:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52886983/494137432.0.jpg)
Needing to replace longtime kicker Harrison Butker in their 2017 recruiting class, the Yellow Jackets had a replacement in place since the summer — until Joseph Bulovas announced his decommitment on Monday. With less than 10 days left until National Signing Day, Georgia Tech had to get to work quickly to find another kicker to fill the void left by Bulovas — it took less than 12 hours. Kelly Quinlan announced just hours after Bulovas’ announcement that Brenton King had flipped from Old Dominion and committed to Georgia Tech. King followed that up shortly afterwards with this announcement on his own Twitter account:
#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/e6walG5d6H
— KING (@Brenton_King_37) January 24, 2017
King stands at 6’0”, weighs in at a slight 165 pounds, and hails from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, GA. He flips to Georgia Tech from a commitment to Old Dominion he originally made in December, and over interest received from georgia and Louisville. He joins punter Pressley Harvin III as the only special teams commitments in the 2017 Yellow Jackets recruiting class, and he’s now the 10th recruit in the class from the greater Atlanta area.
While missing out on a kicker with the accolades that Bulovas has accrued was discouraging for several Georgia Tech fans, a look at King’s senior highlights show that there’s a ton to like about the local. He shows off a huge leg, regularly kicking the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs and nailing multiple field goals from 50+ yards. (MaxPreps lists King’s stats at 31/40 on field goals in his career, with a long of 56 yards and touchbacks on 69 of 83 kickoffs.) While kicking in high school can be different than kicking in college (due to things like field position of kickoffs, width of field goal posts, and ability of field goal block teams), there’s no reason to think that his success couldn’t translate given his mechanics and leg strength.
King is rated a two-star recruit by Rivals (5.4) and is unrated by the 247Sports Composite.
Congratulations to King, his family, and the coaching staff!
King is now the 20th commitment in Georgia Tech’s recruiting class, and the FIFTH within a 36-hour span. The recruiting class now 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) |