Thursday, February 08, 2007

Football - Meet the New Jackets

Some bio's from RamblinWreck.com


Morgan Burnett

Morgan Burnett

Player Profile

Hometown:
College Park, Ga.

High School:
North Clayton

Height / Weight:
6-1 / 182

Position:
Safety

Birthdate:
01/13/1989

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-star prospect by Rivals, which tabbed him to its national Top 100 (No. 84) . . . Also named to the ESPN 150 and the PrepStar 100 . . . Rated the No. 6 player in Georgia and No. 7 safety in the nation by Rivals . . . The No. 5 prospect in Georgia by SuperPrep, which also rated him the No. 15 defensive back in the nation . . . Ranked No. 16 in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Class AAAA first-team all-state as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state recognition at quarterback as a sophomore . . . Preseason Super 11 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which also put him on its Top 50 in Georgia . . . Also on the Georgia Top 50 list compiled by the Macon Telegraph . . . The No. 21 player on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and a member of the Orlando Sentinel's All-Southern team . . . Four-year starter and three-year team captain for coach Don Shockley at North Clayton High . . . Defensive Player of the Year for Clayton/Henry Counties . . .

PERSONAL: Full name is Morgan Mark Burnett . . . Born January 13, 1989 . . . Parents are Cap and Ellary Burnett.

Mario Butler

Mario Butler

Player Profile

Hometown:
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

High School:
Nease

Height / Weight:
6-2 / 180

Position:
Cornerback

HIGH SCHOOL:Rated the No. 62 prospect in Florida by Scout.com . . . Also among the Florida Top 100 by Rivals (No. 76) and SuperPrep (No. 73) . . . Ranked No. 34 nationally among cornerbacks by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100 in Florida . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Named to the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . Coached by Craig Howard at Nease High School . . . Helped his team reach the Class 4-A state title game . . .



Nick Claytor

Nick Claytor

Player Profile

Hometown:
Gainesville, Ga.

High School:
Gainesville

Height / Weight:
6-6 / 312

Position:
Tackle

HIGH SCHOOL: The top offensive line prospect in the state of Georgia, and one of the best in the nation, according to Rivals and Scout.com . . . Rated the No. 5 overall prospect in Georgia by Rivals, and No. 6 by Scout.com . . . Ranked the nation's No. 15 offensive tackle by Scout.com and the No. 19 by Rivals . . . Named to the PrepStar 100 and the Rivals 250 . . . Tabbed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super Southern 100 . . . Also named to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . First-team all-state selection (Class AAA) . . . All-area by the Gainesville Times . . . Selected to play in the Georgia North-South All-Star Game . . . Coached by Bruce Miller at Gainesville High . . . Graded 94 percent for his senior season with 25 pancake blocks.


D.J. Donley

D.J. Donley

Player Profile

Hometown:
Folkston, Ga.

High School:
Charlton County

Height / Weight:
6-4 / 218

Position:
Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 7 prospect in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Rated the No. 20 prospect in the state by Rivals and No. 31 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals . . . Recruited as a wide receiver but is a two-way standout who is rated the No. 14 safety in the nation by Scout.com . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, as well as the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . Also tabbed to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . First-team all-state selection for prep powerhouse Charlton County, which he helped to three straight Class AA state championships . . . Coached by Rich McWhorter . . . Had six catches for 172 yards in 2005 Class AA title game . . . Caught 88 passes for 1,490 yards and 15 touchdowns during his career . . . Also had four interceptions and three fumble recoveries on defense.


Jonathan Dwyer

Jonathan Dwyer

Player Profile

Hometown:
Marietta, Ga.

High School:
Kell

Height / Weight:
6-0 / 197

Position:
Running Back

HIGH SCHOOL: One of the nation's top running backs . . . Parade All-America, one of just two selected from the state of Georgia . . . Rated among the top prospects in Georgia in every ranking, including No. 5 by Scout.com and No. 8 by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Scout.com national Hot 100, the PrepStar 100 and the Rivals 250 . . . Ranked No. 10 nationally among running backs by Rivals and No. 14 by SuperPrep . . . Super Southern 100 pick by the Atlanta Journal Consitution and Top 50 in Georgia honoree by the Macon Telegraph . . . Also tabbed to the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . First-team all-state selection and the Class AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year by the AJC . . . Honorable mention all-state selection as a junior . . . Rushed for 1,802 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior, when he had five games with over 200 yards, including a career-best 307 versus Centennial . . . Also had 23 receptions for 220 yards and three touchdowns . . . Scored a total of 25 touchdowns including a 99-yard kickoff return for a score . . . Added 1,863 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns as a junior, when he also had 22 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns . . . Set Cobb County records with 5,565 career rushing yards and 71 touchdowns scored . . . Finished second in the state in the Class AAAAA 100 meters as a junior . . . Coached by Irvin Sigler at Kell High.


