Recruiting may take a brief backseat once August hits and fall camp opens, but Georgia Tech has already done plenty of its heavy lifting.
The Yellow Jackets sit with 26 commitments and still own one of the ACC’s best classes, even after sliding from No. 24 to No. 26 in the latest rankings. That drop hasn’t knocked them out of the league’s upper tier, though.
Georgia Tech remains a top-five ACC class and sits nine spots ahead of Florida State, the next closest conference program. In other words, the Jackets are much nearer to moving up on Cal for the No. 4 spot in the ACC than they are to slipping behind the Seminoles.
Brent Key and his staff have already assembled a strong group, and the work now shifts into a different phase. Between now and the early signing period, the focus is on evaluating senior tape from the committed players, identifying any late additions worth pursuing, and most importantly, keeping the class intact. That last part matters, because a class with multiple blue-chip commitments is always going to attract attention from other programs trying to pry those players away.
There is also one possible recruiting wrinkle worth watching in Atlanta: the arrival of assistant wide receivers coach DeAndre Hopkins. The former NFL All-Pro and one of the best receivers of this century could bring real juice on the trail, and Georgia Tech could certainly use a boost at that position. With the class already sitting at 26 commitments, there may not be much room left, but Hopkins could still have an impact if he translates his name and experience into recruiting momentum.
At the top of the ACC, Miami is still setting the pace and looks positioned to finish first in the league, and maybe the country. The Hurricanes, coming off a national championship appearance, already have five five-star commitments. Clemson is the only other ACC program with a five-star pledge, and it has one.
After that, the list tightens up. Clemson, Virginia Tech, and California are the only other ACC teams sitting inside the national top 25.
In Other News...
DeAndre Hopkins Gives Georgia Tech Receivers A Huge Chance This Fall
Right before fall camp, Georgia Tech made one of the more eye-catching hires of the offseason, bringing in former NFL star DeAndre Hopkins as an assistant wide receivers coach. A Clemson alumnus with a long professional rsum, Hopkins arrives at a time when the Yellow Jackets are trying to sharpen a receiver room that includes established names like Allen and Fuhrmann along with a wave of freshmen who will be learning the position at the college level.
For Georgia Tech, the appeal is obvious: Hopkins spent years winning with technique, body control and consistency against the best defensive backs in football, and that kind of firsthand knowledge can be invaluable for a group trying to grow together. The timing also makes the move even more interesting, since the start of camp gives Hopkins an immediate chance to work with the room and help accelerate development before the season starts taking shape. [Read more 🡒]