Two Georgia Tech scholarship players, running back Devin Ellison and offensive lineman Michael Rankins, were not on the roster in the new team media guide that was released Wednesday.

Ellison, who was a member of the 2019 signing class, was placed on medical scholarship and will remain at Tech. After appearing in one game in his freshman season in 2019, Ellison did not play in the 2020 season after he underwent a procedure to repair his knee. He made his decision to retire after the procedure did not alleviate the pain in the knee as much as hoped, Ellison told the AJC on Wednesday. Ellison said that he will try to help the team however he can and plans to graduate from Tech.

“It was a tough decision, but the injuries hindered me from ever being able to perform 100%, which is critical at this level of play,” Ellison wrote in a private Twitter message to the AJC.

“He’s still around the program, he’s just not going to be able to play anymore,” Collins told the AJC Wednesday at the ACC Kickoff media event in Charlotte, N.C. “What a great kid, though.”

Rankins’ decision to leave the team was voluntary. Collins said that he had returned to his home in Ruskin, Fla. Rankins, who was part of Tech’s 2020 signing class, did not appear in a game last season.

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Georgia Tech coach Brent Key — pictured taking the field against Virginia Tech last month — said of his recruiting strategy: “When we’re looking at recruits, they’ve gotta be equal to or better talent than the guys we currently have on the team. If you don’t look at it that way, you’re never gonna increase and improve yourself as a football team.” (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

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