Joseph Gilbert

Joseph Gilbert

Player Profile

Hometown:
Cartersville, Ga.

High School:
Cartersville

Height / Weight:
6-4 / 280

Position:
Offensive Line

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 46 prospect in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top 50 in Georgia . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Honorable mention all-state selection (Class AAA) . . . Two-time all-Bartow County . . . Played in the Georgia North-South All-Star game . . . Graded out at 90 percent for his senior season with 36 pancake blocks and no sacks allowed . . . Credited with 67 pancake blocks in his career . . . Coached by Frank Barden at Cartersville High.


Kyle Jackson

Kyle Jackson

Player Profile

Hometown:
McDonough

High School:
Union Grove

Height / Weight:
6-0 / 225

Position:
Linebacker

Birthdate:
03/08/1989

HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 50 in Georgia . . . Rated the No. 40 prospect in the state by Rivals and No. 41 by Scout.com . . . Also a Top 50 in Georgia pick by the Macon Telegraph . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Honorable mention all-state selection in Class AAAAA . . . Two-time all-region and all-area . . . . Coached by Mike McDonald at Union Grove High . . . Made 91 tackles in 10 games as a senior, with five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal . . . Added 110 tackles as a junior with 28 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 12 pressures, two interceptions, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and a blocked punt . . .

PERSONAL: Full name is Kyle Ryan Jackson . . . Parents are Beverly and Ray Jackson . . . Born March 8, 1989


Brad Jefferson

Brad Jefferson

Player Profile

Hometown:
Wrightsville, Ga.

High School:
Johnson County

Height / Weight:
6-2 / 215

Position:
Linebacker

HIGH SCHOOL: The nation's No. 19 middle linebacker, according to Rivals, and No. 12 weak-side linebacker by Scout.com . . . Ranked among the Top 30 prospects in Georgia by Rivals (No. 26), Scout.com (No. 26) and SuperPrep (No. 22) . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 50 in Georgia, as well as the Macon Telegraph Georgia Top 50 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . First-team all-state honoree in Class A as a senior and an honorable mention selection as a junior . . . Had 78 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior at Johnson County High . . . Caused four fumbles and recovered five, including one for a touchdown . . . Also blocked a punt for a touchdown . . . On offense he had 32 rushing attempts for 196 yards and one touchdown, and 12 receptions for 235 yards and two scores, plus three two-point conversions . . . Coached by Bill Bonds at Johnson County High.



Roddy Jones

Roddy Jones

Player Profile

Hometown:
Chamblee, Ga.

High School:
Chamblee

Height / Weight:
5-9 / 184

Position:
Running Back

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated as high as No. 19 in Georgia SuperPrep, as well as No. 28 by Scout.com and No. 34 by Rivals . . . Scout.com ranks him No. 36 in the nation among all running backs, while Rivals puts him at No. 39 . . . Tabbed to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 50 in Georgia . . . Also a Top 50 in Georgia selection by the Macon Telegraph . . . Named to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . First-team all-state pick in Class AAA as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore and junior in Class AAAA . . . Most Valuable Player in the Georgia North-South All-Star game, played in December in Columbus . . . The all-time leading rusher in DeKalb County with 5,055 yards and 76 touchdowns . . . Led the county this season with 1,776 yards rushing (177.6 per game) and 33 touchdowns; his total was second in Metro Atlanta only to fellow Tech signee Jonathan Dwyer . . . Added 1,654 yards (150.4 pg) and 24 touchdowns as a junior, 1,369 yards with 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 256 yards and three scores as a freshman . . . Three-time, first-team all-DeKalb County . . . Coached by Brent Miller at Chamblee High . . . Also a three-year letterwiner as a centerfielder in baseball, earning honorable mention all-county honors last spring.

