ATLANTA — Three student-athletes – graduate transfer offensive lineman Devin Cochran (Norcross, Ga./Greater Atlanta Christian/Vanderbilt), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Dalton, Ga./Dalton) and offensive lineman Cade Kootsouradis (Crestview, Fla./Crestview) – signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to attend and play football at Georgia Tech.
Highlighting Wednesday’s newcomers is Gibbs, who was Georgia’s 6-A Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team Sports Illustrated high school all-American in 2019. The 5-11, 200-pounder from Dalton, Ga., ran for nearly 5,000 yards and 70 touchdowns during his prep career, including 2,554 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior.
According to 247sports.com, Georgia Tech has the No. 26 class in the nation.
“We take pride in our evaluation piece. Jahmyr was undervalued early on by the college football world but he was the No. 1 running back on our board from day one,” Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins said. “[Running backs coach and offensive recruiting coordinator] Tashard Choice did an unbelievable job of building a relationship with Jahmyr that is going to last for a long, long time, and when he was rushing for seven touchdowns in a game and 250 yards a game as a senior, we were able to sustain that relationship. He wants to be a part of our culture and the great young men in our locker room, and he wants to be developed at a high level. I think Jahmyr is going to be a household name in the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia for a long, long time.”
Cochran is a 6-7, 320-pound graduate transfer from Vanderbilt, where he started 32 games over three seasons and was a preseason all-Southeastern Conference selection prior to last season. He is originally from Norcross, Ga. in metro Atlanta.
“The big thing jumping off the board with Devin is 6-foot-7, 320 pounds, playing left tackle at a really high level in a good conference,” Collins said. “He’ll be able to come in here and provide leadership, stability and a lot of length to the offensive line.”
Kootsouradis is a 6-4, 295-pounder from Crestview, Fla. The versatile offensive lineman was tabbed as one of the nation’s top 50 offensive guards by ESPN and one of the country’s top 100 offensive tackles by 247Sports.
“Cade was one of the first commits in this signing class. He stayed with us and helped recruit a lot of the other guys in this class,” Collins said. “He’s a big, physical guy that plays really hard and has high character. I’m excited to see him work with our guys.”
The addition of Cochran, Gibbs and Kootsouradis brings the total members of Georgia Tech’s 2020 signing class to 25. The class is currently ranked No. 25 nationally by Rivals and is the second-highest ranked recruiting class in Georgia Tech history (the Yellow Jackets signed Rivals’ 18th-ranked class in 2007, when Collins was Georgia Tech’s director of player personnel).
With the addition of seven four-star prospects in the 2020 class, Georgia Tech has brought in 12 four- or five-star recruits since Collins’ arrival in December 2018. This year’s class alone includes seven of the 36 and nine of the 41 highest-rated recruits in Georgia Tech history, according to 247Sports.
Wednesday signees
Click here to see Georgia Tech's 2020 class
-- DEVIN COCHRAN,OL, 6-7, 320, Norcross, Ga./Greater Atlanta Christian (Vanderbilt)
Graduate transfer from Vanderbilt … Started 32 games over three seasons at Vanderbilt (2017-19; redshirted as a true freshman in 2016) … Started all 13 games and was on the field for more than 96 percent of Vanderbilt’s offensive snaps as a sophomore in 2018 … Was credited with 18 pancake blocks and 20 domination blocks while helping running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to the second-highest single-season rushing total in school history (1,243 yards) and the team to their highest offensive production in 44 years (411.8 ypg) … Was a preseason all-SEC selection by Athlon Sports prior to his junior season but missed the first three games of the season due to injury … Returned to the lineup to start the final nine games of the 2019 campaign … Also started 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2017 … Atlanta-area native was a three-star prospect coming out of Greater Atlanta Christian Academy in 2016 … Two-year starter at offensive tackle as a prep … Was credited with over 50 pancake blocks as a senior in 2015, en route to first-team all-state recognition … Helped lead GAC to 26-3 overall record and appearances in the Georgia 2-A state championship game as a junior (2014) and state semifinals as a senior (2015) … Coached by Tim Hardy.
-- JAHMYR GIBBS, RB, 5-11, 200, Dalton, Ga./Dalton
Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN … A member of the prestigious Rivals250, 247Sports 247 and ESPN 300 lists … Tabbed as the No. 2-ranked all-purpose running back in the nation and No. 10-ranked player in the state of Georgia by Rivals … Is the fifth-highest-rated recruit in Georgia Tech history, according to 247Sports … Named first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated as a senior in 2019 … Participated in the prestigious 2020 All-American Bowl in San Antonio … Georgia’s 2019 6-A Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state honoree … Also named 2019 Region 6-AAAAAA Player of the Year … Ran for 4,882 yards and 70 touchdowns during his prep career, including 2,554 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior … Set a Chattanooga metro area record with 420 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns in just three quarters in a 62-10 win over Ringgold as a senior in 2019 … Coached by Matt Land.
-- CADE KOOTSOURADIS, OL, 6-4, 295, Crestview, Fla./Crestview
Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN … Tabbed as the No. 48 ranked offensive guard in the nation by ESPN and as the No. 97 offensive tackle in the country by 247Sports … First-team all-area honoree … Helped pave the way for an offense that scored 26 rushing touchdowns as a senior in 2019 … Coached by Tim Hatten … Brother, Seth, is a punter at Louisiana-Lafayette.
