The Tift County High School Blue Devils Basketball Team just sent another guard off to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tyrie Jackson from Tifton, GA decided to take his talents to Blacksburg, VA to join forces with Buzz Williams and the Virginia Tech Hokies. The guard stands at about 6ft 1inch and 180 pounds. Recently, Jackson decided to commit to the Hokies after he took a visit to the Virginia Tech facilities over the Memorial Day Weekend. The news came as a moderate surprise because it was believed that he had solidified his spot as a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, even though there was no scholarship offer.
His brother, Tadric Jackson, is Georgia Tech guard, who was a 4-star commit and the top high school guard in Georgia in 2014; he won a 6A state championship at Tift County High School. Since his brother is at Georgia Tech, recruitment for Tyrie slowed down because it seemed like he would join his brother at Georgia Tech.
“When Coach Gregory was there, he was locked in on Georgia Tech. That’s why a lot of people kind of backed off of him, because they knew he was going to Tech, They knew he wanted to play with his brother,” Tift County Head Coach Eric Holland said.
The alleged reason for Tyrie’s decision to follow through signing with the Hokies is the transition in Georgia Tech’s head coaching position. Former Ga. Tech Head Coach, Brian Gregory, took part in recruiting Tyrie and his brother. Once the Yellow Jackets decided to release Gregory after five seasons, Tyrie was heading into the summer and had no offer from the new Head Coach, Josh Pastner.
Before signing, Tyrie was rumored as one of the sleepers that still had not committed. The Guard drew interest from Auburn, Wichita State, and Jacksonville because of his skill and incredible athleticism. The 3-star commit can play both guard positions and shoots with both hands. He ended his senior season averaging about 18 points per game, seven rebounds per game, five assists per game, and five steals per game. He also shot over 50 percent from the three point line and almost 90 percent from the free throw. Not to mention, Tyrie was honored as a member of the Class 6A all-state group by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association and on the Class 6A second team determined by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hokie commit was also the MVP of the winning South squad in the GACA senior all-star game. A game in which he scored 26 points. The guard’s ability may not have an immediate impact with the Hokies because of the competition this upcoming season. But he can definitely be a factor down the line for the Virginia Tech program that breeds attacking and aggressively scoring guards.
The Hokies are stacked with guards this upcoming season with players like Justin Robinson, who is most likely the starting point guard for next season, Seth Allen, Justin Bibbs, Ahmed Hill, and Ty Outlaw. Tyrie should still be able to earn some legitimate playing time, especially since he can play the 1 & 2 at such high levels.
Either way, Tift County is still sending some talent to the powerhouse that is the ACC. It may not have been Tech that most people thought it would be, but it is still one of the most competitive programs in the country and maybe one-day fans may get to see the brothers competing against each other.
In the Game/June 2016/Web Only
GHSA
Another Tift Guard to the ACC
Written By: Aldean Starr
Photo(s) by Herald Courier
