The Benefits Of Early Enrollees

The dust has settled on the 2019 Early Signing Period, and as it stands right now Georgia Tech is in line for their first Top 25 Class in 13 years. Out of the 21 incoming freshman & 1 grad transfer (and possibly more to come in February), the majority of the class will enroll over the summer and make it on campus in time for fall camp ahead of the 2020 season.

However since the inception of the Early Signing Period, there has been the option to be a mid-year enrollee. This allows the student-athlete to join the program in January 2020 vs. the summer, take part in spring camp & get a jump start in both their development and familiarity with the program.

How much of a boost does that give them? Well let's take a look at who enrolled early in the previous cycle, and how they did this past season:

- Ahmarean Brown

- Tyler Davis

- Jordan Huff

- Jared Southers

- Sylvain Yondjouen

Out of the 5 players that enrolled early in the previous recruiting cycle, freshman defensive back Jordan Huff was the only one who did not play in double digit games (redshirted). Freshman defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen played in 11 games and even started against Virginia and Georgia. The two grad transfers who enrolled early in Jared Southers & Tyler Davis started a combined 23/24 games and were both named 2019 permanent captains.

Most notably, freshman wide receiver Ahmarean Brown tied the Georgia Tech freshman receiving touchdown record of 7, set by Calvin Johnson in 2004. "I don't know if that kind of thing happens if [Ahmarean] is not here the whole offseason," head coach Geoff Collins said about Brown. Collins also went on to say that an additional benefit to joining early was that they not only have the opportunity to accelerate their progression as a player, but that it gives them more time to be engrained in the culture that is being instilled on The Flats.

So who will be enrolling early this year? The Institute will be bringing 9 signees to The Flats in January 2020:

- Tucker Gleason (QB)

- Bryce Gowdy (WR)

- Jalen Huff (CB)

- Ryan Johnson (OL)

- Michael Rankins (OL)

- Jeff Sims (QB)

- Ryan Spiers (OL)

- Akelo Stone (DL)

- Jordan Williams (OL)

The biggest impact is unquestionably going to be on the offensive side of the ball. Out of the 6 offensive lineman to sign with the Jackets this recruiting cycle, 4 of them will be enrolling early. The average size of those 4 linemen? 6'5" and 300lbs. When you factor in the other two lineman that will join over the summer in Wing Green & Paula Vaipulu, the average height remains the same and the average weight drops just 1 pound.

For context's sake: the average height and weight of every offensive lineman one the roster when Geoff Collins took over the program was just 6'1.5" and 267lbs.

Not only that, but both quarterbacks that Tech signed will be joining the program early. Incoming freshmen Tucker Gleason & Jeff Sims will not only work to make each other better as the offseason progresses, but they will work to make James Graham & Jordan Yates better. As they say, competition is king.

At this point in time, it's hard to tell who of the nine will have the biggest impact in 2020. But if history is any indicator, at least one of the bunch is bound to have a profound impact on the team on or off the field.

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