An offensive-tackle prospect from North Carolina, Larry Dowdy had been committed to Georgia Tech since May 2018. However, Dowdy said he never heard from the new coaching staff and as a result withdrew his commitment on Friday.
“I didn’t want to go somewhere where I’m not wanted,” Dowdy told the AJC on Saturday.
Even before Collins was hired, committed players had been informed that their scholarship offers would be honored, a pledge Collins reiterated. Upon his hire, Collins reached out to them through text messages, phone calls and at official visits. Dowdy had planned to attend one of the official-visit weekends, but changed his plans to be able to play in a North Carolina-South Carolina all-star game.
Dowdy, a two-time all-state selection in North Carolina, expressed his disappointment that he did not hear from anyone at Tech, even if only to indicate the new staff’s lack of interest in him as a prospect. Dowdy said he waited until Friday, when college coaches were permitted to go on the road to visit prospects, before withdrawing his commitment.
At the time of his commitment, Dowdy described Tech as his dream school due to the combination of academics and the option offense, a similar version of which his team at South Point High in Belmont, N.C., ran.
Dowdy received a scholarship offer from Virginia earlier in January and will take an official visit there next weekend, he said.
“I’m just rolling with it right now,” he said.
Dowdy became the second prospect who had been committed to Tech at the time coach Paul Johnson decided to step down to break from the Yellow Jackets. Linebacker Ahdarrious Gee of Crisp County High was the other. Gee signed with Troy during the early signing period.
Of the 15 players who had committed to Tech before Johnson’s announcement on November 28, 12 signed during the early signing period. The other committed player, Stephenson High lineman Joshua Black, decided to wait until the February signing period to sign.
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