On the final official-visit weekend before the start of the December signing period, Georgia Tech landed a much-needed running back. Camden County running back Jamie Felix announced his decision Sunday to accept a spot in coach Geoff Collins’ 2022 signing class.
Felix was in Atlanta this weekend for his official visit. The three-star prospect is ranked the No. 46 prospect in the state of Georgia (247Sports Composite). His decision is welcome news for Tech, which is down to one scholarship running back on the roster after running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, Jamious Griffin and Tony Amerson transferred and Jordan Mason elected to forego his extra year of eligibility to turn professional.
“I think that’s one of the things that sold him,” Camden County coach Jeff Herron told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday night. “They had had some guys leave and he saw a chance to play early and saw a chance to play both sports.”
The other sport is baseball. Herron, the winner of four state championships (two at Camden County, one at Oconee County and one at Grayson), said that he has been told by Camden County baseball coach Brian English that Felix, an infielder, is capable of getting drafted next summer.
Herron said that being able to play both, which was an option that not all schools recruiting him offered him, “has always been important to him.” Tech baseball coach Danny Hall has had football players join the baseball team in the past. Wide receiver Nate McCollum said this fall that he plans to play baseball in the spring.
“I think it’s a good decision for him,” Herron said of Felix.
In football, Felix was the subject of a late recruiting rush. Herron said that Felix’s recruiting during the 2021 season was “kind of slow” as it had been for many prospects, but that Tech coaches reached out in the middle of last week and wanted him to come this weekend for an official visit, the charge undoubtedly related to the Yellow Jackets’ shortage at running back. (Former running backs coach Tashard Choice, since hired by USC, was part of the pursuit.)
At the same time, Virginia and Florida, both schools with new coaching staff, showed strong interest last week also.
Prior to his going to Tech for the visit, “I told (Felix), ‘Hey, you’ll know,’” Herron said. “‘If you love it, go ahead. If you don’t love it, you can wait and see what happens.’ Evidently, he loved it.”
Herron said last week that Felix is “a power-five running back.” Felix dealt with a hamstring injury during his junior season, but rebounded as a senior, earning Region 1-7A offensive player of the year honors.
“He’s kind of got everything,” Herron said. “He’s fast, he’s very quick, he cuts well, he’s powerful, he catches the ball well. I see him as an every-down type back. And he’s a very smart kid.”
Tech coaches received Felix’s commitment on the same day that two additional prospects who had been committed for the 2022 class announced that they were withdrawing their commitments.
Defensive tackle Alton Tarber from Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High and offensive lineman Jeffrey Bonica from Miami Edison High both announced that they have re-opened their recruitments. Further, Miami Norland High four-star running back Javin Simpkins, who had committed to Tech’s 2023 signing class, also announced that he was no longer committed to Tech.
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