NC State had Jamious Griffin on their commitment list for exactly eight months. If the Wolfpack could have kept him for about eight and a half months, then they likely would have had him signed today.

But they didn't.

Auburn came in with an offer. Florida State came in. Miami came in. Numerous schools made late runs at Griffin, the four-star running back out of Rome (Ga.), but it came down to Georgia Tech and Louisville before he announced for the Yellow Jackets.

The new staff on the Flats hit a home run here.

HOW IT HELPS GEORGIA TECH: Griffin is a playmaker. He is a two-time state championship, he is Player of the Year in Georgia as a senior and he is one that wants the big in key situations. Griffin is not the biggest and he may not have elite top-end speed, but he runs with toughness, he is very quick and shifty, he plays bigger than most may expect and he is very productive. He has the ability to go into Georgia Tech and be a contributor very early in his career.

Collins and his staff needed this. This is a big get after just a couple of months on the job in Atlanta. This is something he and his staff can really build on.

HOW IT HURTS LOUISVILLE: Louisville got in the mix late, but they made a hard push, and the Cardinals gave Griffin and his family something to think about only to come up No. 2 in this race. Since Scott Satterfield took over, Griffin became a focus for that staff because of his skill-set in their offensive scheme, but Griffin's decision forced the Cardinals to move in a different direction late.