Georgia
Georgia Tech Football: Top Prospects Expected To Be In Attendance For Yellow Jackets Game vs Miami
Georgia Tech could have one of the best atmospheres in college football on Saturday. Coach Key has been telling all of the students to come and Big Boi is set to perform at 10:00 am before the Yellow Jackets face the Hurricanes. Several big-name recruits are expected to be in attendance to see the Yellow Jackets take on No. 4 Miami.
Georgia Tech Commits
Spruce Creek DL Derry “Chuck Norris Jr– Norris has been a force on defense this season for the Hawks. He leads the team with 78 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. There are a lot of D1 college programs that want his services. According to 247sports Composite, Norris is rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 64 defensive lineman, the No.73 player in Florida, and the No. 584 player nationally. Georgia Tech is trying to hang on to this commitment with multiple programs trying to flip him.
Lancaster OL Kevin Peay– Peay is rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 130 interior offensive lineman and No. 29 player from South Carolina. Peay helps solidify an older strong offensive line class that includes five-star Josh Petty and four-star Justin Hasenhuetl. The Lancaster product has been locked in with the Yellow Jackets since June 9th. He has taken some visits to other programs but will come back to the Flats for the game against Miami.
In-state recruits
2025
Buford WR Jordan Allen- Allen has been unstoppable this season in Georgia High School football’s highest classification 6A. He recently had 174 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a region championship win against rival Mill Creek. Allen is going to be a name to continue to watch as we come down the stretch for signing day. He is currently committed to Louisville but is not far from the Flats. He received an offer from the Yellow Jackets on October 14th. It will be interesting to see how much Georgia Tech pushes for him. Allen certainly fits their offense and his speed would fit in seamlessly with the offense.
McIntosh EDGE Evan Ward- Ward finished with the second-most tackles on the team with 83 this season. He also finished with a team-high 11 sacks this season. The USF commits also had two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and six quarterback hurries. He was one of the most disruptive players this season and caused havoc in opposing backfields.
2026
Carrollton WR Ryan Mosley– Mosley is a four-star prospect who has continued to improve each season and is now up to 27 offers. He picked up an offer from Georgia Tech back in March. The junior standout has 597 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His best game this season came against Gainesville when he went off for 117 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mosley has been giving defenses fits with his yards after catch and ability to stretch the field in 2024.
West Forsyth QB Max Walraven-Walraven is probably one of the most underrated prospects on this list, but call him Mr. Consistent. That is what he has been for West Forsyth this season throwing for 1,813 yards and 18 touchdowns. His best game of the season came against Forsyth Central where he completed 70% of his passes throwing for 250 yards and three touchdowns. I got a chance to see him in the season opener against Prince Avenue Christian and was impressed with his ability to never flinch in the midst of adversity and continue to lead his team. They came up short, but Walraven was big time the entire night. He’s led the Wolverines back to the postseason and they will face Brookwood in the first round of the playoffs.
Newnan LB Rodney Colton- The South Carolina commit will be in attendance to check out the action. Colton has been a leader in the resurgence of the Newnan program that has clinched a No. 2 seed in the 5A playoffs. Colton has 43 tackles, four sacks, and an interception this season. Colton is one of the best linebackers in the country and has pretty much every Power 4 offer a prospect could want.
Cambridge WR Hudson Cocchiara- It feels like this kid is about to explode in the recruiting world. Cocchiara put together a strong junior season finishing with 48 catches (led the team), 868 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns this season for the Bears. He was a consistent threat in the passing game this season. He is a YAC (yards after catch) monster that will make any offense better whether it’s on the high school or college level. He is also a deep threat that can take the top off the defense. He had his best game of the season against Westminster. Cocchiara had six catches for 151 yards and three touchdowns which were all season-highs. This is a name you could see picking up more offers in the winter and spring.
Cambridge WR Craig Dandridge- Dandridge is the thunder to Cocchiara’s lightning. They are a dynamic duo that complements each other well. It is really hard to slow both of them down. Dandridge has 40 catches for 977 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He averaged 108 yards per game and was a consistent threat all season for Cambridge. His best game this season came against Centennial. Dandridge has a kickoff return for a touchdown, seven catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He was simply unstoppable. Dandridge is one of those underrated prospects looking for an opportunity that can make a big splash on the next level.
