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Georgia Tech quarterback commit Jordan Yates grew up wanting to play quarterback. It never worked out for him. There would be a quarterback on his Pop Warner team who was just as good or better, so he would resort to playing running back or wide receiver.
In the seventh grade, he finally got his chance. During one of his practices for the Milton High School feeder team, he was told that he had finally won the starting quarterback job. He hasn’t relinquished the position since.
Yates, a 3-star prospect in the 2019 class, grew up watching his uncle, current NFL free agent quarterback T.J. Yates, play the position. That’s where the younger Yates’ love for quarterbacks started.
He went to T.J.’s high school games at Pope in metro Atlanta and then traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where T.J. is North Carolina’s leader in career passing yards. Jordan estimates that he has been to five of T.J.’s NFL games, but his uncle provided the blueprint on how to make it to where he wants to be one day.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything from him,” Jordan Yates told The Athletic. “I’ve learned how to throw and just all of the extra things that go into being a quarterback like how to watch film and how to be a leader. All of that — I learned from him. I can’t even name all of the things that he’s taught me.”
Jordan and T.J. talk several times per week during the lead-in to whichever team Milton is facing on Fridays. T.J. is able to log in using Jordan’s Hudl account information and break down Milton’s practice film and game tape of the opponent that week. They have been following this process for more than a year now.
Jordan said having his uncle have such a large role in his development has made him a better player because he can lean on T.J. for advice on what to do against certain coverages, how to exploit different tendencies from the opposing secondary and how to command a huddle.
T.J., who was also a 3-star recruit coming out of high school, thinks his nephew is in a much better position than he was when he entered college in 2006.
“The times are so different now with recruiting and the level of offensive and defensive schemes,” T.J. said. “When I came out of high school, I didn’t know anything about coverages and blitzes. The game is so much farther advanced from when I came out of high school compared to where it is now. He’s light years ahead of me from when I came out of high school, and he still has an extra year to go. He’s only going to get smarter and learn more about defenses and coverages.”
T.J. thinks Jordan won’t have too much of an adjustment period mastering Georgia Tech’s offense. During Jordan’s sophomore year at Milton, the offense operated primarily out of shotgun, but the team ran the ball more often than not. Milton ran the triple-option but from the gun. Under a new coaching staff his junior season, Jordan was able to showcase that he could also air it out if needed. He threw for 2,011 yards and ran for 1,044 more last season.
The Georgia Tech coaches, led by his primary recruiter, quarterbacks and B-Backs coach Craig Candeto, have told Jordan that they like his ability to carry the ball and are also impressed with his passing skills.
It’s his passing ability that makes T.J. believe Jordan can thrive in the Georgia Tech offense.
“I think it’s perfect for him,” T.J. said. “He’s always been a heck of an athlete. He can run around and do the things he needs to succeed in that offense, especially running-wise. Over the years, he’s really become a polished quarterback and a very good thrower. Hopefully, he can bring a dynamic to Georgia Tech that they haven’t seen in a while. He’s a little bit better passer than they are used to having. They’ll be able to open up the playbook and throw the ball around.”
Jordan is one of two quarterbacks, along with 3-star prospect Demetrius Knight, in Georgia Tech’s 2019 class. Jordan committed on June 22, just four days after Knight decided on the Yellow Jackets.
The need for two quarterbacks in this class was there after Jay Jones announced his transfer in December. Being one of two quarterbacks in the 2019 class doesn’t affect Jordan at all because he understands that no matter what, competition is going to happen.
The 5-foot-11, 186-pound prospect said his recruitment is over with. He actually said a few coaches elsewhere have gotten in contact expressing interest, but he told them that Georgia Tech is where he’ll be attending school.
“There’s a lot about Tech that I love,” he said. “I feel like I’ve established a really good relationship with Coach Candeto. Every visit I took there felt like home. The coaches treated me like family. I can get to Tech in like 30 minutes from where I live. I have a big family, and they are going to want to come to the games. It’s definitely the closest school where they’ll all get to see me.”
His role has now turned into recruiter. He said all 10 of the team’s 2019 commitments are in a group chat, and the coaches have given him a list of several targets they want him to work on.
He believes that Georgia Tech is one of the few schools in the country that can offer excellent academics and a chance to compete at a high level. That’s what he tells recruits.
“You win the ACC, and you can find yourself in the playoff,” he said. “That’s where I want to be. I feel like they have all of the potential to get there. They’ve been really good in the past. Their set-up isn’t like a UCF situation either where you can question the strength of schedule. Georgia Tech is in the ACC. If you win the conference or have one loss, you have a pretty good chance at making it all the way.
“My goal every year is to win the championship in no matter what I am playing in. That’s the goal. I want to get on the field as early as I can, but only if I’m ready. I don’t want to rush things. I want to become the best player and person I can be at Tech.”
So, what happens when North Carolina, T.J.’s alma mater, faces Georgia Tech in the years to come? T.J. will be torn on the outcome, but he’ll be there cheering on his “little brother.”
