Georgia Tech Football: Recruiting Classes Revisited - 2018

Ed. Note: Apologies for the tardiness, but we had some scheduling issues with this post, and this was the earliest I could get to it, so it will be a little more brief.

As we close out looking on the recruiting classes that make up the 2022 roster for Georgia Tech, we have one last recruiting class to look at: the 2018 class.

Due to what was mentioned in the Ed. Note, I am going to keep this brief and just focus on the players from this class that are still on the roster and how they will contribute this season. I encourage you to go look back through Robert’s breakdown of this class over the last two years for more information about what happened to some of these players.

DT TK Chimedza

After dealing with an injury that kept him out of the 2020 season, Chimedza came into 2021 looking to play a large role on defense. He ended up appearing in eight games, finishing with 12 tackles and a sack. As he is now the senior man along the defensive line, I expect him to start and anchor the DL this season.

S Jaylon King

King has served primarily as a reserve in his time at Georgia Tech, but with Juanyeh Thomas and Tariq Carpenter both moving on, the stage is set for King to earn one of the starting spots at safety. Being more of a coverage guy, I think King is better suited to take the free safety role, and then a guy like Derrik Allen can come in at strong safety.

TE Peje Harris

Now officially at tight end, I think Harris has an opportunity to really show out this season. He had been buried on the depth chart at wide receiver, but the tight end room is markedly less crowded, with none of the options being a sure one. With the help of new TE coach Chip Long, I think Harris could really flourish this season if given the opportunity.

RB Dontae Smith

Speaking of getting out of a buried position group, Dontae Smith is the lone returning running back from Tech’s main three from last season. With the additions of Dylan McDuffie and Hassan Hall, Smith probably won’t be a 1,000-yard rusher, but look for him to showcase his explosiveness as he has done in years past.

LB Charlie Thomas

One of the MVPs of this class, what can’t you say about Charlie Thomas? He has been moved around all over the defense and has had some success pretty much everywhere. He should stick at linebacker this season. Last season, he led the Yellow Jackets in TFL with 10 and notched three sacks and a forced fumble.

CB Zamari Walton

Walton saw some starting time at corner back last year and will compete for the same job this year. Last season saw Walton finish with 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.

What are you expecting out of Tech’s most senior recruiting class?