Dalton running back Jahmyr Gibbs signed with Georgia Tech on Wednesday. He had been committed to the Yellow Jackets since before his senior season, but he listened to offers from other programs and made campus visits before ultimately sticking with his nonbinding pledge. / Staff file photoDALTON, Ga. - Jahmyr Gibbs kept his long-standing commitment to Georgia Tech when the traditional national signing day for college football finally arrived, though he admitted his decision wasn't a done deal until the past week.
Committed to the Yellow Jackets since before his senior season, Dalton's four-star running back signed with second-year head coach Geoff Collins and the Atlantic Coast Conference program Wednesday during a ceremony at the high school, but not before turning back a strong run by Florida over the past two months.
Jackets running backs coach Tashard Choice, who played for Tech before being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2008 NFL draft, seems to have played a key role in the process.
"It was kind of close between them and Florida," Gibbs said of the Jackets. "I am really close with Coach Choice. We had a good relationship through this whole year. He's a good dude, very spiritual with all his players.
"I also like the way they carry themselves as a coaching staff and the way they run the program. After the first year, they really brought everybody together."
Gibbs will join a program still rebuilding its roster after more than a decade under head coach Paul Johnson with an option-based offense. The Jackets went just 3-10 last season, but that included an overtime upset win at Miami.
Of the Southeastern Conference's Gators, Gibbs would only say: "I liked the coaching staff and the atmosphere at Florida. It's a good place to be."
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Gibbs entered this past season ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 631 recruit overall in the country and 69th in the state for the 2020 signing class. After leading Georgia with 2,554 rushing yards and scoring 40 touchdowns in 2019, he soared to a No. 75 national ranking and No. 10 in the Peach State.
Gibbs, who is the highest-ranked recruit in Tech's 2020 signing class, waited until the end of Dalton's season - which extended into the GHSA Class AAAAAA playoffs in early November - before taking official visits to Florida, LSU and Ohio State, then giving Tech his final visit this past weekend. He had 28 scholarship offers, including from Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, South Carolina and Southern California.
Dalton coach Matt Land was not surprised his star elected to stay with his first choice.
"Considering the type of person Jahmyr is, first of all, I wasn't surprised he decided to stay with Georgia Tech and Coach Collins," Land said. "He felt very comfortable with the coaches, the players and what they represent. He's going to do great things there."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.