Georgia Tech Football: 2026 DB Kelsey Deriso Jr Dives Into Recent Offer From Yellow Jackets
Kelsey Deriso Jr has picked up two offers over the past week. He finished his junior season with 33 tackles, 12 PBUs, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and two tackles for a loss. Deriso Jr was named first-team all-region for his performance this past season.
“My junior season went very well. Over the summer I worked a lot with my team and by myself to prepare for the season. As the season went on, I got better technique-wise. My favorite thing about this past season was definitely beating all the teams that beat us last year and upsetting the teams that everybody thought we’d lose to,” said Deriso Jr.
Deriso is a vastly underrated defensive back who is starting to get more eyes on him. He recently picked up an offer from the Yellow Jackets and dived into the relationship with defensive backs coach Cory Peoples and the Georgia Tech offer.
“Coach Peoples called me and he asked me questions about my family, school and what I do outside of the sport. Then later on in another conversation and after speaking with my Head Coach, he offered me. Coach Peoples feels that I’m a very versatile player and can be used and fit into the program in many ways, said Deriso Jr.
I like that program because it is close to home, the campus is nice, they have a great educational program and the coaching staff is very big on player development. I definitely plan to visit during the spring. I have already been speaking with a couple of the coaches on the staff about future visits,” said Deriso Jr."
Deriso Jr has started to heat up in recruiting with several colleges reaching out and showing interest. One is Michigan State who sent an offer a few days before Georgia Tech. Here are some other schools interested in the junior.
“Schools that have shown interest are Duke, Vanderbilt, Rice, and Clemson. But as of now, I have offers from Georgia Tech, Michigan State, and Central Michigan. Yes, I am definitely excited to visit the schools that have offered me and shown interest this spring. Georgia Tech is definitely one of the top schools I’m ready to visit.
The buzz is continuing to come for Deriso who is now up to three offers with the most recent coming from Michigan State and Georgia Tech. This will be an important offseason and recruiting period for Deriso Jr as he aspires to play at the next level.
“This offseason I am mostly going to focus on my technique, increasing my speed, and getting bigger and stronger. My favorite thing about being a DB is being on an island by yourself. There is nobody to blame, nobody to help, it's just you and the receiver.
When you look at his film, he is a very aggressive and physical defensive back capable of forcing turnovers and known for his big-hit ability on the perimeter. When the ball is in the air, he plays the ball well and is great at anticipating when the ball is coming and making a play on the ball. Deriso Jr is great at tracking the football and uses his top-tier athleticism and anticipation to dislodge the football before it hits the receiver's hands. He is also a dangerous return man and only needs a small crease in order to make a big play and take it for a touchdown. He showcased that ability with multiple return touchdowns this past season.
Georgia Tech extended another offer and has been active in the month of January visiting campuses from across the state as it looks to build off a solid 2025 class that made waves throughout the country as the Yellow Jackets a Top 25 class.
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