Up in today’s 2021 signee profile is three-star in-state wide receiver Jamal Haynes out of Grayson High School in Logansville, GA. Haynes is one of four Georgia Tech signees in the 2021 recruiting cycle, joining Noah Collins who we talked about last week as well as Alabama transfer Kevin Harris and Texas transfer Kenyatta Watson II.
ATL mindset each and every day. Welcome to the 404, @Jamalhaynes16 #meGaTron21#4the404 /// #NSD21 pic.twitter.com/34HZYUSAHE
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) December 16, 2020
An early commitment for the Jackets, Haynes originally gave his verbal to the program all the way back in January of 2020. Haynes was likely well recruited but only ended up reporting four other offers during his recruitment from Akron, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Purdue. Chances are once he shut down his recruitment, he didn’t feel the need to share any others he had received.
Haynes was ranked by 247Sports’s composite rankings as a near top-800 player in the country, coming in at No.812 in the national rankings. He also was ranked as a top-60 athlete in the country and a top-80 player in the state of Georgia.
That being said, Haynes stands at 5-foot-9 and 175-pounds, making him a perfect fit for a slot receiver role for the Yellow Jackets in the future. He joins fellow 2021 wide receiver Malik Rutherford as likely slot receivers for the Yellow Jackets in the future.
Highlights and what he brings to The Flats:
Haynes most recent full highlight tape comes from over two years ago so instead of linking some of his shorter videos, here is the link to his HUDL profile where you can find all his highlights for your viewing pleasure.
That being said, Haynes is a true big-play threat and that can be seen from his 60 receptions for 891-yards and eight touchdowns as a senior for Grayson. He brings to The Flats elite speed and strong ball tracking skills that will make him a dangerous threat from the moment he steps on the field for the Yellow Jackets. He also shows good route running skills which will be needed to take his game to the next level.
He will also provide the Yellow Jackets with a weapon on special teams with experience returning both kicks and punts in high school including a 99-yard touchdown return this season.
His future on The Flats:
Haynes could very well be a candidate to see immediate playing time on The Flats thanks to the need at the slot position with the departure of Ahmarean Brown but also because of his versatility. Thanks to his speed and elusiveness, Haynes could fill in well at either the kick or punt returning spots for the Yellow Jackets and would allow them to not use important pieces such as Jahmyr Gibbs on special teams.
Between him and Rutherford, Haynes is probably at a better place in his development to see early playing time but it may not be a slam dunk per se either. Either way, long-term Haynes is likely a multi-year starter if he develops well and at the worst is likely a decent contributor who rotates in and out with Rutherford. Thanks to his abilities on special teams, he should always be able to find a way to get on the field for the Yellow Jackets.