Calm day for Georgia Tech's signing class
ATLANTA -- There were no surprises and no steals for Georgia Tech on National Signing Day, as the Yellow Jackets brought 18 new faces into the fold and addressed several areas of need.
"We're real excited about this group," head coach Paul Johnson said. "It's not as large a group as we had last year, but the staff did a good job scouring the state, and we were able to go outside and pick up a few players. For the most part we got everybody (Wednesday) morning we expected to get."
Georgia Tech signed four defensive linemen, three wide receivers, three offensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two linebackers and two defensive backs. Eleven of the players are from Georgia.
"You want to get the best players, and you never turn down a guy you think is going to come in and play immediately and help," Johnson said. "We started out with a target of 18, and that's what we hit."
The two main areas of need were wide receiver and defensive line, and the team appeared to get better in both.
"We needed to replenish the wide receiver group," Johnson said. "We were down in numbers there, and the competition had fallen off, and last year we had to play some younger guys. We really helped ourselves there."
The three wide receivers are Steve Dolphus (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) from Westside, Jalen Camp from South Forsyth and Jair Hawkins-Anderson from Northview.
Assistant coach Buzz Preston called Dolphus "a very focused young man. He's not a guy who stood around and goofed off."
Preston compared Dolphus to former Yellow Jackets receiver Stephen Hill, who became a second-round NFL draft choice.
Camp is a polished pass catcher who showed tremendous improvement from his junior to senior seasons. He is an aggressive receiver with explosive speed who is already physically strong enough to play at the college level.
Hawkins-Anderson might be slightly behind because he was asked to play so many different positions in high school and might need to add some strength.
The defensive line group was bolstered by junior college transfer Desmond Branch, who is already in school. Other signees are Brandon Adams of Brentwood, Tennessee, Chris Martin from Grayson and Jordan Woods from Citra, Florida.
"The defensive line is always an area to look for guys who are able to come in and compete early," Johnson said.
The Yellow Jackets signed a pair of out-of-state quarterbacks: Jay Jones from McCalla, Alabama, and Lucas Johnson from San Diego. Either might be an eventual successor to senior Justin Thomas and compete with holdovers Matthew Jordan and redshirt freshman Christian Campbell.
"We got some clay," assistant coach Brian Cook said. "Now we've got to shape it. Both guys can run and spin it. There's a good group in the room now. I think it's a good group we can work with."
With the existing depth at running back, the Yellow Jackets only signed B-back Dedrick Mills, an early enrollee who could be in the mix, and A-back Xavier Gantt from Buford, who brings big-play capabilities to the table.
Georgia Tech also signed a legacy in Parker Braun, the younger brother of Trey Braun, a three-year starter who finished his career in 2015. Parker Braun is an intense player who was sometimes asked by his high school coaches to dial it back in practice.
Johnson expects to see spirited competition, starting this spring and carrying over into the 2016 season, which opens Sept. 3 in Ireland against Boston College.
"You've got to move forward," Johnson said. "You saw firsthand that you don't get to carry anything over. You start fresh. That (3-9) season is flushed. We got to play better, coach better and hopefully we'll be a little healthier."
GEORGIA TECH SIGNING CLASS
Brandon Adams
Defensive tackle
Brentwood Academy (Tennessee)
He might be the steal of the day. Adams (6-foot-3, 215) is a powerful force who could help plug the inside.
Jakob Blackshear
Linebacker
Dacula
A quiet young man (6-0, 205) with great versatility and good quickness who adds depth at the position.
Desmond Branch
Defensive end
Trinity Valley Community College
At 6-3, 270, Branch is a versatile player who had 32 tackles and seven sacks in 2015 season.
Parker Braun
Offensive lineman
Hallsview, Texas
Brother of recent graduate Trey Braun, Parker (6-3, 275) is an intense player who was sometimes asked to dial it back in practice.
Emmanuel Bridges
Linebacker
Newnan
Bridges (6-2, 215) had 91 tackles as a senior and is getting a head start by being an early enrollee.
Jalen Camp
Wide receiver
Cumming (South Forsyth)
Polished and physically ready (6-2, 210) to help right away, he showed tremendous improvement over junior year.
Jarett Cole
Safety
Norcross
A physical player (5-10, 185) with good hips and feet, his versatility makes him a valuable commodity.
Kenny Cooper
Offensive lineman
Calhoun (Sonoraville)
A tough, versatile player who plays with a bit of an edge, his 4.8 speed is good for good for size (6-3, 288).
Steve Dolphus
Wide receiver
Westside
Good size (6-5, 200) and ability, as well as strong focus, gives him a chance to play right away
Xavier Gantt
A-back
Buford
An explosive playmaker with big-play potential, Gantt (5-9, 165) rebuffed a late-arriving SEC suitor to remain at Georgia Tech.
Jair Hawkins-Anderson
Wide receiver
Suwanee (Northview)
Good size (6-1, 185), but he adds to needed depth at the position and might be the fastest player on campus when he arrives.
Lucas Johnson
Quarterback
San Diego
Good size (6-3, 195) for a four-year starter with good speed who worked from the shotgun in a spread offense.
Jay Jones
Quarterback
McAlla, Alabama
Jones (6-1, 190) was signed as a quarterback, but versatile enough to play almost any position on either side of the ball. Auburn wanted him as a defensive back.
Ajani Kerr
Cornerback
Powder Springs (McEachern)
Kerr (6-0, 183) transferred in from small Whitefield Academy and rose up the recruiting board.
Jahaziel Lee
Offensive lineman
Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Not very big (6-3, 245) but is very athletic, but he has a high motor and plays with his hands well.
Chris Martin
Defensive tackle
Grayson
Although only 6-2, 260, he has the potential to make sacks and tackles for loss with his good first step and great motor.
Dedrick Mills
B-Back
Ware County
Early enrollee Mills (5-11, 200) rushed for 1,211 yards and 22 TDs and helped Ware County reach the Class AAAAA semifinals.
Jordan Woods
Defensive lineman
Citra, Florida
A 6-4, 255-pound versatile, high-impact player with a high football IQ, he is a small-town player enamored with the big-city environment.
This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Calm day for Georgia Tech's signing class ."