Lovejoy LB Chad Fairchild- Fairchild has been a consistent visitor on the Flats throughout the spring and summer. Fairchild is ranked as a four-star prospect on Rivals and is known for his ability to fit the gaps, come downhill and lay the big hit on running backs. A part of his game that has improved is his ability to cover in the open space. He also has great instincts and can read a play before it happens and not let it get started. Fairchild has been a key cog on the defensive side of the ball for the Wildcats this season.
Milton LB Gage Lawrence- Gage Lawrence plays for the undefeated Milton Eagles and plays behind some of the best linebackers in the state Hayden Tumminia and AJ Benton. He has still made his impact felt this season. Lawrence has 27 tackles, seven QB hurries, and four tackles for loss. He has taken advantage of his opportunities when they’ve been there and has come up with big plays for Milton.
Carrollton LB CJ Gamble- Gamble is starting to make quite a name for himself not only on the football field but also in the recruiting ranks. He is known for his big hits and excellent football IQ. He’s been a consistent player for the Trojans this season and has been making plays all season. Gamble recently picked up an offer from USF taking his total to eight. This is a name that you could see create more buzz for himself in the playoffs and going into the offseason.
South Paulding OL Jayce Sanker- This will be the third time this year the offensive lineman has been on campus taking visits back in the early spring, summer, and now fall. Sanker is continuing to build the relationship with offensive line coach Geep Wade. Sanker does have an offer from UNC Charlotte and is on the Jackets’ radar as he has been a constant presence on the flats.
2027
Stephenson EDGE KJ Green- Green is one of the best players in the class of 2027, already being rated high by 247Sports. According to 247Sports Composite, Green is rated as a five-star prospect, the No. 6 EDGE, the No. 6 Player in Georgia, and the No. 27 player nationally. He finished the regular season with 28 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Green is elite at setting the edge in the run game and also rushing the passer with his bevvy of moves. Green currently has 11 offers and picked up an offer from the Yellow Jackets back in September. He is a game wrecker and will be a name to continue to monitor throughout his career.
Prince Avenue Christian OL Gabe Prince- Prince is a key offensive lineman for Prince Avenue Christian and has grown a lot since being a freshman from 6’1 240 pounds to 6’3.5 and 270 pounds. He has already blocked against some good defensive linemen including Georgia Tech commit Carrington Coombs and DJ Jacobs. Prince is a staple on the offensive line for the Wolverines and has continued to improve this season.
Prince Avenue Christian ATH Andrew Beard- In a region-clinching win over Hebron Christian, Beard rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown. He also had two catches for 51 yards and a receiving touchdown. Beard has been electric all season and finished with 1,451 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns before heading into the playoffs. Simply put, Beard is one of the best and most versatile running backs in the country and was a heavily featured piece on the Prince Avenue Christian offense. He can also play some safety too. Just call him a ball player.
Calhoun QB Trace Hawkins-It cannot be understated what the true freshman has done this season for the Yellow Jackets. He has led them back to playoffs as a region champion after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999 last year. He’s had several standout performances including a big win earlier in the season over Northeast Whitfield where he threw for 265 passing yards and five touchdowns. Hawkins is a name that could become big in the state of Georgia especially if he leads Calhoun on a deep playoff run as a true freshman. He has all the tools and intangibles to do so.
Collins Hill QB Makyree Cross- Cross stepped in this year as a first-year starter for the Collins Hill Eagles and showed some great strides as a quarterback for the Eagles. He finished the regular season with 1,272 yards passing and 11 touchdowns. I got a chance to see him up close this season in a key region win against Mill Creek. My impression is he took what the defense gave him and made big plays when they were called upon and helped Collins Hill knock-off Mill Creek. Cross has shown he can be the signal caller for the Eagles for the next few years and can make them a dangerous team.
Buford DB Ethan Hauser- Hauser is a standout defensive back who has the interest of a lot of college programs. He has been on the Flats quite often and continues to build a relationship with the Yellow Jackets. He has been a key special teams ace this season for the Buford Wolves and will play a larger role for the team next season. He is a very instinctual defensive back who plays the ball well and is also good at making plays in the running game. Hauser will be a name to watch over the next few years.
