Georgia Tech Football Completes Incoming Recruiting Class

THE FLATS – Three student-athletes – linebacker Jordan Domineck (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins), defensive lineman Quon Griffin (Rome, Ga./Rome) and A-back/B-back Christian Malloy (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) – signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to attend Georgia Tech and join the Yellow Jackets’ football program this fall.

 

Domineck, Griffin and Malloy join 18 student-athletes that signed National Letters of Intent in December, as well as Jack DeFoor (Calhoun, Ga./Calhoun) – a transfer from Ole Miss, to complete Georgia Tech’s incoming recruiting class.

 

“I’m extremely pleased to round out our recruiting class with three very fine student-athletes,” Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. “With the majority of our class signed in December, we focused on specific needs and targets with the few spots that we still had available. I think that we were able to fulfill those needs to complete a class that we’re very excited to welcome to Georgia Tech this fall.”

 

GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL 2018 SIGNEES

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School/Previous College
Malachi Carter WR 6-3 185 Lawrenceville, Ga. Mountain View
T.K. Chimedza DL 6-3 300 Dacula, Ga. IMG Academy (Fla.)
Jack DeFoor* OL 6-5 305 Calhoun, Ga. Calhoun/Ole Miss
Justice Dingle LB 6-3 245 Bowling Green, Ky. Bowling Green
Jordan Domineck                       LB 6-3 220 Lakeland, Fla. George Jenkins
James Graham QB 6-1 180 Fitzgerald, Ga. Fitzgerald
Quon Griffin DL 6-0 275 Rome, Ga. Rome
PeJe’ Harris WR 6-3 210 Newnan, Ga. Newnan
Jaylen Jackson ATH 6-0 195 Brunswick, Ga. Brunswick
Quez Jackson LB 6-1 220 Fort Valley, Ga. Peach County
Luke Johns DL 6-5 250 Dalton, Ga. Southeast Whitfield
Harrison Jump OL 6-5 260 Statham, Ga. Prince Avenue Christian School
Jaylon King DB 6-1 180 La Vergne, Tenn. Ensworth
Christian Malloy AB/BB 5-10 200 Lilburn, Ga. Parkview
Michael Maye OL 6-3 295 Hoover, Ala. Hoover
Zakk Mckeehan OL 6-4 285 St. Francisville, La. West Feliciana
Austin Smith DL 6-4 295 McDonough, Ga. Ola
Dontae Smith AB 5-11 185 Spring Hill, Tenn. Spring Hill
Charlie Thomas DB 6-2 190 Thomasville, Ga. Thomasville
Juanyeh Thomas DB 6-3 205 Niceville, Fla. Niceville
Zamari Walton DB 6-3 175 Melbourne, Fla. Melbourne Central Catholic
Tijai Whatley AB 6-2 195 Rome, Ga. Darlington School

 

* Due to NCAA transfer regulations, DeFoor currently must sit out of game competition in 2018 and would be eligible to take the field as a redshirt junior in 2019. However, Georgia Tech is exploring the option of applying for a waiver from the NCAA that would make him eligible to participate in games immediately.

 

MALACHI CARTER

WR, 6-3, 185, Lawrenceville, Ga./Mountain View

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … caught 130 passes for 2,360 yards and 30 touchdowns over the final two seasons of his prep career, including a Gwinnett County-record 1,348 yards on 72 receptions (tied for second in county history) and 19 touchdowns as a senior in 2017 … earned second-team all-state honors after catching 58 passes for 1,012 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior in 2016 … also earned all-region honors as a junior … two-time Gwinnett County Wide Receiver of the Year (2016 and 2017) … is expected to receive all-state and all-region recognition when teams are announced later this month … three-year letterwinner … coached by Nick Bach … is also a three-year letterwinner in track and field … is originally from Rockland County, N.Y., 35 miles north of New York City … plans to major in media, literature and communications.

 

T.K. CHIMEDZA         

DL, 6-3, 300, Dacula, Ga./IMG Academy (Fla.)

Rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN … is the nation’s No. 28-ranked defensive tackle in his class, according to ESPN … recorded 66 tackles in 18 games over the past two seasons at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. … helped IMG post a perfect 20-0 record against what is widely regarded as the nation’s most challenging high school schedule during his two seasons with the program … spent his first two prep seasons at nearby Dacula H.S. … coached at IMG by Kevin Wright and at Dacula by Tommy Jones … was born in Philadelphia, Pa. … grandfather, Steven Chimedza, was a professional soccer player in Zimbabwe … sister, Ruva, played soccer at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, S.C. … full name is Takudzwa Kurai Chimedza … is undecided on a major.