Tyler Melton

Tyler Melton

Player Profile

Hometown:
Houston, Texas

High School:
Langham Creek

Height / Weight:
6-0 / 182

Position:
Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Area Top 100 by the Houston Chronicle. . . . Two-time all-districtr selection . . . Second-team all-state as a junior . . . Had 46 receptions for 518 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior . . . That followed a junior season in which he caugth 70 passes for 976 yards and 15 touchdowns . . . Team MVP for coach Mac Woodfin at Langham Creek High.

Derrick Morgan

Derrick Morgan

Player Profile

Class:
Freshman

Hometown:
Coatesville, Pa.

High School:
Coatesville

Height / Weight:
6-4 / 272

Position:
Defensive End

AT TECH:Member of 2007 recruiting class who graduated from high school in December and is enrolled this spring . . . Will participate in spring practice.

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania, according to Rivals and SuperPrep . . . SuperPrep Northeast Defensive Player of the Year . . . Member of the Rivals 100 as the No. 76 overall player in the nation . . . Ranked the No. 6 strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals and the No. 12 defensive end nationally by Scout.com . . . First-team all-state selection at Coatesville High . . . Defensive Player of the Year in his league . . . Collected seven sacks, six tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries while making 47 tackles . . . Also played running back on offense . . . . Carried 112 times for 523 yards and scored eight touchdowns . . . Team captain for coach Tom Nichols at Coatesville High.

Josh Nesbitt

Josh Nesbitt

Player Profile

Hometown:
Greensboro, Ga.

High School:
Greene County

Height / Weight:
6-1 / 204

Position:
Quarterback

HIGH SCHOOL: The top quarterback the state of Georgia and one of the best in the nation . . . Dual-threat quarterback with tremendous athletic ability . . . Tabbed to the Scout. com national Hot 100 (No. 76) and the Rivals 250 . . . The No. 4 prospect in Georgia according to Scout.com . . . Also rated No. 14 in Georgia by Rivals . . . The No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals and the No. 12 quarterback by Scout.com . . . Two-time, first-team all-state selection and the Class AA Offensive Player of the Year as a junior . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and preseason Super 11 team . . . Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia . . . Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . As a senior at Greene County High, he passed for 2,256 yards and 32 touchdowns with just four interceptions . . . Completed 134-of-222 passes . . . Also rushed for 493 yards on just 93 carries and scored eight touchdowns . . . As a junior he passed for 2,833 yards with 31 TD and nine interceptions, while rushing for 1,252 yards and 22 scores . . . Also had four inteceptions in two seasons on defense . . . Coached by Larry Milliga



Jason Peters

Jason Peters

Player Profile

Hometown:
Baton Rouge

High School:
Catholic

Height / Weight:
6-4 / 270

Position:
Defensive End



HIGH SCHOOL: Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in Louisiana . . . Defensive end who is rated the No. 10 prospect in the state by Scout.com and No. 12 by Rivals . . . Ranked No. 13 in the nation among strong-side defensive ends by Rivals . . . Rated No. 28 nationally among all defensive ends by Scout.com . . . Member of the Rivals 250 . . . First team all-state selection in Class 5-A by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association . . . Also selected Defensive MVP for District 3-5A . . . Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen . . . Named to the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . Helped Baton Rouge Catholic reach the state semifinals the last two years . . . Had 14 tackles for loss as a senior, plus an interception and two fumble recoveries . . . Team captain for coach Dale Wiener . . . Academic all-state selection.

Michael Peterson

Michael Peterson

Player Profile

Hometown:
Tampa, Fla.

High School:
Jesuit

Height / Weight:
5-11 / 190

Position:
Cornerback

Birthdate:
10/30/1988

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 87 prospect in Florida by Rivals . . . Also rated among the nation's Top 40 cornerbacks by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the St. Petersburg Times Top 25 Bay Area . . . Selected for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game and the Hillsborough County All-Star Game . . . Second-team all-Hillsborough County . . . Had 71 tackles as a senior with two interceptions, 11 pass breakups, three fumbles caused and one fumble recovery . . . Also scored six touchdowns on offense . . . Comes from the same Tampa Jesuit program that produced current Yellow Jackets A.J. Smith and Andrew Smith as well as former Tech standouts George Godsey and Will Glover . . . Four-year letterman for coach Joe Ross.

