Though in-person recruiting is not yet permitted, Georgia Tech’s spring game Friday night will draw several high-school prospects.
Their attendance would seem a strong indicator of interest, given that the continuing recruiting dead period means that the prospects can’t talk face-to-face with coaches or staff even though they’re on campus and at the game.
“It’s just the environment,” said Stantavious Smith, a sophomore defensive end from Dougherty High in Albany who has drawn scholarship offers from Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon besides Tech. “It’s still going to be a great experience.”
Smith was to arrive in a most talent-laden carpool, coming up north with five-star defensive tackle Mykel Williams from Hardaway High in Columbus and freshman defensive tackle Omar White from Lee County (who already holds offers from Tech, Penn State, Arkansas, according to his 247Sports recruiting page) and then swinging by DeKalb County for four-star defensive tackle Christen Miller from Cedar Grove High.
Smith said that he was coming “just to see the D-line work. They offered me. I’ve got a connection with the D-line, I know some of the players from there. Just trying to see those boys work.”
Likewise, Vincent Anthony, a defensive end from C.E. Jordan High in Durham, N.C., was driving to Atlanta with his family Friday morning to take in the spring game knowing that he wouldn’t be able to visit in person with defensive ends coach Marco Coleman, who has been recruiting him.
“I wanted to get a chance to see the team in action,” Anthony wrote in a Twitter direct message. Anthony, who is unrated but has announced offers from Duke, Akron, Harvard and Tech, said he planned to return in June after the NCAA’s in-person recruiting ban – in place since March 2020 – is lifted.
“I am looking for a defense that attacks and a D-line that gets off the ball and flies around,” Anthony wrote.
Anthony said he rated his interest in Tech a nine out of 10.
“They are high on my list,” he wrote.
Three other noteworthy recruits who tweeted their plans to be at the game were Woodward Academy running back Damari Alston, Niceville (Fla.) High safety Azareyeh Thomas and Lee County High linebacker Jaron Willis. Alston is a four-star prospect who is ranked the No. 311 prospect in the 2022 class and the No. 29 prospect in the state of Georgia.
Thomas, the younger brother of Tech safety Juanyeh Thomas, is a four-star safety rated the No. 96 player in the country (247Sports Composite). Willis is a four-star linebacker rated the No. 150 prospect nationally and No. 17 in Georgia. Thomas and Willis have official visits scheduled for Tech in June.
A number of metro Atlanta prospects expected to attend included Walton High cornerback Marcus Allen, Grayson High offensive tackle Waltclaire Flynn, Central Gwinnett High quarterback Justin Johnson, Collins High defensive end Denzel Moore, Archer High wide receiver D.J. Moore and Creekside High cornerback Daiquan White. Another expected out-of-state visitor besides Anthony was defensive end Tomiwa Durojaiye, a three-star prospect from Middletown High in Delaware.
Two prospects who have already offered their commitment for the 2022 signing class, Janiran Bonner, a four-star wide receiver from Cedar Grove High, and Antonio Martin, a four-star running back from Langston Hughes High, also tweeted their plans to be in attendance.
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