 

JACK DEFOOR           

OL, 6-5, 305, Calhoun, Ga./Calhoun/Ole Miss

Comes to Georgia Tech after two seasons at Ole Miss … redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 and appeared in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2017 … dean’s list student, National Football Foundation freshman scholar-athlete and member of SEC academic honor roll at Ole Miss … was rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, Scout and Rivals coming out of Calhoun H.S. … ranked as the nation’s No. 28 offensive guard in the class of 2016 … earned first-team all-state recognition as a junior and senior … helped lead Calhoun to a 28-1 overall record over his final two prep seasons, including a perfect 15-0 record and Georgia 3A state championship as a junior in 2014 … coached by Hal Lamb … also helped lead Calhoun’s basketball and track and field teams to regional titles.

 

JUSTICE DINGLE

LB, 6-3, 245, Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green

Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals … is the No. 2-ranked player in his class in the state of Kentucky and the No. 18-ranked inside linebacker in the nation, according to Rivals … is listed as the nation’s No. 16-ranked inside linebacker by ESPN … two-time all-state honoree … two-time first-team all-district selection … nominated for Army All-America Game, Dick Butkus Award (national high school Linebacker of the Year) and Kentucky’s Mr. Football award as a senior … selected to participate in Kentucky/Tennessee Border Bowl, Kentucky Best of Bluegrass all-star game and Army All-American Combine … helped lead Bowling Green to state championship as a junior in 2016 … two-time team captain … honor roll student … coached by Kevin Wallace … played first two prep seasons at Oakland H.S. in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (coached by Kevin Creasy and Tommy McDaniel) … helped lead Oakland to a pair of district championships as a freshman and sophomore (2014 and 2015) … also lettered in track and field and basketball … was born in Manning, S.C. … plans to major in civil engineering.

 

JORDAN DOMINECK

LB, 6-3, 220, Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … named Polk County defensive MVP as a senior … three-time first-team all-county selection … set school record with 25 sacks as a senior … three-year team captain … selected to play in Blue-Grey All-American game and Best of Florida all-star game … named defensive MVP and overall MVP of Best of Florida all-star game … coached by Christopher Canning … terrific athlete is also a four-year letterwinner/three-year captain in basketball and a three-year letterwinner in track and field … father, James, played football at Bethel College (1987) before transferring to Florida for two seasons (1988-89) … honor roll student … is undecided on a major but aspires for a career in medicine.

                                                                                                                                    

JAMES GRAHAM

QB, 6-1, 180, Fitzgerald, Ga./Fitzgerald

Rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … ranked as the nation’s No. 17 athlete in his class by 247Sports/Scout and Georgia’s No. 33 overall player by Rivals … three-time all-region honoree … named preseason all-state by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution prior to his senior season in 2017 … a first-team all-state honoree following his junior campaign in 2016 … earned first-team Georgia 1-2A all-region as a senior in 2017 despite missing part of the season due to injury … quarterbacked Fitzgerald to a 26-4 combined record over his sophomore and junior seasons, leading the team to the 2A state championship in 2015 and a runner-up finish in 2016 … was named first-team all-state and the region’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 after throwing for 1,725 yards, running for 956 and accounting for 39 touchdowns as a junior … was a first-team all-region and honorable-mention all-state selection as a sophomore … coached by Tucker Pruitt.


QUON GRIFFIN    

DL, 6-0, 275, Rome, Ga./Rome

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … three-time all-state honoree … three-time first-team all-region selection … named Region 7-5A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior … helped lead Rome H.S. to back-to-back Georgia 5A state championships as a junior and senior (2016, 2017) … recorded 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss as a senior while anchoring a dominant Rome defense that allowed only 30 points in 15 games, en route to a perfect 15-0 record … three-year letterwinner … served as team captain as a senior … coached by John Reid … brother, Jaylen, is a redshirt freshman linebacker at Virginia Tech … father, Tyrone, played football at UAB … is undecided on a major.

 

PEJE’ HARRIS        

WR, 6-3, 210, Newnan, Ga./Newnan

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … all-region and all-county honoree … caught 47 passes for 574 yards over his final two prep seasons, including 33 receptions for 448 yards and four touchdowns as a senior … 78-yard touchdown catch in third game of his senior season was the longest reception in the state of Georgia that week … served as team captain as a senior … four-year letterwinner … coached by Chip Walker … also lettered in basketball and soccer … honor roll student maintained As and Bs throughout his high school career … served on student government … mother, Vera, played basketball at Southern Miss … father, Patrick, played football at Tennessee State … full name is Patrick Bernard Harris Jr. … plans to major in architecture.

