Georgia Tech Football: Three Storylines To Watch On Early Signing Day Tomorrow

Here are the storylines to pay attention to on Wednesday

Georgia Tech Offensive Line Commit Kevin Peay / 247Sports- Scooter Waller

Georgia Tech is looking to land one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory. There are several storylines to watch for leading up to Early Signing Day. Here are the most important ones. 

1. Georgia Tech has one of the best offensive line classes in the country- To say that offensive line coach Geep Wade is recruiting at an elite level would be an understatement. The Yellow Jackets have five-star Josh Petty, four-star Peyton Joseph, four-star Damola Ajidahun, four-star Kevin Peay, three-star Xavier Canales, and three-star Jimmy Bryson. Petty was a preseason Mr. Georgia nominee and the only offensive lineman to even be considered. 

Petty possesses great athleticism and size in his 6’5 frame and will be a problem at the next level. When you look at his tape, you see Petty mauling defenders out of the way and dominating at the private level. To put it frank, he is a mismatch and defenders have a hard time getting past him. He will continue to build his frame, but Petty has a great character and mindset. He wants to be great and has all the intangibles to achieve it. 

The Yellow Jackets convinced Joseph to stay home and be a part of something special brewing on the flats. Joseph is one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country who creates gaping holes in the running game and is also elusive to get out to the second level or the edge on screen plays. 

Ajidahun saw his recruitment start to blow up in the spring with offers all over the country coming in including the big hitters like Ohio State, South Carolina, Georgia and more. Ajidahun has the makings to be a cornerstone tackle at the next level. 

Peay recently received a boost to his rankings on Rivals and has been doing a good job of recruiting prospects from all over, especially in his home state of South Carolina. One of his strengths is his ability to move defenders in the running game. He is good at sealing off defenders and creating gaping holes for running backs to run through. Peay is one of the strong-willed players who gives 100% on each play and doesn’t stop until the whistle is blown. 

Xavier Canales is a physical tackle on the outside who is great at anchoring an offensive line. Very rarely does he get beaten on the edge and if it does happen he is good at readjusting his hands and using his strength to prevent the rusher from getting home. Canales will be a name that you see continue to develop and one day could be a starting tackle for the Yellow Jackets. 

Jimmy Bryson is a player I got to see back at a UA camp in Tennessee. Bryson has great footwork and power coming from his lower body on blocks. Bryson is good at blocking and getting to the second level of the defense on running plays. He also can be a good puller and come around on inside runs for the running back. Bryson has also shown an ability to be a good pass protector and be able to communicate different stunts a defense could run. Bryson is an underrated lineman who could be a staple on the Georgia Tech offensive line in a few years. 

2. Defensive Backs coach Cory Peoples has an elite secondary coming in- One word to describe this incoming secondary and that is elite. When you take a good look at Dalen Penson, you see a potential shutdown corner and an All-ACC type corner in his future. He is very technically sound and has great instincts when playing the ball. When he gets an interception, he is looking to house it and return it for a touchdown. Make no doubt about it Penson is one of the best cover corners in the country and will be an asset to the Yellow Jackets defense. 

When you look at Tae Harris you are looking at a virtuoso. So what does Harris give you on the field? Think about a hard-hitting safety that is equally as good at defending the pass. He is one of the best safeties in this class tracking the football and coming over and making a play on the ball. Harris plays with great anticipation and is a film junkie which allows him to play loose on the gridiron. He eats, lives, and breathes football. I asked him earlier this year what it takes to be an elite safety. Harris will likely be the most versatile player on the field. He can play at all five positions in the secondary. He is a film junkie who is constantly looking at ways to improve his craft. At the high school level, he played all over the field and was one of the key communicators on the backend. 

Elgin Sessions is a physical corner who loves to make plays in the secondary. He likes to come downhill in the running game and will let you know about it. Sessions gives you a savant and specialist at the cornerback position. He is a student of the game and enjoys watching film. He looks at WR's tendencies and the things that they like to do. He explains more about how he uses WR tendencies against them. In coverage, he reads routes beautifully and jumps them with ease stepping in front of the quarterback’s pass. He is now just looking to get an interception but he wants to turn it into a touchdown. He has two interceptions returned for a touchdown this year. When he is not jumping the route for an INT, he is excellent at timing when the ball is going to hit the receiver's hands and deflecting it at the right moment.

Fenix Felton is a multi-sport standout. He has played basketball and track and field during his career. Felton has earned all-region honors over the course of his career with Eagles Landing Christian Academy. When you roll the tape, you see a player that can play in the box. You are also seeing a player that can defend the backend of your defense and has great anticipatory skills which led to a career-high five interceptions in 2023. He will be another player to watch how early he gets to see the field on defense. 

Jayden Barr is probably one of the more underrated players in the secondary coming into this class. He played on one of the better teams in Class 4A this year and was a big part of the reason for the deep playoff run. On defense he finished with 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, three pass deflections, and two interceptions. For Barr, it doesn’t really matter where you line him up because he is going to make his presence felt and make plays. 

3. Will this be the class where the No. 2 running back is established- Don’t get me wrong the Yellow Jackets have a slew of running backs in the backfield. Anthony Carrie and Trelain Maddox showed great promise this season and showed they could be depended on. It still has been a running back by-committee situation. Now let’s take a look at the two running backs Georgia Tech will have in this class. 

Isaiah Groves was named Mr. Tennessee for his standout season in 2023 after rushing for 3,085 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also had 269 receiving yards and five touchdowns. To put it simply, Groves is electric in open space with his speed and quickness. Not sure how much playing time he will have in 2025, but he could be a potential threat in the return game and on special teams. Groves will be one to watch over the next few years for the Yellow Jackets. 

JP Powell crossed 1,000 rushing yards this season with Miller County. He rushed for 1,052 yards and 12 touchdowns during his senior year. He also was the leading receiver for the Pirates leading them in yards (295) and touchdowns (five). He will bring a bruising yet elusive build to the flats that is tough to bring down. Powell is also a great receiving threat who can run various routes in the route tree and make you pay if you match up a linebacker on him.

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