Recapping Georgia Tech's First Junior Day Of 2024
On Saturday, several major recruits visited Georgia Tech including four-star quarterback Antwaan Hill, four-star defensive back Jontae Gilbert, four-star defensive Christian Garrett, and four-star defensive back Tae Harris. Several prospects recapped their visit on the flats including Decatur cornerback Kaleb Lanier, Greater Atlanta Christian WR Gabe Daniels, and five-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory. There are also updates on some of the facilities at Georgia Tech including the implementation of a new weight room soon. The Yellow Jackets have left quite an impression on some of the best prospects in the state and seem like a go-to destination for major prospects.
I talked to several of these prospects and they recapped their experience on The Flats.
Douglas County Wide Receiver Aaron Gregory-
Gregory is a heavily coveted prospect in the country. He is known for his big play ability and for making contested catches in tight windows. Kids nowadays call them head top catches when you moss an opposing defender. He finished his sophomore year leading the Tigers in several major categories including catches, yards, yards per game, and touchdowns. He has plans to improve going into his junior year and wants to work on a certain facet of his game.
“I want to work on my footwork. I like to go to the slot and outside. If I am in the slot, there is going to be someone down, so I know I want to work on my footwork a lot. Of course, getting faster because if you get off the line and you blow past them, there is nothing they can’t do anything after that. You are beat, so those two things definitely,” said Gregory.
Gregory has 32 offers from notable programs including Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, and more. Gregory has also been invited to major national camps in the spring and plans to attend the Under Armour Camp in February here in Atlanta. So far in 2024, he has visited Tennessee and now Georgia Tech.
“I think the campus is great. It will be even better after everything finishes being built.” I liked talking to Coach Crawford and Coach Key, looking forward to more visits. Definitely coming back in the spring,” said Gregory.
You may be thinking what Gregory is referring to. He is referring to the future expansion that Georgia Tech has put into place including a weight room and new facilities being built on campus. It certainly has been a priority and something the Tech staff has mentioned to their recruits throughout their visits on campus.
Decatur CB Kaleb Lanier
Lanier had a breakout year in his junior season with the Bulldogs leading his team in interceptions. He led his team to the playoffs and has already been invited to several major camps this offseason. Lanier was invited to the National Combine in San Antonio, Texas in January and also to the Under Armour Camp Series in Atlanta in February.
His recruiting began to pick up in the late winter and now entering into the spring. Lanier holds nine offers from Eastern Michigan, Georgia Tech, Charlotte, Appalachian State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Temple, and UAB.
Lanier talked about the relationship he has built with the new defensive staff and the new cornerback coach at Georgia Tech and what he likes about the culture at Georgia Tech.
“I met the new cornerback coach today. Coach Brumfield along with the new defensive staff. I have a great relationship with Coach Q. I enjoyed bettering my relationship with everyone. Also, I really like coach Santucci’s vision. He has been very effective everywhere he’s been and the numbers back it up.”
“The culture is very good. Coach Key having been a player he’s able to connect with the player. The players that came and talked to us all said they really loved the program. The facilities were good but they talked about future expansion. A new weight room is being created and much more."
In addition to the culture, he also likes how set up and well-organized his visit was to the Yellow Jackets. He was blown away by how the program operates.
“It was very good. Everything was organized and you can tell the program is definitely on the rise. The coaching staff is very dedicated and you can tell it’s a win-now mentality. Everything was covered in depth,” said Lanier. “Players came and talked to us and shared the same information the coaching staff and team personnel had. Academics are taken very seriously and there is a lot of support. Nutrition is covered in depth and the weight room staff is very serious and goes in-depth to help you stay on the field, prevent injury, and help you in all aspects. Everything was really good.”
Greater Atlanta Christian WR Gabe Daniels
Gabe Daniels finished his junior season with 31 catches for 531 yards and five touchdowns for the Spartans. Although he is not a national recruit, he does hold major offers from Georgia Tech, Duke, Kansas, and NC State.
He recapped his visit to the flats and talked about what caught his eye when he was in Atlanta.
“It was great. I enjoyed the position meeting with Coach Crawford just watching how he turned the offense and how he used his receivers like Singleton and Leary. They are big speed guys like me which is really impressive. The campus as a whole is incredibly nice and it feels like the suburbs, but you’re really in downtown. It’s like its own bubble and I really liked that,” said Daniels.
At first, Daniels was recruited as a cornerback for the Yellow Jackets but that changed when coach Crawford stepped into the program as the wide receiver coach.
“My recruiting with Tech started off slow. They had interest in me as a defensive back in the spring of last year, but then in October coach Crawford called me and told me he wanted me to play receiver,” said Daniels. “That is when I got offered. Coach Crawford always texts and calls me. They send the most letters of any school and their fan support is crazy on socials, it is special.”
His best game this past season came against Decatur where he had three catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. In that game, he averaged 40 yards per catch and put his full ability on display. Daniels is a versatile receiver who can line up anywhere on the field and can be used in multiple ways.
“I believe Georgia Tech sees me fitting in as a versatile player, I’m not the biggest or the smallest but I am a guy who can make plays wherever you put me at. Inside, outside, jet sweeps, wherever the game plan takes me. The academics and the academic support they give football players. Someday you gotta hang the cleats up and Georgia Tech sets you up great for whatever you want to do in life.”
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