Georgia Tech football has barely gotten their 2022 recruiting class rolling, but the 2023 recruiting class is now underway as well as they’ve landed themselves an early commitment.
On Thursday morning, Miami, Florida native Javin Simpkins announced his commitment to the Yellow Jackets on Twitter. Simpkins, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back out of Miami Norland High School was a All-Dade selection for classes 6A through 8A as a sophomore this past season. Earning such an accolade as a sophomore in one of the best counties for high school football in the country is extremely impressive.
I am honored and proud to say I am committed to the Institute of Georgia Tech. #togetherwestorm @JerryRecruiting @TheCribSouthFLA @larryblustein @Coach_K2 @coachchoice @CoachCollins pic.twitter.com/xOLxY3n9aC
— Javin “J7” Simpkins (@JavinSimpkins) February 25, 2021
The commitment comes extremely early for Simpkins, he has only received two scholarship offers so far in his recruitment. The Yellow Jackets originally offered him late last month. The only other program to offer the Florida native so far was Marshall. That being said, according to Russell Johnson of JacketsOnline (part of the Rivals network), Simpkins was also receiving interest from programs such as Florida State, NC State, and Rutgers.
Simpkin’s commitment continues a growing success at the running back position on the recruiting trail. Over the past few recruiting cycles, the Jackets have brought in talented tailbacks such as Jamious Griffin and Jahmyr Gibbs. While they skipped the position in the 2021 class, the Jackets 2022 recruiting class, currently features a commitment from running back Antonio Martin, a four-star prospect. Now, they add Simpkins to the mix who looks destined to be another highly rated running back nationally.
As a player, Simpkins may be on the smaller side but he brings everything you look for in an all-purpose type running back. He’s got great speed and good acceleration, if he gets room to run ahead of him, good luck catching him. He shows great elusiveness and agility, with a few moves in his arsenal to make would be tacklers miss. Even if defenders get their arms around him, he’ll be tough to bring down as he does have quite a bit of power and strength in his smaller frame. Just by watching a little bit of his tape above, you can see that he simply just makes big play after big play and is an exciting player to watch. He’ll be a threat in both the rushing and receiving games and is a player that the Jackets would be able to use all around the offense to create mismatches. While it’s hard to say how he projects to the college level, it’s safe to say that right now there is a ton of potential in Simpkins and if the Jackets can hold onto his commitment, it could end up being a big recruiting win down the road.