2028
Grayson EDGE Ismael Schiefer- You really have to be involved in the Grayson to know this name because he is flying under the radar in terms of media coverage. Now, Schiefer already has nine offers as a true freshman with a couple of notable ones from USC, Auburn, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and more.
Peach County OL Hunter Hill- Hunter Hill is only a freshman but is already a problem. He stands at 6’3 and 310 pounds and when you scroll through his X account you can see him demolishing defenders in the interior. He is young but already has a good grasp of the game and has made his impact felt this season. Hill is a name that could be among the top offensive linemen in the country in the next few years. Also, his team, Peach County, is coming off one of their second region championship in the past three years and looks like it will be a state champion contender for years to come.
Additional Links
Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Reveal Uniform Combination For Saturday vs Miami
ACC Football: Predictions For Every Week 11 Game
Georgia Tech Basketball: Big Takeaways From Yellow Jackets Season Opening Win Against West Georgia
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 2 Georgia Tech got back to its winning ways, defeating No. 3 North Carolina (33-7-1, 15-6 ACC) by a final score of 5-2 from Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Yellow Jackets (32-7, 16-5 ACC) held UNC in check from the third inning on, using 6.1 scoreless innings from Caden Gaudette and Mason Patel to salvage the series and collect its 10th Top 15 victory of the season for this first time this century.
After both teams traded runs in the first inning, the Jackets struck for three runs on three hits in the third. The inning started with a leadoff double from Drew Burress who was quickly brought to the plate by a single from Jarren Advincula. Vahn Lackey drew a walk off a full count before Kent Schmidt connected for an RBI double, bringing in Advincula for what would become the game-winning run. Lackey made it a three-run inning when he scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Zuckerman. UNC would work the bases loaded and score a run in the bottom of the inning before Gaudette entered the game and induced an inning ending groundout. UNC wouldn’t get another runner into scoring position until the eight inning as Gaudette and Patel slammed the door on any potential comeback.
QUICK HITS: TEAM
- The Jackets improve to 32-7, the best start to a season since 2010. Tech is 16-5 in ACC play, the best start since 2011.
- Tech has won 32 of its first 39 games for only the 6th time in the program’s 131 seasons: 2010, 2003 2002, 1997, 1993 and now 2026.
- James Ramsey owns the best record by any GT head coach in his first season through 39 games (32-7).
- The Jackets improve to 8-1 in nationally televised games this season.
- Tech has now won 10 games over Top 15 opponents for the first time this century.
- Tech has scored 417 runs through their first 39 games. It’s the most runs Georgia Tech has recorded after 39 games in the program’s 131-year history and the most runs any Power 4 team has scored through 39 games in the BBCOR era (since 2011).
- The Jackets scoring average now stands at 10.7 runs/game this season. The program record is 10.3, set back in 1984.
- GT is outscoring its opponents 417-174, that +243 margin is the highest through 39 games in program history.
- The bullpen delivered 6.1 scoreless innings, marking the 15th scoreless outing of the season and second of the weekend.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Junior Drew Burress produced his 17th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.
- He has scored 51 runs this season, one shy of Vahn Lackey for the most on the team. Burress has scored 201 runs over his career, tied with Danny Payne (2005-07) for the 11th most in Georgia Tech history.
- He becomes the first Yellow Jacket in the BBCOR era to record 200+ runs over a career.
- Junior Kent Schmidt went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI double and a shift-beating bunt.
- He leads the team with 26 RBI in ACC play and has delivered 35 for the season.
- Schmidt has now collected extra base hits in three straight games for the first time this season and third time in his GT career.
- He finishes the series with a .500 average, going 4-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and three walks
- Junior Jarren Advincula recorded his 24th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
- He leads the ACC with 68 hits this season, averaging 1.7 hits per game and putting him on pace for 94 hits over the course of the regular season. With potential postseason games, that would put him in striking distance of being the first 100-hit player at GT since 2005 (Wes Hodges & Tyler Greene).
- He drove in his 45th RBI of the season, the third most on the team behind Vahn Lackey and Ryan Zuckerman.
- Junior Ryan Zuckerman became the first Jacket to reach 50 RBI when he drove in Lackey for the fourth run of the game.
