The Georgia Tech program has made it clear that they are focused on establishing a strong culture. Head Coach Geoff Collins made that the priority early in his coaching tenure with the Yellow Jackets and he finally feels that he has built it up enough to begin accepting transfer players. He joined College Football Gametime to discuss the upcoming season and he identified two players in particular that we should keep an eye on.
In speaking about what they look for in potential transfer players, Coach Collins opened up on his vetting process a bit. "We do deep dives into getting to know all the guys that we bring into the organization," he told us. He and his staff go as far as to seek referrals from his current players that are established within the culture of the Georgia Tech program to see if these potential additions would be "one of us".
Collins and his program clearly do their homework and it is why they have had such immediate success with their transfers.
These guys are "home runs across the board with the guys that have come in" and the first player he identified was given the seal of approval by star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The "absolutely amazing" Kyric McGowan transferred from Northwestern and has the chance to make an immediate impact on the field. The dynamic athlete finished second for the Wildcats in receptions and receiving yards while simultaneously finishing sixth in rushing.
McGowan fills an immediate need for the Jackets as he's joining a wide receiver room that lost its leading receiver in Jalen Camp.
Ace Eley was another major get for the program when transferred from Maryland in December. The linebacker was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten player after tallying 79 tackles, four tackles for loss, a half-sack, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and five passes defended in 11 games (nine starts) as a sophomore in 2019.
But for how talented he is on the field, Eley's impact off the field was felt before he even took a snap for the Yellow Jackets. Although he was only a member of the team for a mere four months, he was voted as a team captain by his teammates. The respect that Eley has garnered so quickly is reflected in the glowing remarks from his head coach. "He's just built the right way," says Coach Collins. "Right mindset, right demeanor, just everything you want in a college football player. He's somebody that you want to represent your institution."
Geoff Collins certainly feels that the Georgia Tech program is ready to take that next step and it has everything to do with the culture he's established at the program. The Yellow Jackets take on Northern Illinois next Saturday (September 4th) at Bobby Dodd Stadium to kick off their 2021 campaign.