Georgia Tech Football: Jackets land graduate transfer from Vanderbilt

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Geoff Collins of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looks on during the Yellow Jackets' warmup before their football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Geoff Collins of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looks on during the Yellow Jackets' warmup before their football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

The Georgia Tech Football program once again dipped into the transfer portal to land an offensive lineman as Devin Cochran committed to the program.

It’s been a busy and exciting weekend on The Flats for Geoff Collins and his coaching staff. After earning a commitment from 2021 athlete Jamal Haynes, the Jackets were able to add to their roster for next season.

On Sunday afternoon, Vanderbilt graduate transfer Devin Cochran announced that he will be spending his last year of eligibility on The Flats as he works towards a masters degree. He announced his decision on Twitter. It’s marks the second straight year, the Yellow Jackets earned a transfer from Vanderbilt as Jared Southers, landed on The Flats last off season after spending time with the Commodores.

https://twitter.com/Devin_Cochran57/status/1221492214817267717

Cochran, is a native of Norcross, Georgia and was a three-star recruit in the 2016 recruiting class out of Greater Atlanta Christian School. At the time, he was ranked as a top-700 player in the nation and a top-60 offensive tackle. He was a well sought out recruit during his time as a high school prospect, earning 17 reported scholarship offers including offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Tennessee. According to his 247Sports profile, the Yellow Jackets were not among his suitors during his initial recruitment.

Cochran is a huge addition for the Yellow Jackets but figuratively and literally. At 6-foot-7, 318-pounds, he’ll be one of the biggest players on Georgia Tech’s entire roster, let alone the offensive line. During his time at Vanderbilt, he started in all 32 games in which he played in, including nine starts this past season at left tackle. According to his Vanderbilt profile, he logged 96% of snaps in 2018 as a redshirt sophomore. This past season, he was a bit more limited as he missed three games with an injury.

Entering this past season, he was a fourth-team All-SEC member and was expected to be one of the top returning offensive lineman in the SEC in 2020. According to Adam Sparks of the Nashville, Tennessean, Cochran drew the eyes of NFL scouts consistently during his time in Vanderbilt.

Additionally, Cochran will add a ton of experience to Georgia Tech’s offensive line. We project him to being a starter right away for the Yellow Jackets on their offensive line and could slide in nicely at the left tackle position. Cochran is the second grad transfer offensive line the Yellow Jackets have landed this offseason, joining Tennessee transfer Ryan Johnson.