 

JAYLEN JACKSON

ATH, 6-0, 195, Brunswick, Ga./Brunswick

Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports/Scout … Named 2017 Georgia Region 2-6A Player of the Year after hauling in six touchdown receptions on offense and three interceptions on defense as a senior … scored on a 105-yard interception return during senior campaign, the longest interception return in Brunswick H.S. history … named region’s Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2016 … helped lead team to region co-championship as senior … two-time captain … three-year letterwinner … coached by Sean Pender … four-year basketball letterwinner that has helped lead team to state championship as a freshman (2015) and state runner-up finish as a junior (2017) … also a two-year letterwinner in track and field … honor roll student … member of National Honor Society and Beta Club … plans to major in mechanical engineering.

 

QUEZ JACKSON

LB, 6-1, 220, Fort Valley, Ga./Peach County

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … ranked as the nation’s No. 25 inside linebacker in his class and Georgia’s No. 65 player by Rivals … earned all-state recognition as a junior in 2016 and is a likely candidate to receive all-state recognition again when 2017 honorees are named later this month … named the 2017 Georgia Region 4-3A Defensive Player of the Year after recording 137 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and five sacks as a senior … helped lead Peach County to an appearance in 2017 Georgia 3A state championship game … totaled 252 tackles, 41 tackles for loss and eight sacks over final two prep seasons … served as team captain as a senior … three-year letterwinner … coached by Chad Campbell … also earned two letters in baseball … honor roll student … is one of six siblings … cousin, Greg Lloyd, was a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro and 1994 AFC Defensive Player of the Year as an 11-year NFL star for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-97) and Carolina Panthers (1998) … given name is JaQuez … plans to major in business management.

 

LUKE JOHNS

DL, 6-5, 250, Dalton, Ga./Southeast Whitfield

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … two-time first-team all-region and all-area honoree … preseason all-state selection and potential postseason honoree after recording 95 tackles and five sacks as a senior in 2017 … notched 87 tackles and 18 tackles for loss as a junior in 2016 … served as team captain as a senior … three-year letterwinner … coached by Sean Gray … also a track and field standout in high jump, long jump, triple jump and discus … five-time region champion and two-time state runner up in high jump … placed second in National Junior Olympics with a 6-foot, 8-inch high jump as a sophomore … holds school records for high jump, long jump and triple jump (broke a 30-year record in high jump) … also a first-team all-region performer in basketball … honor roll student … four-year scholar-athlete … enjoys playing guitar and keyboard … plans to major in computer engineering.

 

HARRISON JUMP

OL, 6-5, 260, Statham, Ga./Prince Avenue Christian School

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports/Scout … earned all-region honors at offensive tackle as a senior (2017) and at defensive end as a sophomore (2015) … helped lead team to three region championships … invited to participate in Elite All-Star Game, GACA All-Star Classic and FCA All-Star Game … two-time team captain … four-year letterwinner … coached by Greg Vandagriff … also lettered in track and field and basketball … served as Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader and junior class vice president … father, Tim, played football at Emmanuel College … plans to major in business administration.

 

JAYLON KING

DB, 6-1, 180, La Vegne, Tenn./Ensworth

Rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … ranked as the No. 5 overall player in his class in the state of Tennessee and the No. 22 cornerback in the nation by Rivals … ranked No. 8 on the Tennessean’s 2017 Dandy Dozen … two-time first-team all-region honoree … two-time team MVP … helped lead Ensworth to 15 wins and back-to-back playoff appearances over his final two seasons … coached by Ricky Bowers … father, Jeff, was a track and field student-athlete at Tennessee State … is one of four siblings.

 

CHRISTIAN MALLOY

AB/BB, 5-10, 200, Lilburn, Ga./Parkview

Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals … earned all-state recognition as a senior … named all-region as a junior … was MVP of adidas Freshman All-American Game in 2014 … set school record with 316 rushing yards in a game, which is also the sixth-highest single-game total in Gwinnett County history … four-year letterwinner and three-year team captain … coached by Eric Godfree … was born in Jacksonville, Fla. … grandfather, Leonard Malloy I, played football at Arizona … father, Leonard II, played football at Grambling State … brother, Tra, is a senior offensive lineman at Georgia Southern … honor roll student and member of Gwinnett Student Leadership Team … plans to major in computer science … aspires for a career as a cybersecurity engineer.

 

MICHAEL MAYE

OL, 6-3, 295, Hoover, Ala./Hoover

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … honorable-mention all-state selection as a senior in 2017 … also earned all-metro recognition as a senior … selected to participate in 2017 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game … helped lead Hoover to three state championships in four seasons (2014, 2016 and 2017) … captained Hoover’s state title teams in 2016 and 2017 … coached by Josh Niblett … also lettered in basketball … honor roll student … member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society … passed four Advanced Placement exams as a junior … is a fixture in the Birmingham community, highlighted by serving as a volunteer for March of Dimes, YMCA toy drive and after-school snack program and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s annual Easter egg hunt … cousins Kermit Kendrick and Dominic Lee played football at Alabama … is undecided on a major.

