Recruiting Reset: Commitments Have Georgia Tech’s Final 2017 Class Taking Shape

12 days ago (on January 12), I told you a lot of things regarding where things stood in Georgia Tech’s recruiting. The time since has been awfully eventful. Here’s what’s happened:

• Later that day, WR Harland Howell II and DB Meiko Dotson, both reserves at their respective positions, announced their respective transfers.
• On January 16th, Tennessee RB Jordan Ponchez-Mason became commitment #16.
• Two days later, rising junior OL Trey Klock announced his intent to transfer.
• This past Sunday morning (January 22), DE Kelton Dawson became commitment #17.
• Hours later, DB Avery Showell became commitment #18.
• Later that afternoon, LB Jaquan Henderson flipped from Tennessee and became commitment #19.
• Around lunch time on Monday (January 23), K Joseph Bulovas announced his decommitment from Georgia Tech after 7 months of being committed. That dropped the recruiting class back to 18 members.
• Monday afternoon, DL Antwan Owens flipped from UCF and became commitment #19.
• Monday evening, the Jackets replaced Bulovas just hours after his decommitment when K Brenton King became commitment #20.

Needless to say, it’s been an incredibly eventful couple of weeks on the Flats. Here’s an updated look at the status of the Yellow Jackets’ recruiting efforts.

Changed Needs

After three players made the decision to transfer, the team’s needs within the class changed as well. A look at the up-to-date Scholarship Breakdown (including a couple of corrections from before) shows that the maximum size of the current recruiting class has grown, with room for as many as 8 more players remaining along with the 18 committed and 2 that have already enrolled. That said, rules prohibit them from taking more than 27, due to a maximum class size of 25 players (with 2 early-enrolled players counting towards the 2016 recruiting class). Realistically, the coaches will take 25-26 commitments to save a few scholarships for walk-on players who earn them.

With the recent roster moves and the resulting change in the class’s size, the team’s needs have changed. New spots listed in bold (following transfers), filled spots are crossed out (following commitments).

• A-Back (Jordan Ponchez-Mason)
• Wide Receiver
• Offensive Lineman
• Offensive Lineman
• Defensive Lineman (Kelton Dawson)
• Defensive Lineman (Antwan Owens)
• Linebacker (Jaquan Henderson)
• Defensive Back (Avery Showell)
• Best Available
• Best Available (if applicable)
• Best Available (if applicable)

An Update on Georgia Tech’s Targets

Between my original recruiting reset, and last week when Kieffer laid out the major remaining targets on the board for Georgia Tech, there’s a lot of updates to give on players not committed to the Yellow Jackets. All updates regarding official visit dates are according to the Rivals database (unless otherwise noted).

DB Tariq Carpenter

Remains committed to UCF, but took a visit to Miami this past weekend and will visit Georgia Tech on the final weekend before Signing Day. Doesn’t have an offer to Miami yet, but does not seem particularly set on sticking with his current commitment.

DL Aliki Vimahi

Visited Georgia Tech as scheduled on the weekend of 1/13, and reportedly will visit UCLA and Utah back-to-back later this week.

DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa

There have been seemingly no updates on this front. Rivals reports that he has no other official visits scheduled, but 247Sports is reporting that he’ll visit Notre Dame and Vanderbilt back-to-back this weekend. USC is also thought to be a major player here, but the Trojans have added commitments from a pair of defensive tackles in the past few days and may not have room for another at this point.

DB Kaleb Oliver

After dropping his commitment to Mississippi State following their defensive coordinator’s departure, Oliver visited Ole Miss this past weekend and will visit the Flats on the final weekend before Signing Day. If he commits to the Yellow Jackets, he would be the fourth four-star recruit in the class, and the third in the defensive backfield alone.

WR Marlon Williams

After dropping his commitment to USC earlier in the month, Williams has spent the past two weekends visiting UCF and LSU, and is set to visit Georgia Tech on the final weekend before Signing Day.

WR Michael Smith

Committed to Pittsburgh last week, a few days after officially visiting the Flats.

DL Josh Johnson

Committed to Georgia Southern, and did not make an official visit to Georgia Tech.

DE Robert Porcher IV

Committed to Virginia Tech on Monday following an official visit, although there’s still a chance he could visit the Flats on the final weekend before Signing Day.

LB Kendric Haynes

Committed to South Alabama on Monday, and does not seem to have an official visit scheduled any longer to Georgia Tech.

LB Leonard Warner

No longer has an official visit scheduled with Georgia Tech. Has taken official visits to Florida State and Stanford, and Tomahawk Nation is suggesting that he may end up in Tallahassee.

LB Quinton Miller

Still has a visit to Georgia Tech reportedly scheduled for this coming weekend, but may not have a spot any longer after the commitment of Henderson and guessing based on Haynes and Warner’s cancelled visits.

WR Adonicas Sanders

Is reportedly visiting Georgia Tech this coming weekend, but may be a contingency plan in case Marlon Williams doesn’t work out for the Yellow Jackets.

Something’s Missing...

If you compare the list of players above to the list of positional needs, you’ll notice a fundamental gap present — with the Jackets in need of two offensive linemen, there are none that are currently reported to be visiting campus this coming weekend, nor are there obvious candidates with outstanding scholarship offers who could fill those spots. This is obviously something that the coaches are fully aware of, and are working on dealing with. The path forward for dealing with it, though, is unclear at this point. There will surely be updates surrounding this situation in the coming days, so stay tuned.

What’s Next?

At the time of this posting, Georgia Tech has gotten 5 commitments in the past 48 hours, including filling a spot that unexpectedly came open within a matter of hours. The Yellow Jackets’ coaching staff is on a roll right now, and is in great position to finish this class off in a big way. The Yellow Jackets’ recruiting class currently sits in the top-40 of Rivals’ nation rankings, and in the top-50 of the 247Sports Composite rankings. A strong finish could result in the highest-rated recruiting class of the Paul Johnson era at Georgia Tech. Stay tuned!

The 2017 Georgia Tech recruiting class, as it stands, looks like this: