ESPN Recruiting Expert Gives Bold Prediction For Incoming Georgia Tech Freshman

How much of an impact will Tae Harris make in year one as a Yellow Jacket?

Georgia Tech just brought in one of its best recruiting classes in program history and there is no shortage of potential impact players for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is gearing towards what could be a special season and this recruiting class could play a huge role, even in year one.

Who could be the biggest impact player though? In a recent article, ESPN analysts Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert talked about four-star Georgia Tech signee Tae Harris as a guy to watch:

"Harris embodies everything Georgia Tech coach Brent Key expects from his players. Landing Harris, a local native, was a huge pickup for the Yellow Jackets and signaled the program is back on the rise. Harris can flat out fly. He ran a 10.6 100-meter dash and a blazing 4.38 laser-timed 40-yard dash. He's a tough, rugged presence as a tackler, and he also has great instincts. Georgia Tech is losing Warren Burrell, LaMiles Brooks and Taye Seymore at corner and returns Omar Daniels, Clayton Powell-Lee and Christian Pritchett at safety. Look for Harris to join a rotation with Daniels."

When naming the All-Impact Team for 2025, 247Sports analyst Chris Hummer had Harris on the team:

"A splashy investment for the Yellow Jackets' 2025 class, Tae Harris is the type of homegrown talent who profiles as a Day 1 contributor for a Georgia Tech defense that ranked 100th nationally in opposing passer rating this past season.

The Yellow Jackets do return most of their safety room, but there are snaps to be had after losing Taye Seymore to Auburn. Harris is a freakish athlete, by the way. He's run a verified 4.38-second 40-yard dash in the past."

During his National Signing Day press conference in December, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key detailed the process of landing Harris and what went into that recruitment:

"Stick to the process, believe in the process. Just because someone commits somewhere, it's easy for somebody to say, "Oh, well, let him go." We ain't having that here. That's not the type of staff that we have. It's not the type of program that I want to have. If you believe in something as strongly as we believe in Georgia Tech and the future of the Georgia Tech football program, you're going to continue to recruit the right players for your school, for your program. He's a guy that's local , that we recruit extremely hard, decided along the way, which a lot of them do, that he comes and goes, but those relationships are big. You know, being able to keep people home is big, and showing them a path to success and a path to development is big. And he's a guy that, and that kid's an unbelievable kid now. You talk about a kid that is hungry, that, I mean, the day he commits, he's on the phone texting and calling all the other guys in the position room here on the roster saying, "I can't wait to be with you guys" and those guys immediately come back to me and they're like coach, that guy's definitely one of us now, I mean just the way he everything about him they're like some of us some of them didn't even like meet one of his visits here and they just said that guy's one of us so you know he's, he's an alpha an alpha and really expected to get things out of him."

Harris is one of the highest-rated players to ever sign with the Yellow Jackets and is one of the best defensive prospects in the entire country. According to the 247Sports Composite, Harris is the No. 57 player in the country, the No. 3 safety in the country, and the No. 10 player in the state of Georgia. Harris played his high school football at Cedartown High School in Georgia. The 5'10 200 LBS DB has a chance to be an impact player right away for the Yellow Jackets on defense

Here is the scouting report on Harris courtesy of 247Sports national analyst Hudson Standish:

"Multi-faceted safety prospect who starred for three years in every phase of the game for Georgia AAAA prospect factory Cedartown. Legitimate track speed with personal bests of 10.6 in the 100m and 21.21 in the 200m dash, along with a verified 4.38 40-yard dash at the Under Armour Miami Camp in March of 2024. Hovering around 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, plays above his weight and will routinely decleat bigger ball carriers. Smooth mover in his backpedal and has proven in multiple settings that he can erase receivers in man coverage. Will take some risks on the backend, but profiles as an aggressive coverage ace who can help enforce when asked to trigger downhill. Should be viewed as a potential all-conference caliber defensive back with the versatility, toughness, and play speed to contribute early on in his collegiate career. Elite athlete who could potentially tear up the NFL Combine and has serious day two draft upside."

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