Georgia Tech lands Petty, No. 27-ranked recruit

Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff WriterAug 12, 2024, 02:55 PM ET
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Georgia Tech landed a pledge from in-state offensive tackle Josh Petty on Monday, marking a monumental addition for Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets in the 2025 class.

Per ESPN rankings, Petty is the No. 27 overall prospect and sixth-ranked offensive tackle in the 2025 cycle. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound blocker from Roswell, Georgia, picked nearby Georgia Tech over Ohio State, Florida State, Tennessee and Stanford, and commits to the Yellow Jackets as the fourth and highest-ranked ESPN 300 prospect in the program’s upcoming class, joining fellow in-state pledges in cornerback Dalen Penson (No. 171) and offensive linemen Damola Ajidahun (No. 180) and Justin Hasenhuetl (No. 220).

Petty’s pledge comes as the latest signal of the momentum building on and off the field at Georgia Tech. Key returns for his second full season in charge with heightened expectations after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 7-6 record in 2023, Georgia Tech’s best finish since 2018. In Petty, the Yellow Jackets now have their highest-rated commit of the ESPN recruiting rankings era dating to 2006 and their highest-ranked pledge since Jonathan Dwyer landed with the program as the 75th-ranked prospect in 2007. Georgia Tech’s four ESPN 300 pledges in 2025 are the most in a single class in program history.

Petty is a two-way star at Georgia’s Fellowship Christian High School, playing full-time snaps on both sides of the line. As a junior, the four-star prospect had 58 total tackles with nine tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception. On the wrestling mat, Petty claimed the Georgia 2A state title at 285-pounds as a sophomore before a runner-up in the same class earlier this year.

Petty’s elite athleticism and length earned him status among the top offensive line prospects in the 2025 class and offers started rolling from across the Power 4 before his junior season. Petty took early unofficial visits to Tennessee and Georgia Tech last fall and Miami, Clemson, Georgia, Auburn, Texas and Florida State each hosted Petty in the early months of 2024 before he closed with official visits to Stanford, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State and Georgia Tech in the late spring.

A July 28 trip back to Florida State and a late push from Ohio State posed as potential threats to sway Petty away from Georgia Tech, but he ultimately honed in on the approach of Key and Yellow Jackets offensive coach Geep Wade and the school situated 21 miles from home.

Georgia Tech’s 2025 class stood at No. 26 in ESPN’s team recruiting rankings for the cycle prior to Petty’s commitment. Penson, who committed to the Yellow Jackets on June 9, is the 17th-ranked cornerback in his class and the top defender pledged to Georgia Tech in 2025.

Up front, Key is leaning on his offensive line background as he builds an impressive class of blockers with Petty, Ajidahun (No. 24 offensive tackle in 2025) and Hasenhuetl (No. 4 offensive guards) leading a formidable group that also includes commitments from guards Jimmy Bryston (No. 41 OG), Kevin Peay (No. 63 OG) and Xavier Canales (No. 64 (OG).

Up next, Georgia Tech will be in the mix for four-star, in-state defensive tackle Christian Garrett (No. 135 in the ESPN 300), who decommitted from Georgia Sunday night. Petty’s pledge is the latest domino in a potentially historic class for the Yellow Jackets, and there could be more still to come for Georgia Tech between now and the early signing period.