Georgia Tech coaches told Connor Hansen that they wanted to offer him a scholarship, but wanted to bring him to camp to make sure he was the right fit, Hansen said Tuesday.
Then Hansen won two competitions for offensive linemen, and any remaining questions about his suitability for Tech were evidently answered. Hansen was ushered to meet with coach Paul Johnson, who offered the two-way lineman from Tallahassee, Fla., a spot in the 2017 signing class.
“I said, ‘I’ve got better news,’” Hansen said. “I’d like to come.” Right there on the spot.”
And with that, Tech had its second commitment of the next class of Yellow Jackets. Six more things to know about Hansen's recruitment.
The drills
The two competitions that Hansen won give some indication about Hansen. The first was a board drill, in which linemen go one-on-one and, at the whistle, try to drive the other back. At 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds, Hansen liked his chances.
“I kind of had the feeling that I was probably one of the heaviest kids there, but I know I moved well for my size,” he said. “I figured worst case, I’d be top five, but I thought I could win it. It worked out.”
The other was an agility drill under a chute, a training tool designed to keep players low to the ground. Linemen had to do a footwork drill through the chute, come out of it, pick up a baseball and toss it to a coach, Hansen said. The drill is a test of quickness, agility and ability to stay low, critical traits for linemen in Tech’s offense. Hansen won despite the fact he said he’d never seen the drill before.
Hansen’s background might explain his agility. Hansen played basketball and baseball (third base and pitcher) through his sophomore year before giving up both for football.
Sold on Tech
Hansen said he was ready to commit after doing his research on Tech, calling the school “an awesome balance” between football and academics.
“I know that graduating from Georgia Tech is going to look great on a resume for life after football,” he said.
Prior to the Tech offer, Hansen said that Central Florida and Marshall were leading contenders for his commitment. Tech's offer was the 16th that Hansen, rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, received.
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Two-way lineman
Tech worked out Hansen as an offensive lineman, and he is likely suited to play center or guard. But defensive tackle is also a possibility. Hansen said that defensive coaches had wanted to see him go through defensive drills, but Hansen and his father Craig left Atlanta shortly after he received the offer because they wanted to get home to Tallahassee with a storm coming.
Dinner plans on hold
When coaches asked Hansen to meet Johnson in his office, his father was nowhere to be found. He had taken a walk to the Varsity and had to change his order from dine-in to to-go to get back to campus. His chili cheese dogs and onion rings had to wait until after the meeting with Johnson, which was blessedly brief.
Who found him
Hansen’s first contact with Tech was with safeties coach Andy McCollum, who came to visit with Hansen at Lawton Chiles High during the spring. McCollum later sent offensive line coach Ron West to watch him play in his team’s spring game.
Likes the campus
Hansen had come up earlier in the week to meet with coaches and take a tour of campus. He came away with a common impression on first-time visitors to Tech.
“It’s really beautiful,” he said. “I would have had no idea it was in the city. It was great.”
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