- Sophomore Caleb Daniel came off the bench in the 5th inning and blooped an RBI double, it was his 24th RBI of the season and his 5th as a pinch hitter.
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Sophomore Jackson Blakely made his sixth consecutive weekend start, pitching 2.2 innings with two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts.
- He has only allowed runs in only three of his eight appearances this season (37.1 innings) this season.
- His ERA stands at 2.65, the lowest among all starting pitchers on the roster.
- R-junior Caden Gaudette made his team-leading 16th appearance of the season and 2nd of the weekend, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.
- He entered the game with a two-run lead (4-2) and the bases loaded with two outs before inducing an inning ending groundout to short.
- Gaudette lowers his ERA to 2.86 in 22.0 innings of work.
- The man they call “Rock” pitched a total of 3.1 innings this weekend, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts.
- He has now pitched as many innings this season as he had in his previous two years combined (22.0) while allowing less than half as many earned runs (7 in 2026, 15 in 2024-25) and exactly half as many hits (12 in 2026, 24 in 2024-25).
- Mason Patel got the ball to start the 6th inning, keeping the score at 5-2 for the final four frames and collecting his fourth save of the season.
- Since recovering from an injury that saw him miss 20 days, Patel has made six appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 13.2 scoreless innings with a victory and four saves.
- Over the last two seasons, Patel has made 29 appearances out of the bullpen, posting 12 wins and nine saves.
- This was his longest relief appearance of the season (4.0 innings) after pitching at least 3.0 innings in 15 of his 23 appearances during his All-American season last year.
Up Next
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Tuesday at 7 pm at Truist Park. Tickets are available HERE with all proceeds benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on X (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who projects as a Day 2 draft pick, may have just damaged his draft stock with an arrest on misdemeanor obstruction charges.
Athens Clarke County police arrested Branch Sunday morning for obstructing public sidewalks/streets-prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
Branch was booked into the Clarke County Jail at 1:26 a.m. Sunday and released at 3:44 a.m.
Branch was considered the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the country coming out of high school. He started his college football career at USC in 2023 and played two seasons for the Trojans before transferring to Georgia last year.
As a freshman Branch was a first-team All-American punt returner and last year he led the SEC with 81 catches. His 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the Combine bolstered his draft stock. Now Branch will have to hope his arrest doesn’t tank his draft stock.
ATHENS, Ga — Behold, in all the usual glory, the Georgia football team: elite of the elite, two-time defending SEC champion, expected to contend for a national title. And behold the attention on this same team: not much, to the point of being overlooked, including by many of its fans.
Georgia held its spring game Saturday, and official attendance was 31,012, the lowest-attended spring game of Kirby Smart’s tenure, other than the pandemic-restricted game five years ago. The two upper sections of Sanford Stadium, full a decade ago for Smart’s first G-Day, were empty Saturday.
Part of it was outside factors: The hot weather. The devaluing of spring games throughout college football. Other things to do in Athens, including the annual Twilight bike race. Maybe the middle school Science Olympiad state competition on campus drew some away.
But part of it is the state of things for this Georgia team: No drama. No quarterback competition. No new coordinators. No worries about the program slipping. The drama, it’s assumed, won’t come until December and will revolve around whether this team can break a three-year drought of at least reaching the national semifinals.
But right now? Eh.
“I don’t like drama, so that’s a good thing,” quarterback Gunner Stockton said, smiling.
The best comparison for the current Georgia program might be from another sport but the same state: the Bobby Cox-era Atlanta Braves.
It was just a given that the Braves would be good, and they normally would be, with 11 straight division titles at one point. There would be offseasons when rivals would make more noise, and then spring training would roll around, and Cox would tell reporters (like me): “I like this team.” And sure enough, the Braves would go win the NL East by 10 games.
Then they’d flame out in the postseason, which, to be fair, was a crapshoot, as the expanded College Football Playoff is developing into, to Georgia’s chagrin. But no program has been to the CFP as many times (four) as Georgia in the past five years. And this year’s team is easily preseason top 10.
This can make for a boring spring. The most interesting thing to happen was probably Stockton’s passing being called “dog doo” by former NFL receiver Steve Smith, and Smart shooting back, “Do your homework.” Even that was mild enough that neither was asked about it Saturday, at least specific to Smith. The subject of Stockton airing it out hangs over this team. But it’s a relatively minor issue within a team that seems to have plenty else going for it.