 

ZAKK MCKEEHAN

OL, 6-4, 285, St. Francisville, La./West Feliciana

Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports/Scout … two-time all-district, all-metro and all-state honoree … four-year letterwinner as an offensive guard and defensive tackle … helped lead team to a 16-1 record and school’s first-ever state championship as a senior in 2017 … coached by Robb Odom … plans to major in business administration.

 

AUSTIN SMITH

DL, 6-4, 295, McDonough, Ga./Ola                                              

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … two-time first-team all-region honoree … selected to participate in Elite Sophomore Game, Elite Junior Game, Elite Senior Game, Futures All-Star Game and All-American 88 Bowl in New Orleans … four-year starter … helped lead Ola to school’s first-ever playoff appearance as a junior in 2016 … coached by Jared Zito … honor roll student … plans to major in business management.

 

DONTAE SMITH

AB, 5-11, 185, Spring Hill, Tenn./Spring Hill

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … ranked as the nation’s No. 20 all-purpose back by 247Sports/Scout and the nation’s No. 39 running back by ESPN … 2017 Tennessee Region 4A co-MVP … one of three finalists for Tennessee’s 4A Mr. Football award as a senior … three-time all-region honoree … rushed for 4,269 yards and 45 touchdowns over final two prep seasons (2,065 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior in 2017, 2,204 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2016) … two-time team captain … four-year letterwinner … selected to participate in 2017 Tennessee East-West All-Star Classic … coached by Jay Emmons … is a Boys and Girls Club volunteer … also volunteers his time reading to elementary school students … grandfather, Lowell Wade, played football at Michigan State … is undecided on a major.

 

CHARLIE THOMAS

DB, 6-2, 190, Thomasville, Ga./Thomasville

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … all-state honoree as a junior in 2016 … was also a preseason all-state selection prior to senior season and is a candidate to earn postseason all-state recognition for a second time when teams are announced later this month … recorded 78 tackles as a senior, helping lead Thomasville to its first region title in 10 years and its first undefeated regular season in 29 years … two-time all-region honoree … 2018 Army All-American Game nominee … coached by Zach Grage … National Honor Society member … one of four siblings … plans to major in business administration.

 

JUANYEH THOMAS

DB, 6-3, 205, Niceville, Fla./Niceville

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … two-time all-state honoree with 2017 accolades still to be doled out … earned all-area recognition for the third time as a senior in 2017, despite having only one interception as teams avoided throwing his way … as a sophomore in 2015, returned interceptions for touchdowns in five-straight games (a national high school record) and finished the season with a school-record eight INTs overall … returned two punts for touchdowns as a senior in 2017, including a school-record 90-yarder … played two seasons at Niceville H.S. and two at Walton H.S. … served as a team captain as a senior at Niceville … coached by John Hicks … honor roll student … one of five siblings … brother, Azende Rey, plays football at Florida A&M … is undecided on a major.

 

ZAMARI WALTON

DB, 6-3, 175, Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne Central Catholic

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … all-district and all-state honoree …set a school record with eight interceptions as a senior in 2017 … returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown, good for the second-longest INT return in the nation … two-time team captain … helped lead team to 19 wins over junior and senior seasons … coached by Stacy Sizemore … honor roll student … cousin, Reggie Nelson, is an 11-year NFL veteran (currently a member of the Oakland Raiders), two-time Pro Bowler, 2015 second-team All-Pro … cousin, Joe Cohen, played three seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions … cousin, T.J. Bannister, played basketball at Virginia and professionally in Europe … is undecided on a major.

 

TIJAI WHATLEY

AB, 6-2, 195, Rome, Ga./Darlington School

Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports/Scout and Rivals … rushed for nearly 4,000 yards and 50 touchdowns over three seasons at Darlington, including 1,502 yards and 23 scores as a senior in 2017 … named 2017 Georgia Region 6-A North Offensive Player of the Year … was an all-area and all-state selection as a sophomore and junior … is a likely to become a three-time all-state honoree when teams are announced later this month … rushed for a school-record 357 yards in a game as a junior in 2016 … two-time team captain … coached by Tommy Atha … began his prep career as a freshman cornerback at Coronado H.S. in Colorado Springs, Colo., helping lead the team to the 2014 Colorado state championship … member of National Honor Society … the son of a member of the U.S. Army, Tijai was born in Landstuhl, Germany and has also lived in Waikiki, Hawaii in addition to Colorado and Georgia … brother, Lakai, was a track and field student-athlete at Georgia Southern … plans to major in international business.

 

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