PERSONAL: Full name is Michael Allen Peterson . . . Born October 30, 1988

Albert Rocker

Albert Rocker

Player Profile

Hometown:
New Market, Ala.

High School:
Sparkman

Height / Weight:
6-1 / 205

Position:
Linebacker

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 8 prospect in Alabama by SuperPrep and No. 11 by Scout.com . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . All-Metro and all-region selection as well as a second-team all-state honoree . . . Collected 14 quarterback sacks as a senior . . . Also had 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups . . . Team captain for coach Roger Haynes at Sparkman High.

Jerrard Tarrant

Jerrard Tarrant

Player Profile

Hometown:
Carrollton

High School:
Carrollton

Height / Weight:
6-0 / 187

Position:
Safety

HIGH SCHOOL: First-team all-state honoree in Class AAA at both defensive back and return specialist . . . Rated the No. 43 prospect in Georgia by Rivals and No. 47 by Scout.com . . . Top 50 in Georgia selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon Telegraph . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Coached by Rayvan Teague at Carrollton High . . . Had 53 tackles, six interceptions and 12 pass breakups as a senior . . . Also played wide receiver (34 catches, 569 yards, four touchdowns) and returned punts and kickoffs.



Steven Threet

Steven Threet

Player Profile

Class:
Freshman

Hometown:
Adrian, Mich.

High School:
Adrian

Height / Weight:
6-5 / 230

Position:
Quarterback



AT TECH: Highly-regarded quarterback and member of 2007 signing class who enrolled at Tech this semester and will participate in spring practice . . . Has excellent size and a strong arm.

HIGH SCHOOL: All-state quarterback at Adrian (Mich.) High School . . . Rated the No. 9 quarterback in the nation by Rivals and No. 12 by Scout.com . . . Also rated the No. 12 prospect in Michigan by by both Rivals and Scout.com . . . The No. 44 prospect in the Midwest by SuperPrep . . . Member of the Rivals 250 . . . Passed for 4,824 yards and 49 touchdowns as senior, completing 356 of 638 passess . . . Had 1,896 yards passing with 20 touchdowns as a junior . . . Added 1,528 yards and 19 TD as a sophomore, and 1,400 and 10 TD as a freshman . . . 2006 first-team all-state quarterback for Division II by the Detroit News as well as an honorable mention all-state selection by the Detroit Free Press and Associated Press . . First-team all league and all-Lenawee County three straight years (2004-05-06) . . . Coached by Phil Jacobs.



Logan Walls

Logan Walls

Player Profile

Hometown:
Dawsonville, Ga.

High School:
Dawson County

Height / Weight:
6-2 / 280

Position:
Defensive Tackle

HIGH SCHOOL: Defensive line prospect who is rated among the Top 30 players in Georgia by Rivals (No. 22) and SuperPrep (No. 29) . . . Ranked the No. 30 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Top 50 in Georgia by both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon Telegraph . . . Honorable mention all-state selection in Class AA . . . PrepStar all-region . . . Coached by Jeff Lee at Dawson County High.



Willie White

Willie White

Player Profile

Hometown:
Kingsland, Ga.

High School:
Camden County

Height / Weight:
6-3 / 183

Position:
Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL:Two-way standout who is rated as high as No. 14 among all prospects in Georgia by SuperPrep, as well as No. 17 by Scout.com and No. 29 by Rivals . . . The No. 38 athlete in the nation according to Rivals who is slated to play wide receiver at Tech . . . Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 . . . Also tabbed to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Coached by Jeff Herron at Camden County High . . . Had 42 tackles with two interceptions on defense and 15 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns on offense.



Clyde Yandell

Clyde Yandell

Player Profile

Hometown:
St. Augustine, Fla.

High School:
Nease

Height / Weight:
6-5 / 304

Position:
Offensive Line

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the 57 prospect in Florida by both Rivals and Scout.com . . . Ranked No. 23 in the nation among offensive tackles by Rivals . . . No. 38 on the Florida Top 100 list by the Orlando Sentinel . . . Named to the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Helped his team reach the Class 4-A state title game . . . Second-team all-state . . . Coached by Craig Howard at Nease High.