Georgia Tech wide receiver Tija’i Whatley has been placed on medical scholarship and will no longer play for the Yellow Jackets. The team made the announcement Thursday in a release in which it also made official the addition of Notre Dame transfer Derrik Allen and the medically related retirement of defensive lineman Brad Morgan, both of which were previously reported.
Whatley, from Darlington School in Rome, enrolled in 2018 and redshirted the season. He was an A-back in former coach Paul Johnson’s offense and switched to wide receiver in the spring after the hire of coach Geoff Collins. Both Whatley and Morgan will remain on scholarship and be involved with the team in a non-playing capacity. They will not count against the 85-scholarship limit.
According to the news release, Whatley stepped away “due to a health issue.” He had initially been practicing at the start of preseason practices. Morgan has stopped because of a back injury.
“I feel for both Brad and Tijai’i,” Collins said in a statement. “It goes without saying that they will continue to be a part of the Georgia Tech football family and we’re looking forward to the contributions that they continue to make to our organization and the Institute.”
Allen, a safety from Lassiter High, has begun practicing with the team. He will redshirt this season and have three seasons of eligibility starting in 2020. He was the No. 106 prospect nationally in the 2018 class (247Sports Composite) and a four-star prospect.
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