Georgia Tech Recruiting: Meet the Recruits - LB Brant Mitchell

Brant Mitchell became the 14th commitment in Georgia Tech's 2015 class on July 19, 2014, right at the end of a weekend visit. Mitchell is a talented linebacker who played on offense in high school too, but comes with the rare accolade of having been a two-time Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee, on top of winning three state championships. Plain and simple -- Mitchell is a winner.

As a Recruit

Mitchell was the second of three linebackers to commit to Georgia Tech in this class, following Tyler Cooksey and preceding Victor Alexander. He committed over offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Louisville, Mississippi State, interest from Stanford, and (perhaps most impressive) an offer from Tennessee. That Georgia Tech was able to go into Knoxville and get a commitment from a player who had an offer to Tennessee is very impressive and speaks to the abilities of his recruiters, Andy McCollum and Mike Sewak. Mitchell stands 6'2", 240lbs -- a frame that's ready for this level of football at his spot on the field. As with a couple of others in the class, Mitchell's offer from Duke and interest from Stanford speak to his abilities in the classroom, complementing what he can do on the field.

Mitchell was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals (5.6) and the 247Sports Composite (.8535).

Film

These were the best I could find of Mitchell. I'd recommend turning off the sound for the last video.

I had trouble finding highlights of Mitchell, but the things I could find show Mitchell as being very adept at pass coverage -- not something all middle linebackers do well, but certainly a nice quality to have. He has a good understanding of reading a quarterback's eyes to adjust his zone, and he's got good hands to come down with a ball when that opportunity presents itself. He also displays a lot of athleticism, running those picks back for touchdowns, as well as playing a fullback spot on offense.

The thing that Mitchell's highlights don't show a ton of are his run defense. It's not to say that he's not good at it, but more that there's not a whole lot there to show whether he is or not. When he's not playing pass defense, he does seem to play a very downhill style (which bodes well for run defense), but we'll see what happens when he arrives on the Flats.

What to Expect

As was mentioned in Cooksey's article, the linebacker situation right now is a very interesting one. The departure of Quayshawn Nealy leaves a starter spot open at middle linebacker. There's a good chance that Tyler Marcordes and Anthony Harrell end up the starters at MLB and OLB (sharing time at the spot opposite P.J. Davis in the 4-2-5), but after that there's a major lack of clarity. There are veteran linebackers there in Marcus Allen, Beau Hankins, and in a lesser way Terrell Lewis and Tre Jackson, but the question remains of whether any or all of the true freshmen could beat them out and work their way into the depth chart. This class has three very good linebackers who realistically could see time this fall, though the coaches' recent track record says they could all realistically be redshirted as well. This will be a major position group to watch when fall camp rolls around.

Congratulations on your commitment, Brant! Welcome to the Georgia Tech family!

Thoughts on Mitchell's film? Are you convinced that he could threaten some of the veterans for playing time this fall? Impressed with his two-time Tennessee Mr. Football and three-time state champion pedigree?