Georgia Tech had been counting on the arrival of Vanderbilt offensive tackle Devin Cochran as a grad transfer, but he will not be enrolling at Tech, coach Geoff Collins said Wednesday after the team’s first practice of preseason camp.
Cochran, a Greater Atlanta Christian School graduate, was expected to plug in at one of the tackle spots and provide solid play for the Yellow Jackets’ offense. Cochran, listed at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, started 32 games in three seasons at Vanderbilt, playing at both right and left tackle.
Collins did not give a reason for Cochran’s decision, giving Cochran the space to make any explanation on his own terms. Cochran has been finishing up his degree at Vanderbilt this summer. It isn’t unusual for an athlete planning to leave his original school as a grad transfer to finish coursework in the summer and transfer at that point. In an interview with the AJC in May, Cochran seemed eager to play for Tech and learn from offensive-line coach Brent Key.
It’s a considerable loss, as the offensive line was not a strength last season, and Tech had a spot to fill at tackle with the graduation of Jared Southers, who himself was a Vanderbilt grad transfer and a close friend of Cochran’s. Cochran figured to bolster Key’s group with experience and production.
Without Cochran, junior Charlie Clark is a possibility to play tackle, as are freshmen Jordan Williams, Wing Green and Michael Rankins. Williams, from Gainesville High, was an early enrollee and impressed coaches and teammates in the six spring workouts before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the remainder of spring practice.
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