Tech, Georgia hit recruiting trails

Posted 6:46AM on Friday 18th January 2002 ( 23 years ago )

ATLANTA - Perfect recruiting classes don't exist, but a Brooklyn, N.Y., defensive back could give Georgia Tech a new outlook on college football. I-Perfection Harris prefers to be called ``I,'' like the first letter in iron-willed runner. A track star at Polytechnic Preparatory whose brother is named Supreme, Harris played running back and in the secondary for his New York City school. The Yellow Jackets have been recruiting him for over a year and would use him as a cornerback and return specialist if he accepts their scholarship offer on Feb. 6, national signing day. ``I like the city environment and social setting,'' Harris told SuperPrep magazine. ``I also think the team is capable of going to another level.'' Harris, who also has offers from Penn State and Duke after Miami and Ohio State backed off, was among the first group of recruits who visited Atlanta two weeks ago and met new coach Chan Gailey. ``That really shocked me the way (George) O'Leary left,'' Harris said. ``I'm just playing the waiting game to see who else leaves. It shook me up a little. But if there aren't many coaching changes, I'll still keep them up there.'' A standout sprinter and a long jumper at Poly Prep, Harris told ESPN.com that he has a 3.5 grade-point average, and SuperPrep lists his SAT score in the 1,200 range. Insiders.com rates him as the nation's No. 63 cornerback. Harris' first name wasn't all that was unusual about the Poly Prep football team. Playing wide receiver was Rob Brown, who played Jamal in Columbia Pictures' Finding Forrester, a 2000 release that starred Sean Connery. Though he still has five vacancies on his staff, Gailey will host six recruits this weekend. Linebacker Sam McGrew of Crawfordville, Fla., and tight end George Cooper of Westerville, Ohio are considered the best of the bunch. Another tight end, New Orleans' John Doucette, visited the same weekend as Harris and gave Tech, which went 8-5 last season, an early lead. THESE DOGS WILL HUNT: Georgia, coming off an 8-4 season under first-year coach Mark Richt, can make a dramatic improvement by signing either safety Pat Watkins or cornerback Devin Hester. Watkins, of Lincoln High in Tallahassee, Fla., will visit Athens on Feb. 2. Though he's very comfortable at Florida State and had a good visit last week, Watkins ranks Georgia and Miami equally high. ``I am torn,'' Watkins told NewbergRecruiting.com. ``I will visit Miami this weekend, then Southern Cal and Georgia.'' Hester, of Rivera Beach, Fla., visited Athens last month and seems to have Florida State and Miami ranked higher. SuperPrep ranks Hester as the nation's sixth-best overall prospect. Georgia, though, helped itself when Americus tight end Leonard Pope gave a commitment earlier this week. Pope, who stands 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, is given five stars out of a possible five and ranked No. 4 at his position by Insiders.com. ``The Bulldogs need to land at least three of their state's top six players to move up the SEC list,'' said Tom Lemming of ESPN. Defensive tackle Kedrick Golston of Sandy Creek was in Athens last week, too. Listed No. 3 at his position by Norcross-based recruiting expert Jamie Newberg, Golston has high interest in the Bulldogs and Tennessee. He plans to be in Auburn this weekend. Derek Morris, the 6-6, 342-pound offensive lineman from Huntersville, N.C., rates Georgia equally with Ohio State and Tennessee. Morris, who visited Athens in November, will spend the weekend at North Carolina State. Newberg ranks Morris fourth and Max Jean-Gilles of North Miami Beach, Fla., No. 7 on the list of offensive linemen. Jean-Gilles, ranked 33rd overall and first among linemen by SuperPrep, was at Ohio State last week and will travel to Arkansas on Friday. Georgia also remains high on the lists of Norcross defensive end Marcus Jackson, and three receivers Jemalle Cornelius of Fort Meade, Fla., Mario Raley of Charlotte and Camden, S.C.'s Kelvin Grant, who has a trip planned to Athens this week. Stephenson cornerback Demario Minter has the Bulldogs listed with Maryland, but plans to travel to North Carolina this week and Auburn next.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/1/200005