Three Potential Transfer Portal Targets Left For Georgia Tech

Jackson Caudell | May 4, 2024

The transfer portal is now closed and most teams rosters across college football are now set for the 2024 season. There are still players from the portal available, but there are not going to be any new entries.

Georgia Tech has made some smart additions this transfer portal cycle, with Cincinnati safety Jayden Davis, USC defensive end Romello Height, and Illinois cornerback Zachary Tobe joining the Yellow Jackets this spring. All of those players fill positions of need and will at least give Georgia Tech some depth now and in the future.

Will Brent Key and his staff add any more to the team with the portal window now closed? There are still some holes on the roster and there are some players who could fill them.

Let's look at three players who would make sense for Georgia Tech to add.

Note: this is just speculation on players Georgia Tech should consider adding, not reporting.

LB Marcellius Pulliam- Miami

Now to be clear, this is just me speculating, but I think Georgia Tech should try and add Pulliam to the roster. Pulliam played high school at Sandy Creek High School in Georgia and would be a solid addition to a position that has to get better this season.

Georgia Tech has been busy in the portal this offseason and has already added two linebackers back in the winter window. Jackson Hamilton (Louisville) and E.J. Lightsey (Georgia) participated in the spring and are already vying for playing time, but Pulliam would bring youth to the position and is a good player. Georgia Tech has Kyle Efford, Trenilyas Tatum, and Tah'j Butler competing for time, but Pulliam would give depth to this position and might even make it a strength. The Yellow Jackets have a lot of questions about their defense (particularly the front seven), but they have added transfers in the hopes of improving it.

Could he play right away? He could compete for playing time, but even if he does not play immediately, he would be a future piece for the defense.

More on Pulliam courtesy of miamhurricanes.com:

2023 (True Freshman): Saw action in 10 games in debut season, serving largely in key role on special teams units…Finished with one tackle and one interception…Made career debut in win over Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 14), notching first tackle of career…Saw action in all eight of Miami’s conference games…Had first interception of career returned 14 yards against Boston College (Nov. 24)…Saw time in Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers (Dec. 28).

High School: Consensus three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports…Listed as No. 23 inside linebacker by ESPN…Rated as No. 32 outside linebacker by Rivals…Credited with 43 tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks in six regular season games as senior…Chose Miami over Louisville, Mississippi State, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, among others.

DB Savion Riley- Miami

Another Miami transfer? The Hurricanes have had players enter the portal that would be good fits with Georgia Tech and there has been reported interest between Riley and Georgia Tech according to 247Sports.

Miami DB transfer Savion Riley (@SavionRiley1) is a popular name in the spring portal window. He's visiting Colorado today and has picked up interest from Georgia Tech, Missouri, Penn State and Michigan.

More on his process here, via @chris_hummer. https://t.co/ZtP5XHrVVj

— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) May 3, 2024

This would be a nice addition to the secondary and provide depth and someone who could even play this year. The Yellow Jackets have already brought on Cincinnati transfer Jayden Davis during this transfer portal window and another talented safety would set Georgia Tech up well in the future. They still have a good starting safety duo of LaMiles Brooks and Clayton Powell-Lee and adding Riley to go along with Davis and redshirt freshman Taye Seymore.

Georgia Tech is not the only school that is interested in Riley though. Colorado, Missouri, Penn State, and Michigan also have reported interest and it will be interesting to see where Riley decides to go. He joined Miami in December but is already back in the transfer portal looking for a new school. Let's see where this recruitment goes.

More on Riley from Vanderbilt Athletics:

As a Sophomore (2023)
• SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
• Played in eight games with two starts as a redshirt freshman
• Totaled 48 tackles, fifth on the team, despite missing four games
• Made 12 tackles at Florida, a career-best
• Recorded nine tackles (seven solo) tackles at Wake Forest
• Recorded eight total (five solo) tackles in win over Hawai’i

As a Freshman (2022)
• Did not see game action

The Riley File
• Competed at Kennesaw Mountain High School for head coach Caleb Carmean
• Three-star prospect, ranked by On3 as a top-60 safety nationally and a top-70 prospect in the state of Georgia
• Named first-team all-state and first-team all-region as a senior
• Helped Kennesaw Mountain to a 10-2 record as a senior, making over 50 tackles with an interception
• Also made 40 catches for 644 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021
• Chose Vanderbilt over Duke

DL Thomas Gore- Miami

Georgia Tech could use another defensive lineman and while Gore was not a huge standout at Miami this past season, he was a good player at Georgia State before he left. He brings plenty of experience and at 6'0 280 LBS, he would provides size for the Yellow Jackets inside and could form a nice rotation with Zeek Biggers, Horace Lockett, and the rest of the Georgia Tech interior defensive line.

More info on Gore courtesy of miamihurricanes.com:

2023 (Fifth-Year Redshirt Junior): Saw action in all 13 games in first season with Hurricanes…Finished with eight total tackles, including four tackles for loss…Added two sacks…Finished with three tackles against Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 14), including two tackles for loss…Had two sacks at Temple (Sept. 23)…Had one tackle against North Carolina (Oct. 14)…Credited with one stop against Louisville (Nov. 18)…Credited with one stop in Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers (Dec. 28).

Before Miami: Spent first four seasons of career at Georgia State…Finished time with Panthers with 93 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 11 sacks…Enjoyed breakout 2021 season, earning All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention recognition with 45 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks…Had 38 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks with two forced fumbles in final years at Georgia State.

High School: Helped Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tenn., win its fourth straight state title in 2018…First-team all-state (Division II-AAA) by Tennessee Sportswriters Association……Had three tackles for loss, including two sacks, in Brentwood’s win over Montgomery Bell in the state semifinals…State champion heavyweight wrestler, also threw shot put.