Georgia Tech Flips 2026 Safety Kealan Jones from Georgia in Major Recruiting Win
Just days ahead of the early signing period, Georgia Tech landed a major recruiting victory by flipping safety Kealan Jones from in-state powerhouse Georgia. Jones, a high-upside defensive back out of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, had been committed to the Bulldogs since April, but ultimately felt the Yellow Jackets gave him the best path to early playing time and long-term development.
“I feel like I have a really great opportunity at Tech to get on the field early and really prove myself,” Jones said. “It’s just being somewhere where I was a priority, and I feel like the whole coaching staff believes in me.”
That belief from the Georgia Tech staff clearly resonated. At 6-foot-1, Jones brings size, range, and versatility to a secondary that’s set to lose both of its starting safeties after this season.
He’s rated as a high three-star prospect (89 grade), ranked No. 42 among safeties nationally and No. 56 overall in the state of Georgia. But rankings only tell part of the story - what stands out is how Tech envisions using him.
The coaching staff didn’t pin him to one role. Instead, they see Jones as a hybrid safety who can move around the field - playing both free and strong safety, dropping deep in coverage, or stepping into the box to support the run. That kind of flexibility is increasingly valuable in today’s college defenses, where safeties are asked to do a little bit of everything.
Jones made just one official visit - to Georgia back in April - and committed shortly after. But Georgia Tech never stopped showing interest.
Even after his initial commitment to the Bulldogs, the Jackets’ staff, led by head coach Brent Key and safeties coach Cory Peoples, stayed in touch. That persistence paid off.
“Georgia Tech was definitely a school that always showed interest and never really let up,” Jones said. “I started getting back in contact and just re-thinking everything and going through everything again.”
It wasn’t just about playing time - though that’s certainly a factor. Jones emphasized that his decision came down to finding the right fit, both in terms of opportunity and belief from the coaching staff. And with Georgia Tech graduating both starting safeties, the door is wide open for a player like Jones to step in and compete early.
He becomes the fourth defensive back in Georgia Tech’s 2026 class and their fourth-highest rated commit overall. His addition brings the Yellow Jackets’ class to 20 total commits, which currently ranks No. 45 nationally and No. 11 in the ACC, according to the 24/7 Sports composite rankings.
Jones plans to enroll early, joining the program after the current semester ends - a move that could give him a head start in spring ball and a real shot at cracking the two-deep as a freshman.
“The program’s on the rise,” Jones said. “Gotta get the right people in the building, and you can make anything happen.”
With this flip, Georgia Tech continues to show it can go toe-to-toe with the SEC’s big names when it comes to in-state talent. And for a program looking to climb the ACC ladder, this kind of recruiting momentum matters.