Andrew Smart, Knox Kiffin and 4-star linemen: Latest in Georgia Tech recruiting

Georgia Tech made several notable additions to its 2027 recruiting class in the past week. It also made headlines with two particular early offers.

Here’s the latest on coach Brent Key’s hot week in recruiting:

— Tech became the first team to offer 2030 quarterback Andrew Smart, the son of Georgia coach Kirby Smart. The younger Smart was playing in a 7-on-7 tournament at Tech last week and received an offer from Key. Smart will begin his freshman season this fall at Athens Academy, so there’s a long way to go in his development and recruiting arc.

— Smart wasn’t the only coach’s son to receive an offer: Tech also offered 3-star quarterback Knox Kiffin, the son of polarizing LSU coach Lane Kiffin. Knox is entering his junior season, transferring from Oxford, Mississippi — where his father formerly coached Ole Miss — to University Lab in Louisiana. Kiffin hasn’t been a full-time starter at quarterback. He’s received numerous offers, including from Cal, Washington, SMU and Georgia State.

— Key has emphasized Tech’s need to get bigger in the trenches. Enter 4-star defensive lineman Jamar Thompson, who’s Tech’s highest-ranked commit thus far. Thompson is a 6-foot-3, 305-pound behemoth from Boca Raton, Florida. He had five sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season. Thompson embodies the type of player Key has sought to increase his program’s ceiling.

— Tech had another massive recruiting win in securing 4-star edge rusher Success Nwabude from Athens. The Jackets beat out Georgia — among other SEC and ACC programs — for a player in the Bulldogs’ backyard. Key also received a commitment from 4-star defensive lineman Maleek Lee from Sarasota, Florida, and 4-star edge rusher Braden Gordon from Montgomery, Alabama.

— The Jackets have played Georgia competitively the past two years, but the talent and physical gap was still evident. Adding four 4-star prospects to the defensive front is an important boost.