“I’ll be rooting for my nephew,” T.J. said with a laugh.
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In the seventh grade, he finally got his chance. During one of his practices for the Milton High School feeder team, he was told that he had finally won the starting quarterback job. He hasn’t relinquished the position since.
Yates, a 3-star prospect in the 2019 class, grew up watching his uncle, current NFL free agent quarterback T.J. Yates, play the position. That’s where the younger Yates’ love for quarterbacks started.
He went to T.J.’s high school games at Pope in metro Atlanta and then traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where T.J. is North Carolina’s leader in career passing yards. Jordan estimates that he has been to five of T.J.’s NFL games, but his uncle provided the blueprint on how to make it to where he wants to be one day.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything from him,” Jordan Yates told The Athletic. “I’ve learned how to throw and just all of the extra things that go into being a quarterback like how to watch film and how to be a leader. All of that — I learned from him. I can’t even name all of the things that he’s taught me.”
Jordan and T.J. talk several times per week during the lead-in to whichever team Milton is facing on Fridays. T.J. is able to log in using Jordan’s Hudl account information and break down Milton’s practice film and game tape of the opponent that week. They have been following this process for more than a year now.
Jordan said having his uncle have such a large role in his development has made him a better player because he can lean on T.J. for advice on what to do against certain coverages, how to exploit different tendencies from the opposing secondary and how to command a huddle.
T.J., who was also a 3-star recruit coming out of high school, thinks his nephew is in a much better position than he was when he entered college in 2006.
“The times are so different now with recruiting and the level of offensive and defensive schemes,” T.J. said. “When I came out of high school, I didn’t know anything about coverages and blitzes. The game is so much farther advanced from when I came out of high school compared to where it is now. He’s light years ahead of me from when I came out of high school, and he still has an extra year to go. He’s only going to get smarter and learn more about defenses and coverages.”
T.J. thinks Jordan won’t have too much of an adjustment period mastering Georgia Tech’s offense. During Jordan’s sophomore year at Milton, the offense operated primarily out of shotgun, but the team ran the ball more often than not. Milton ran the triple-option but from the gun. Under a new coaching staff his junior season, Jordan was able to showcase that he could also air it out if needed. He threw for 2,011 yards and ran for 1,044 more last season.
The Georgia Tech coaches, led by his primary recruiter, quarterbacks and B-Backs coach Craig Candeto, have told Jordan that they like his ability to carry the ball and are also impressed with his passing skills.
It’s his passing ability that makes T.J. believe Jordan can thrive in the Georgia Tech offense.
“I think it’s perfect for him,” T.J. said. “He’s always been a heck of an athlete. He can run around and do the things he needs to succeed in that offense, especially running-wise. Over the years, he’s really become a polished quarterback and a very good thrower. Hopefully, he can bring a dynamic to Georgia Tech that they haven’t seen in a while. He’s a little bit better passer than they are used to having. They’ll be able to open up the playbook and throw the ball around.”
Jordan is one of two quarterbacks, along with 3-star prospect Demetrius Knight, in Georgia Tech’s 2019 class. Jordan committed on June 22, just four days after Knight decided on the Yellow Jackets.
The need for two quarterbacks in this class was there after Jay Jones announced his transfer in December. Being one of two quarterbacks in the 2019 class doesn’t affect Jordan at all because he understands that no matter what, competition is going to happen.
The 5-foot-11, 186-pound prospect said his recruitment is over with. He actually said a few coaches elsewhere have gotten in contact expressing interest, but he told them that Georgia Tech is where he’ll be attending school.
“There’s a lot about Tech that I love,” he said. “I feel like I’ve established a really good relationship with Coach Candeto. Every visit I took there felt like home. The coaches treated me like family. I can get to Tech in like 30 minutes from where I live. I have a big family, and they are going to want to come to the games. It’s definitely the closest school where they’ll all get to see me.”
His role has now turned into recruiter. He said all 10 of the team’s 2019 commitments are in a group chat, and the coaches have given him a list of several targets they want him to work on.
He believes that Georgia Tech is one of the few schools in the country that can offer excellent academics and a chance to compete at a high level. That’s what he tells recruits.
“You win the ACC, and you can find yourself in the playoff,” he said. “That’s where I want to be. I feel like they have all of the potential to get there. They’ve been really good in the past. Their set-up isn’t like a UCF situation either where you can question the strength of schedule. Georgia Tech is in the ACC. If you win the conference or have one loss, you have a pretty good chance at making it all the way.
“My goal every year is to win the championship in no matter what I am playing in. That’s the goal. I want to get on the field as early as I can, but only if I’m ready. I don’t want to rush things. I want to become the best player and person I can be at Tech.”
So, what happens when North Carolina, T.J.’s alma mater, faces Georgia Tech in the years to come? T.J. will be torn on the outcome, but he’ll be there cheering on his “little brother.”
“I’ll be rooting for my nephew,” T.J. said with a laugh.
If you haven’t subscribed yet, join now with this link to get 30% off plus a free T-shirt: theathletic.com/atlantalaunch
