Overview
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson was hoping for 15 players in his signing class. Bitten by a handful of late defections, he got 14.
“We were willing to take a couple more (than 14), but it just didn’t unfold that way,” he said. “We still may pick up a guy or two, we’ll see, but I’m O.K. with where we are numbers-wise.”
With only 10 players graduating or otherwise leaving the team, Tech was limited in scholarship inventory. Johnson signed seven offensive players, six defenders and one specialist, a kicker.
While the expected shift to a 4-3 defense will shake up the depth charts, Tech will be three players deep in each position group and deeper at others.
There are, for instance, 14 listed scholarship defensive linemen, and their numbers could swell with a handful of outside linebackers moving down to the line to play rush end.
“I think the biggest thing we tried to do is fill some needs,” Johnson said. “We talked about trying to balance the classes with numbers by positions and that kind of thing.”
The hits
Lovejoy High running back Travis Custis was a big score for the Jackets, particularly after drawing more attention as he led the team to its second consecutive Class AAAAAA state championship game. Johnson said that if Custis wasn’t the best running back in the state this year, “it’d be a short list that he’d be on.” He’ll take his spot at B-back, where his size/speed mix should prove effective.
“We’re really excited about the running back,” Johnson said.
Guard Shamire DeVine from Tri-Cities High was the other bell cow of the class. Johnson, not given to handing out unwarranted praise, said that DeVine was “ability-wise, as good as any high school junior I had (ever) seen in camp.” At 6-foot-7, 355 pounds, DeVine has size and strength but also relatively nimble feet.
Offensive lineman Chris Griffin (6-6, 272) heard from “just about every school on the East Coast” as signing day neared, according to recruiting coordinator Andy McCollum. Rated the No. 55 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals, Griffin is a country boy with a mean streak.
The misses
Five prospects, committed into the final weeks and days, ended up elsewhere. Tri-Cities offensive lineman Jeremi Hall, who had his scholarship offer withdrawn after taking a visit to South Florida without telling the Tech coaching staff, signed with the Bulls. Hall was rated the No. 8 center or guard in the country by Tom Lemming.
New Jersey quarterback Damon Mitchell, previously committed to Tech and ranked by Rivals as the No. 15 dual-threat quarterback in the class, signed with Arkansas after taking a last-minute visit last weekend.
Hillgrove High defensive back Tolando Cleveland signed with Mississippi State after decommitting last week.
Among friends
N.C. State’s new coaching staff apparently won over Lovejoy wide receiver JuMichael Ramos, who had been a Tech commit since November. Lovejoy coach Al Hughes told the Clayton News Daily that Ramos “feels like he’s a better fit with that look of offense.”
Florida State had offered a scholarship to DeVine, who wasn’t interested. Among the suitors for Griffin were Clemson and Maryland. Custis’ offer sheet included ACC rivals Miami and Clemson. Maryland and North Carolina were among many schools who offered defensive tackle Darius Commissiong from Bishop McNamara in Forestville, Md.
Florida State appeared headed for the top-rated class in the ACC, having gained the signatures of cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Matthew Thomas, both five-star prospects. Clemson landed its typically strong class, headed by guard Tyrone Crowder and cornerback Mackensie Alexander.
Rivals ranked Tech's class 11th in the ACC, a tabulation that includes the size of the class. Tech's per-player star rating placed them ninth. Last year, it was 10th overall and sixth by star average. In 2011, it was eighth and seventh, respectively.
Filling holes
The biggest need met came in the form of Westminster kicker Harrison Butker, rated the No. 3 prospect in the country by ESPN. He’s expected to immediately challenge Justin Moore and David Scully, who were a combined 6-for-12 on field-goal attempts last year.
With wide receiver Jeff Greene transferring and Jeremy Moore not returning for his senior year, Ricky Jeune from Saint Joseph Regional in New Jersey and Fayette County’s Antonio Messick will add depth. Tech scooped up McEachern quarterback Ty Griffin, helping make up for Mitchell’s defection. He’ll be the third scholarship quarterback on the roster after Vad Lee and Justin Thomas. Walk-on Tim Byerly, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State, figures to be in the mix also.
“I think that he can come in and help us at quarterback,” Johnson said. “We promised him he could start (off) there, but I really think he can play a couple other positions, as well.”
In-state
Tech signed eight of its 14 players from inside Georgia. Last year, it was eight of 17, and 11 of 23 in 2011.
“We want to try to do our very best to recruit the state of Georgia as hard as we can,” Johnson said. “I think if you look each year, we’ve probably taken more Georgia kids than what has happened here in the past.”
Interestingly, only linebacker PJ Davis, a two-way player from Cairo, is from below Macon. Davis, smallish at 5-11, 215, caught coaches’ eyes at camp last year but wasn’t offered until space opened up at the end of the process. He had been committed to Temple.
