Georgia Tech Football: Official Visit Weekend Preview 1/31

Hello FTRS community. My name is Jeff and this will be my first article here with the blog. I’ll be bringing you the recruiting news as Georgia Tech Football attempts to stake their claim to top talent in the state of Georgia and beyond. I’ve been a Georgia Tech fan most of my life but became a die hard when I attended my first game in 2004 against UNC, which they crushed that day. I attended West Georgia Tech (Hey, it’s got Georgia Tech in the name) and majored in Computer Networking. Moving airplanes around the airport for Delta is my full-time job but I decided since I talk about Georgia Tech Football enough I should try my hand at writing about it. So let’s dive into who the big name is on campus this weekend.

It’s the final weekend before the second National Signing Day of the 2020 class cycle. While most of the noise and fanfare have come and gone with the early signing period back in December there are a few big names to watch for next Wednesday. Georgia Tech was scheduled to host three players this weekend but is down to only RB Jahmyr Gibbs. The other two, DB Javier Morton and WR Javon Baker, will not make their visit.

When I originally started there were three players to break down, but such is life in the world of recruiting. However, I wanted to leave the format I was going to use. This way you can see how some articles may look in the future, and if any readers have anything else they would like to have included about future prospects.

Who Are They?

Jahmyr Gibbs: Most of you may have heard this name pop up before, and for good reason. He is a running back from Dalton High School in Dalton, GA. He listed 5’11” and weighs a stocky 194lbs. Rivals and 247Sports both have him as a four-star with Rivals reranking him as the second-best RB in the nation as of last week.

Who is in Contention?

Gibbs was one of Georgia Tech’s earliest verbal commitments of this recruiting cycle. Before his senior season, he was unranked but had some offers from decent Power5 schools. Once Gibbs got rolling in his senior season though, the big boys lined up to get their foot in the door. Collins and his staff did a tremendous job identifying his ability and nabbing his commitment early on. It’s been a battle to keep the likes of LSU, Florida, and Ohio St from stealing him away. Fortunately, Gibbs saved the best for last, Georgia Tech, to leave a final impression before signing on the dotted line.

What Does the Film Say?

I can tell you exactly what the film says about Gibbs. It says if he signs with Georgia Tech then we are getting a talented running back with true NFL potential. It also shows that a lot of ACC teams’ orthopedic surgeons are going to be repairing a lot of broken ankles. Each carry on his senior highlight shows him splitting defenders, breaking tackles, and easily pulling away from would-be tacklers. Don’t let his speed and elusive ability fool you either as he runs with a low center and can break through a mass of bodies on the line of scrimmage.

How Will They Fit?

Besides the secondary, the running backs are probably the deepest position group on the team. Jordan Mason has a firm grasp as the starter main “Above the Line” player. Jerry Howard and Jamious Griffin both are solid as well. Even so, Gibbs is a dynamic playmaker that should at least see the field up to his four-game redshirt limit, but my bet is he earns more playing time as the season goes on. It is hard to keep someone with this talent on the bench. Barring injury or transfers this could be one of the top running back corps in the conference.

Wrapping Up

When Coach Collins was hired to lead Georgia Tech Football in a new direction it was going to take time and a little patience. Recruiting was going to show results before the win column would. This week has the chance to show a glimmer of what’s possible if Collins can fend off several bluebloods from stealing an elite prospect. This is the type of player that will vault Tech not just in the recruiting rankings but back into the conversation as a conference contender, and maybe just a little farther down the road, an elite program themselves.