When a Florida assistant coach called Micheal Summers last summer with a scholarship offer, the Statesboro High wide receiver was not over the moon, but rather safely under it.
“My reaction was just like any offer: ‘Thanks for the offer, Coach,’” he said. “‘We’ll see how it goes from here.’”
Later in the summer, Summers got a call from Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson. The two have known each other since Summers was a boy and his father worked at Georgia Southern when Johnson coached there.
With Johnson’s call to offer a scholarship, Summers said, “It was the exact opposite. When I got the offer from Tech, I was happy because that’s where I wanted to go.”
Summers is one of the more noteworthy names in the recruiting class that Tech expects to make official Wednesday on signing day. He joins a handful of others who turned down some of the game’s biggest names to play at Tech. Quarterback Justin Thomas said no to Alabama and coach Nick Saban while running back Marcus Allen chose Tech over Florida State and Nebraska, among others, to play in Johnson’s spread-option offense.
Tech has commitments from 17 players and has room for a few more.
“It’s filled with very good players,” said Keith Niebuhr of the recruiting website rivals.com. “Just only a few big names, [but] that fits in line with what they’ve done in recent years.”
Here’s where Tech stands:
Needs
One player’s decision will make a considerable difference in how Tech coaches view their class. Henry County defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson has made Tech, Georgia and Alabama his finalists and is expected to announce his decision Wednesday.
Tomlinson, 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds and an AJC Super 11 selection, is considered one of the top players at his position in the country and has received offers from Auburn, Michigan and USC, among others.
Four defensive linemen have committed to Tech, infusing the line with needed help after the graduations of linemen Jason Peters and Logan Walls. Perhaps the most unusual player is Adam Gotsis, a defensive tackle from Australia.
Wins
Thomas and Allen are two of Tech’s bigger coups. Thomas, from Prattville, Ala., reneged on a commitment to Alabama when it became clear he couldn’t play quarterback, his favored position. Likewise, most schools sought Allen, of Hilliard, Fla., as a linebacker, but Tech will give him the opportunity to play running back.
Thomas is one of two quarterbacks in the class. The other, Dennis Andrews of Tallahassee, has enrolled and plans to take part in spring practice. Allen, who is related to former Georgia stars Champ and Boss Bailey, is the only player scheduled to play running back.
Defensive end Francis Kallon of Central Gwinnett has received offers from Auburn, FSU, Stanford and Tennessee, despite never having played organized football before last spring. Kallon, who moved to the United States from England in 2010, joined Central Gwinnett’s team in spring practice and drew several offers before summer.
Losses
Tech has commitments from nine defensive players and could have had more. The Jackets pursued several defensive players who committed elsewhere. Defensive linemen Faith Ekakitie (Lake Forest, Ill.), Alex McCalister (Clemmons, N.C.), Jonathan Taylor (Jenkins County High), two-way lineman Ryan Watson (Olney, Md.) and safety Elijah Shumate (Ramsey, N.J.) have committed to Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Purdue and Notre Dame, respectively.
About the Author
