Georgia Tech Football: A First Look at the 2021 Recruiting Cycle

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ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 30: Tyler Davis #9 celebrates with Ahmarean Brown #10 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets following a touchdown during the first half of the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

Georgia Tech and the 2021 Recruiting Cycle:

Georgia Tech has already got the ball rolling for their 2021 recruiting class and so far have two commitments. Those commitments are from Florida wide receiver Malik Rutherford, and Loganville (GA) athlete Jamal Haynes.

Prospects to Know:

In the 2021 recruiting cycle, Georgia Tech has already offered 255 prospects according to 247Sports. That being said, there are several names to know out right now that could be names to follow throughout the cycle. Don’t take this as a big board or as players that Tech has a great shot at landing, these are just a handful of names we find intriguing for the Jackets.

LB Jared Behrens (VA/FL):

Behrens was at one point a commitment in Georgia Tech’s 2020 recruiting class but later reclassified and decommitted from the Yellow Jackets. Since then, the Virginia native has transferred to IMG Academy. You rarely see prospects recommit to a program that they decommited from but Behrens will be worth watching during the cycle.

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LB Barrett Carter (GA):

Carter recently attended one of Tech’s junior days at the end of February. It wasn’t Carter’s first visit to The Flats and it probably won’t be his last either. The Yellow Jackets will definitely remain a player in his recruitment for the foreseeable future but it’s hard to say how big of a player they will be. The top-100 prospect is highly-wanted around the country with 52 scholarship offers already amassed.

OT Eli Sutton (TN):

A huge offensive tackle at 6-foot-7 and 285-pounds, Sutton recently released his top-7 schools and the Yellow Jackets were included along with Duke, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina, Northwestern, and Penn State. Sutton is a top-200 ranked offensive player in the country and a top-20 offensive tackle. He’s also the second highest rated player in the state of Tennessee. With education, obviously at the forefront of his recruitment, the Yellow Jackets certainly have a great shot at Sutton, as well as the opportunity to work with an offensive line coach like Brent Pry. Additonally, it is worth noting that Sutton attends the same high school, Brentwood Academy as the late Brandon Adams.

QB Aaron McLaughin (GA):

The second highest rated quarterback in Georgia, McLaughin recently decommitted from Auburn. The Yellow Jackets did offer McLaughin in the past and while there is no visible smoke in his recruitment regarding the Yellow Jackets, I would be shocked if the Jackets didn’t try to push for the Denmark standout. He has offers from throughout the country so there will be plenty of competition and while it’s a longshot at this current point, I personally will be keeping a close eye on his recruitment. He’d be a tremendous get for the Jackets and continue to solidify Tech’s progress on the recruiting trail.

ATH Nathaniel Wiggins (GA):

Wiggins has yet to be rated by 247Sports but when he does it’s a safe bet that Wiggins will be rated as a high three-star, if not a four-star recruit. Out of Westlake High School, Wiggins recently announced a top-10 that included the Yellow Jackets. He’s a highly wanted player but the Yellow Jackets should remain in the thick of his recruitment going forward.

CB Kamar Wilcoxson (GA/FL):

Wilcoxson is probably a prospect Tech fans shouldn’t get overly excited about as it seems like a long shot. That being said, Wilcoxson has shown some interest in the Yellow Jackets during his recruitment so far. Originally from Georgia, Wilcoxson recently transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior season. He’s currently committed to Florida but it wouldn’t be shocking if that commitment doesn’t stay throughout the rest of the recruiting cycle.

Overall:

Ignoring everything we wrote above about prospects, the 2021 recruiting cycle is a very important cycle in the growth of the Georgia Tech Football program. The Jackets put together a tremendous recruiting class by all standards when considering the program’s recruiting reputation over the last decade and did so while going 3-9 on the field. The 2020 recruiting class was a great building block and it showed that Tech is going to be a team that isn’t afraid on the recruiting trail. They’ll go head-to-head with any team for the country’s best players.

The Jackets have two great pickups so far in the 2021 recruiting class in Rutherford and Haynes. Both players should be at least three-star prospects and could be high three-star prospects at that. Both have high upside potential as well and could end out playing any recruiting rating.

The Jackets have already began getting in on the recruitment of some of Georgia’s elite prospects. If the Jackets coaching staff wants to take the program to the next level, they’ll have to begin finding a footing among the Peach State’s elite players. They got that started in 2020 with running back Jahmyr Gibbs, now it’s time to continue that process. The 2021 recruiting class should be an exciting one for Georgia Tech and we hope you stick around here at YellowJackedUp to keep up with the latest Tech recruiting news.