With kicker Harrison Butker and punter Ryan Rodwell graduating, Georgia Tech had the opportunity to bring in a pair of specialists together. Tech coaches hope that their kicking needs will be taken care of with the signing of kicker Brenton King from Mill Creek High and punter Pressley Harvin from Alcolu, S.C.
Harvin, the first player in this class to commit to Tech, was ranked second in the country by a national kicking camp. He may prove to be the Jackets' best punter since Durant Brooks, who won the Ray Guy Award in 2007 as the nation's finest punter.
Tech jumped on King when kicker Joseph Bulovas withdrew his months-long commitment Jan. 23. King was committed to Old Dominion, but quickly accepted Tech’s offer the same day that Bulovas, who signed Wednesday with Alabama, pulled out.
King is ranked 19th nationally by 247 Sports and was a two-time all-state pick. King has big shoes to fill, as noted by defensive coordinator Ted Roof, who recruited King. Butker graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer and ranked sixth nationally last season in touchback percentage.
“All those kickoffs out of the end zone, that’s huge,” Roof said. “That’s huge for those guys to start the ball on a long field as opposed to running it back and starting from midfield. But you know what? He’s got some moxie to him.”
