.
Looking at recruiting rankings, Miles is the higher ranked of the two defensive tackles. He is a 4-star (5.8) on Rivals and a 3-star (0.8858) on the 247 Sports Composite.
One thing I notice immediately from watching Miles’ film is his versatility. He lines up at several positions along the defensive line, but he’ll slot in at defensive tackle (likely a three-tech) at Georgia Tech. Miles is pretty shifty along the defensive line, allowing him to slide off of blockers and get through. He also does a good job of knowing when he needs to hold back and let the play come to him.
Horace Lockett
Lockett was Tech’s second commit on the defensive line, announcing his commitment on July 24. He is the bigger of the two, standing at 6-6, 338 pounds, and comes out of Westlake High School in Atlanta, joining Clayton Powell-Lee, Leo Blackburn and Jakiah Leftwich. He committed to Tech over some pretty impressive reported offers: Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and several others.
Looking at recruiting rankings, Lockett was rated as a 4-star (5.8) recruit by Rivals and a 3-star (0.8707) by the 247 Sports Composite. Even though he was not a consensus 4-star, Lockett is still one of the higher rated players in the class.
Lockett does not have any highlights past his sophomore season that I can find, but I was able to find these two games that featured a few clips of him. It’s hard to draw too much from these clips, since they are so limited, but what I can gather is that Lockett is quick off the line and had no trouble pushing through the offensive lines he went against. Knowing how much Tech has struggled, especially in the middle of the defensive line, Lockett is a very welcome addition.