The Georgia Bulldogs are going after Peachtree Ridge cornerback Chad Clay, the son of former Georgia Tech defensive Back Willie “Big Play” Clay who helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a national championship in 1990.
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The familial connection for Chad Clay means that the young defensive phenom would be a legacy commitment at Georgia Tech, but it would seem that he has the Yellow Jackets’ arch rival on his radar instead.
Can The Georgia Bulldogs steal The in-state prospect from the Ramblin’ Wreck?
Willie “Big Play” Clay, had an illustrious career at Georgia Tech as a defensive back. He did not look like much given his stature at the time (5’10, 184) but proved to have a keen sense of knowing where the ball was going when released by opposing quarterbacks.
Clay still holds the record for most interceptions for the Ramblin’ Wreck with 16, and played all four years on The Flats, never missing a game while enrolled there. He was also the participant of two bowl games and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a national championship in the process. Clay was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1992 and went on to have a decent career in the NFL which spanned a total of eight seasons.
Clay’s son, Chad Clay (6’1, 180), is a 4-Star cornerback from Peachtree Ridge High School out of Suwanee, Georgia, and is looking to follow in his father’s footsteps so to speak. The “so to speak” is in reference to the fact that Chad Clay is not really that interested in his father’s alma mater and playing for Georgia Tech per Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
CHAD CLAY’S 2014 JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS – HUDL
The younger Clay has shown a great deal of interest in attending the University of Georgia, and 247Sports.com Crystal Ball Predictions has the defensive standout listed at an 82% possibility of picking Georgia.
So, how does his father feel about his son’s lack of interest in playing for Georgia Tech? Clay told the AJC that his father has not pushed him one way or the other and has left the entire recruiting process up to him telling him that it is his life and his choice.
Chad Clay is listed as the 22nd overall CB and the 19th overall prospect in the state of Georgia for the 2016 Class per 247Sports.com composite rankings. He has made it widely known that Georgia is his leading school of choice and that he has formed a strong bond with UGA defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and the rest of the coaching staff in Athens. He was a recent attendee to Georgia’s Junior Day this past February further validating his love affair with the Dawgs.
Cornerbacks Chad Clay (Peachtree Ridge HS) and Korey Banks (Sandy Creek HS) at #UGA Junior Day today. #CommitToTheG pic.twitter.com/4cTLlqbD41
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) February 21, 2015
Clay is not without accolades as a defensive player. The young cornerback is equipped with surprising speed and is aggressive against opponents. These attributes would in no doubt help the UGA defense as it moves forward. He was a participant in this past year’s Rising Seniors Bowl and was named runner up for the the Best Defensive Back at the event by the AJC.
The Peachtree Ridge standout was also given honorable mention honors by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett for being one of the best players during the 2014 football season. Along with the honors and notoriety it has been established that Clay has become fairly close with 2016 5 Star commit Ben Cleveland.
Moreover, new 2016 commit and cornerback Tyrique McGhee has been quoted that he wants to try to bring in Clay to play at Georgia with him. These connections further exemplify that Clay has made connections with other recruits who are slated to play “Between The Hedges” showing promise that he will soon follow suit.
Clay has named several others in his list of top favorite schools exhibiting his willingness to leave the doors open for prospective programs to recruit him in the future. UGA leads the way in his top five favorites followed by Florida, Ohio State, LSU, and Tennessee. Clay has also received offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Wake Forest showing that other top football powerhouses are interested in landing the high profiled cornerback.
Hopefully Clay will stay true to his commitment and end up helping further solidify the Bulldogs defensive backfield come 2016.