For a second consecutive year, Georgia Tech will have four early enrollees for its 2015 signing class. Offensive lineman Will Bryan from Franklin County High, defensive tackle Kyle Henderson from Tampa (Fla.) Plant High, wide receiver Harland Howell from Wheeler High and running back Quaide Weimerskirch from Pace (Fla.) High are scheduled to begin classes Monday, as is running back J.J. Green, who is transferring after two seasons at Georgia.
Last year’s foursome – cornerback Step Durham, defensive end KeShun Freeman, linebacker Tre Jackson and quarterback Matthew Jordan – constituted the largest early-enrollee class in coach Paul Johnson’s tenure. Freeman and Durham ended up playing as first-year freshmen, with Freeman starting 12 games and leading the Yellow Jackets in sacks with 4.5 and tackles for loss with 9.5.
Bryan is the son of a former Georgia football player and the brother of Tech walk-on running back Justin Bryan, who transferred to Tech last year after playing for the Bulldogs’ baseball team. By enrolling early, the four can begin their adjustment to college a semester ahead of the rest of the freshman class and participate in spring practice, enhancing their chances to play this fall.
Bryan, in a position group that often redshirts and also has considerable depth, probably is least likely to play as a first-year freshman out of the four. But Henderson will join a defensive tackle group that is thin and loses starter Shawn Green, Howell will play at wide receiver, where starters DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller are graduating, and Weimerskirch will join a B-back group that has lost its top three players in Synjyn Days, Zach Laskey and Matt Connors.
Tech’s class for 2015, including the four early enrollees, stands at 22.
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