Georgia’s defense, which has been hit or miss the past couple of years, should be back to being very good. There’s the usual array of talent but now also plenty of experience. It won’t be as great as the 2021 version — none will be in this era — but it can be dominant.
Georgia’s offense should at minimum be efficient: Stockton enters his second full season as the starter, has two game-changing tailbacks in Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, an experienced offensive line and some good pieces at receiver and tight end.
The questions that would take this team from good to great …
Explosive passing
There are two issues here:
1. Georgia lost six of its top seven players in receiving yards and didn’t add a star transfer like it did last year with Zachariah Branch, who set the school record with 81 catches.
2. Stockton was inconsistent throwing downfield. He was fantastic at Tennessee and in the first Ole Miss game. He seemed afraid to air it out in other games, though, including the second Ole Miss game.
Returning starter Gunner Stockton said he’s working to improve his pocket presence and footwork. (Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
On the receiver front, Georgia did add Isiah Canion from Georgia Tech to be an outside, possession-type receiver. Otherwise, Georgia spent its money retaining young receivers — sophomores Talyn Taylor, CJ Wiley, Sacovie White-Helton and Thomas Blackshear — and hoping they pop this year.
Between them, senior receiver London Humphreys and tight ends Lawson Luckie, Elyiss Williams and Jaden Reddell, there might not be a Branch or Brock Bowers, but there are plenty of options.
“They’ve got to grow up,” Smart said. “We’ve got guys that can make plays if given the opportunity. Gunner can get the ball to them.”
Stockton showed he could do that last year — but not every week. He needs to not be tentative or over-reliant on his scrambling ability. To that end, Stockton said he’s working on his pocket presence and footwork. But he also cautioned it’s not just about slinging it downfield all the time.
“Every explosive play isn’t a 50-yard bomb downfield; it’s just getting the ball to your playmakers,” he said. “And I think we’ve got the playmakers to do that.”
It is a deep group. But unless one emerges as a clear No. 1, the way Branch and Bowers were, it will be on Stockton to find the right ones on the right plays. That might make it hard to be explosive every week, even though Stockton said that’s the goal.
“It’s hard to do that,” he said. “But it’s what we’re here for.”
Pass rush
Does everyone remember Trinidad Chambliss scrambling free and hitting game-changing plays in the Sugar Bowl? That wasn’t a one-off. Georgia had the fewest sacks — 20 — in the SEC last year. Sacks might not be the best measure of a pass rush, but that number is still bad and reflected the defense’s weakness.
Will that turn around? One positive is that Gabe Harris Jr. is healthy; Harris was coming on last year as a factor before being hurt in December and could have helped keep Chambliss in check. But spring brought some bad news with an ACL injury to edge rusher Amaris Williams, an Auburn transfer who had a chance to get major snaps. Still, there are options, such as junior Que Johnson, and the secondary could be good enough to buy time for the pass rush.
Smart seems optimistic.
“Pass rush is something that’s done as a group, not just one person,” he said, mentioning linebacker Chris Cole stepping up and defensive linemen doing better at getting a push. “That’s something you always want to get better at, but I’m very pleased at where we are.”
Smart didn’t exactly invoke Cox’s “I like this team.” But he essentially said it. Normally fairly critical, he said there was only one practice this spring, out of 12, that he didn’t like. Otherwise, he loved the team’s approach.
“They enjoy it; they compete,” Smart said.
Left tackle Earnest Greene III is one of the few remaining pieces from the national championship teams. He was a true freshman in 2022. Though not exactly comparing it to that team, Greene sees something about this 2026 version.
“The competitive nature of this team seems a little bit different,” Greene said. “It goes back to the first (spring) scrimmage. Usually, the first scrimmage is more one-sided; the next time, the other side shows up. This year, both scrimmages have been going neck-and-neck at each other. So I can just tell from that we have a real competitive squad.”
So the vibe of this team, Greene was asked, is no drama, but in a good way?
“Yeah, definitely,” Greene said. “You try to have your team be like that every year.”
So far, this Georgia team is pulling it off. But there’s a long way until September.
And then December.
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