THE SITUATION: Just a few weeks ago, Dacula (Ga.) athlete Kaleb Edwards did not expect to commit until the end of July at the earliest. The 6-foot, 190 pound playmaker had plenty of options and he and his family entertained many phone calls and zoom meetings over the last three months, but it came down to Duke, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. A few months back, the Blue Devils had the lead, and if he had committed prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, he would have been a Blue Devil. The in-state school stayed strong and continued to pursue Edwards, and it hit him a couple weeks ago that he wanted to stay home and be a Yellow Jacket.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "Georgia Tech finished No. 1 for me because home is very big to me and I have always wanted to play for the home team," said Edwards. "Georgia Tech gave me that opportunity, then education piece they offer is big-time too. It is diverse there, they love me for who I am, and that is another big reason.
"I have not visited Georgia Tech yet, and the zoom calls were nice, but they did not play a big role in my decision. Those calls did help me build relationships, but I just felt Tech was the right fit. It came down to feeling comfortable and I feel very comfortable about staying home and going to Tech.
"I didn't plan to commit this soon, but I started thinking in my mind that I had everything that I wanted and I knew where I wanted to go, so why wait any longer. I knew nothing would change, so I did want to sit on it anymore, so I made sure I got in the right frame of mind to make this decision, then I made it.
"The commitment went down on a zoom call. I set it up for my parents, and I honestly did not know if I was going to commit that day or not. It came down to my parents feeling comfortable about it, and at the end of that call I told coach Geoff Collins, coach Thacker, coach Burton — really the whole defensive coaching staff that I was committed. They were thrilled, excited about it was just a happy moment.
"I see Tech going through something very special soon. The brand is bigger and better, the 404 is something special in Atlanta right now and we can see the movement.
"I have known for a couple of weeks now and I am sleeping great now. I am happy. I am relieved. My decision is made and I can enjoy my senior year. Ultimately this is a great decision for me and I am getting ready to live my dream."
WHO IT HURTS MOST: This was stings in Durham, because at one time not too long ago, Duke was out in front. They were on the verge of landing Edwards, so finishing second is never fun. It is a loss to an inner-conference program too, so that makes it sting a little more. It is expected that Edwards make a quick impact in Atlanta and he would have done the same in Durham.
WHY TECH SHOULD BE PLEASED: Edwards is a gifted student-athlete with the ability to help at multiple positions. He has a lengthy athlete with great instincts and the ability to track the ball and make plays on it in the secondary. He has played running back, he has lined up at quarterback, he has played some wide receiver in the past, but he is expected to play safety at Georgia Tech. He has great ball skills, his awareness stands out and he is one that could line up all over the back-end of the Yellow Jacket defense. This is a great pick-up for Georgia Tech both on and off the field.
