Most college freshmen expect to make an immediate impact as soon as they step foot on campus. Georgia Tech commit Xavier Gantt has a little more patience.
Xavier Gantt (Buford HS)
Gantt, a 3-star running back from Buford High School who committed to Georgia Tech over Ohio State and Arizona State, told the AJC that he wants to redshirt his first year.
“Hopefully I’m going to get redshirted, which I’m pretty sure I will be just to put on some more size and bulk up.”
Georgia Tech’s coaches have told him that he is the Yellow Jackets’ A-back of the future. Right now, the 5-foot-9 tailback weighs around 160 pounds.
Here are five things you need to know about Gantt:
1. After committing to Georgia Tech, Gantt has used the "NCAA Football" video game seen on: on this page, on the Xbox/PlayStation to help him learn the offense. "I actually just beat one of my friends using Georgia Tech. After I committed, I started using the game to help me with the different reads and now I'm starting to get really good. I'm honestly really hard to stop when I get going."
2. He knew he wanted to commit to Georgia Tech after the team beat UGA and Mississippi State last season. "To be honest, that was when I really knew I wanted to go to Georgia Tech. Then, when we beat Mississippi State, I was like this is definitely where I want to be. I locked it into my mind that Georgia Tech was the school for me. My parents got me a lot of stuff for Christmas for Georgia Tech, and I'm pretty sure that was a sign for me to go there. There were so many signs that God had in my life that led me to Georgia Tech. I look back on it now and I'm like 'dang, this is what God has been telling me the whole time."
3. He thinks Georgia Tech can beat UGA again. "I'm praying for that, but I think we can do it again. I can't wait to be at that game – oh my goodness. Last year, I was at the Clemson-South Carolina game and when my dad and I were coming home, I told my dad to turn on the radio. We were listening to it and it was funny because it was on the Georgia radio (broadcast) and every time Georgia Tech did something good, the (UGA broadcasters) were like 'oh, Georgia Tech just made a kick to go into overtime. They sounded so sad. All they said was 'he made it.' I was going crazy in the car. When (former UGA QB Hutson Mason) threw that final interception, man, I can't even tell you how happy I was."
4. When will the running back visit campus again? "I'm not sure. I'm going on a seven-day cruise to Puerto Rico. When I get back from that, we have a lot going on at Buford. We have a camp, 7-on-7s, just a whole bunch of stuff when I get back from Puerto Rico. If I can't make it this summer, I know I'm going to be at a lot of the games. The only game I know I can't make it to is the Tulane game."
5. Gantt is trying to convince a highly-rated 2017 athlete , who has offers from UGA, Florida and Auburn, to play quarterback for Georgia Tech. "I was talking to the running back from Glynn Academy – Deejay Dallas – and he was telling me that his dream position is quarterback. I was telling him that if that's your dream position, and we want you to play quarterback that we can get you. He doesn't touch the ball every play and he wants to. If he wants to do that, I told him that we are going to need a quarterback in two years. That's a great time to come in and steal the show. He said he really likes Georgia Tech a lot. He's really high on them and would really consider going there because he wants to play quarterback that badly."
