It is never too early to look ahead to the 2026 class. Georgia Tech already has the interest and attention of a heavily coveted safety prospect Cortez Redding. The Yellow Jackets don’t have any commitments from the 2026 class yet, but it is a good sign they are in the running for a high-end prospect. 

Cortez Redding plays for the Jonesboro Cardinals in Jonesboro, Georgia. He is one of the best safety prospects in the country. According to 247Sports Composite, Redding is rated as the No. 16 safety, the No. 23 player in Georgia, and the No. 197 player nationally. Before narrowing down his list on Friday, Redding had 42 offers before cutting down his list of schools. His top 12 include Florida, Oregon, Kentucky, UNC, USC, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, NC State, Florida State, Auburn, and Georgia Tech. 

Redding is a hard-hitter who loves to play in the box and make disruptive plays. He is known for making sticks and causing opposing ball carriers to fumble the football. He is also an excellent open-field tackler. Redding can also play centerfield, run from one side of the field to the other, and make a play on the ball. A rare trait you see from safeties, only the elite ones can do this at a high level consistently. Think Ed Reed potential here. I don’t say this lightly, I’ve seen Redding play a few times in person. 

One of them was during the spring. I was making a tour of different high school football teams in the peach state to see how teams looked. I interviewed Redding after a spring game win against rival Lovejoy. I asked him about his best attribute on the field. 

“My best attribute is my IQ and physicality. I feel like I can tackle anybody and guard anybody,” said Redding. 

Redding is also a multisport athlete who is also a high-level basketball player and a great all-around player on the court. As a sophomore for the Cardinals, Redding averaged 11.4 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds. He nearly tripled his scoring numbers from the year before. 

The Yellow Jackets got on Redding early and was one of the first schools to offer him last September before he blew up in recruiting. Redding would be a great addition to the Yellow Jackets if they could keep him home. He has great instincts and would fit the defensive backfield seamlessly and make a big impact in that area. It is still early but a recruitment to continue to watch as teams jock for positioning in the late winter and early spring. 

I also got a chance to do an exclusive interview with Redding and some of his teammates back in the summer in a rare uncut and unfiltered interview. It was just Redding being his natural self in his element which was cool to see. One thing that is impressive about him is how hard he works and how much he wants to be great. He goes above and beyond and constantly challenges himself to be the best on the field every time he steps on it.