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A weekend with three uncommitted visitors to Georgia Tech has turned into a three Sunday commitments for the Yellow Jackets. DE Kelton Dawson and DB Avery Showell committed on Sunday morning, and were followed up Sunday afternoon by somewhat of a surprise. Newton LB Jaquan Henderson committed to Tennessee in June of 2016 and remained committed until Sunday, when he flipped that commitment to the Yellow Jackets after visiting the Flats this weekend (though he was originally scheduled to visit Tennessee).
Henderson stands at 6’1”, weighs in around 210 pounds, and hails from Newton High School in Covington, GA. He commits to Georgia Tech after that previous commitment to Tennessee, official visits to Michigan State, Nebraska, and North Carolina, and over offers from numerous other Power-5 schools. He joins Bruce Jordan-Swilling and TD Roof to make up one of Georgia Tech’s strongest recruiting classes at linebacker in recent memory. He’s the ninth commitment in this class from the greater Atlanta area.
Henderson is between linebacker and safety in terms of size, and a look at his highlights show that his play style matches that. He’s about as comfortable in pass coverage as I’ve ever seen from a linebacker, using his speed to run with backs and receivers down the field and using his great ball skills to reel in several interceptions. (I always particularly love defenders who play the ball as much as Henderson does.) The speed, physicality, and ball skills of Henderson mean he can play a ton of roles and provide a lot of value to Georgia Tech’s defense.
Henderson becomes one of the highest-rated players in the class, rated as a high three-star prospect by Rivals (5.7) and the 247Sports Composite (0.8813). The 247Sports Composite has him as the second-best prospect in the class, behind only fellow linebacker Bruce Jordan-Swilling.
Congratulations to Jaquan, his family, and the coaching staff!
Henderson’s commitment brings Georgia Tech’s class to 19 players. It looks like this:
Georgia Tech’s 2017 Recruiting Class
| Pos | Name | Ht | Wt | Hometown | Rivals | 247Sports Comp | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Name | Ht | Wt | Hometown | Rivals | 247Sports Comp | Status |
| DB | Gentry Bonds | 6-1 | 190 | Murfreesboro, TN | 4-star (5.8) | 3-star (0.8545) | Enrolled (1/9/2017) |
| DB | Jaytlin Askew | 5-9 | 170 | Powder Springs, GA | 3-star (5.7) | 3-star (0.8646) | Enrolled (1/9/2017) |
| P | Pressley Harvin III | 6-0 | 230 | Sumter, SC | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8145) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| OL | Connor Hansen | 6-2 | 320 | Tallahassee, FL | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8238) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| LB | TD Roof | 5-11 | 202 | Buford, GA | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8346) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DB | Dameon Williams | 5-10 | 170 | Norcross, GA | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8472) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| OL | Zach Quinney | 6-6 | 260 | Savannah, GA | 3-star (5.6) | 3-star (0.8396) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| OL | Michael Minihan | 6-3 | 285 | Honolulu, HI | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8403) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DB | Tre' Swilling | 6-0 | 180 | New Orleans, LA | 4-star (5.8) | 3-star (0.8752) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| LB | Bruce Jordan-Swilling | 6-0 | 215 | New Orleans, LA | 4-star (5.8) | 4-star (0.9150) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| RB | Jerry Howard, Jr. | 6-0 | 210 | Rock Hill, SC | 3-star (5.6) | 3-star (0.8147) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| QB | Tobias Oliver | 6-2 | 180 | Warner Robins, GA | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8312) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DL | Cortez Alston | 6-3 | 250 | Atlanta, GA | 3-star (5.6) | 3-star (0.8534) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| OL | Charlie Clark | 6-4 | 270 | Atlanta, GA | 2-star (5.3) | 3-star (0.8072) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| RB | Jordan Ponchez-Mason | 6-1 | 205 | Gallatin, TN | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8158) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DE | Kelton Dawson | 6-2 | 240 | Stockbridge, GA | 3-star (5.5) | 3-star (0.8359) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DB | Avery Showell | 6-2 | 200 | Cartersville, GA | 3-star (5.6) | 3-star (0.8320) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| LB | Jaquan Henderson | 6-1 | 210 | Covington, GA | 3-star (5.7) | 3-star (0.8813) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DL | Antwan Owens | 6-4 | 286 | Tallahassee, FL | 3-star (5.6) | 3-star (0.8192) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| K | Brenton King | 6-0 | 165 | Hoschton, GA | 2-star (5.4) | NR | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DB | Tariq Carpenter | 6-2 | 191 | Ludowici, GA | 2-star (5.4) | 3-star (0.8182) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DT | Boe Tufele | 6-3 | 290 | Harbor City, CA | 2-star (5.3) | 3-star (0.8207) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| DB | Kaleb Oliver | 6-3 | 200 | Murfreesboro, TN | 4-star (5.8) | 3-star (0.8670) | Signed (2/1/2017) |
| WR | Adonicas Sanders | 6-1 | 190 | North Charleston, SC | 2-star (5.2) | NR | Signed (2/1/2017) |