The Georgia Tech football program on Tuesday received their second commitment in the 2022 recruiting cycle from Maimi, Florida native, offensive lineman Jeffrey Bonica out of Miami Edison High School. He joins four-star running back Antonio Martin out of Fairburn, Georgia.
The rising senior announced his commitment via Twitter. He is currently not ranked by 247Sports but is ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals and possesses a 5.6 rating.
https://twitter.com/jeffrey_bonica/status/1371913356634947586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1371913356634947586%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F247sports.com%2Fcollege%2Fgeorgia-tech%2Fboard%2Fhiver-insider-102398%2F
Per his Twitter account, Bonica reported seven scholarship offers which included six Power Five offers. Those six other programs to join the Yellow Jackets in offering him are; FAU, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
His commitment to the Yellow Jackets came out of the blue for most. The Jackets coaching staff has been recruiting him for quite a while but from the outside, nothing really pointed to Bonica committing to the Jackets. That being said, landing Bonica is potentially a huge steal for the Jackets especially as they had to go into the Miami Hurricanes’ own backyard to land the three-star prospect.
Highlights:
Outlook:
Obviously, the thing that stands out the most about Bonica is his immense size. Depending on where you look, there will be different heights and weights listed for Bonica. His 247Sports profile lists him at 6-foot-5 and 350-pounds while Rivals lists him at 6-foot-5 and 325-pounds. But the most recent tape on Bonica, as seen below has him at 6-foot-6 and 340-pounds.
Let me introduce you to BIG RED my 6’6 340 Left tackle. You know if he plays for me he’s absolutely mean And physical. @larryblustein Don’t Rank my guys He only operate said two schools lol pic.twitter.com/gWyZnSeKR3
— Luther Luke Campbell (@unclelukereal1) March 10, 2021
Either way, Bonica just has immense size for a high school junior. While that is obviously an advantage it’s something he’ll have to monitor closely. The more weight he adds on, the higher the chances he loses something in terms of his athleticism and flexibility. Main thing his current weight or even trying to lose something before getting to The Flats will be important and could dictate how quickly he sees the field. Once he arrives on campus, the strength and conditioning team will likely have to spend time on slimming him down a bit and working on converting some of his mass into more muscle.
On the field, Bonica shows a lot of promise and looks like a potential future centerpiece of the Jackets offensive line with a bit of refinery. His pass blocking in his highlights is really impressive for a guy his size, he shows a quick step back and is able to get good leverage against edge rushers. His run blocking needs improvement but the foundation is there for him to excel in it down the road as well. While you could try and keep him at tackle due to his size, he would likely be best inside at one of the guard positions. His size and raw power would be advantageous inside against defensive tackles and other inside pass rushers.
Overall, Bonica is a type of player that with some work in the weight room and some work with Brent Key, could turn into a true NFL prospect during his time on The Flats. He already has a lot of the intangibles you look for, there’s just some refinery in a few areas that is needed. With that, a redshirt freshman year seems likely but after getting that year of development, there’s a lot to like about what he could bring to The Flats.