Georgia Tech is gearing up for another big official visit weekend for their 2026 recruiting class and Brent Key and his staff are hoping to add more talent. After last weekend, Georgia Tech added three new prospects on the offensive side of the football, but one of the top defensive prospects they had on campus last weekend might be trending towards a Big Ten powerhouse.
The Yellow Jackets have been trying to chip away at four-star cornerback Dorian Barney, who plays at Carrolton High School in Georgia, but Penn State has been viewed as the favorite in this process and the Nittany Lions picked up a 247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction from Lions247 writer Tyler Calvaruso today to land Barney. The Crystal Ball prediction came with a confidence of 6/10. Now, predictions are just predictions and they can always be wrong, but it does seem that Penn State has picked up even more momentum as the summer rolls along. Barney has already taken official visits to Penn State and Georgia Tech and is expected to be at Texas A&M this weekend.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Barney is the No. 149 player overall nationally, the No. 14 cornerback in the country, and the No. 20 player in the state of Georgia.
Last recruiting cycle, Brent Key and his staff did a fantastic job of recruiting the state of Georgia, which is one of their top priorities each cycle. Players such as Josh Petty, Tae Harris, Dalen Penson, and others were big wins for the staff and they hope to keep doing that this cycle. Even if Barney were to commit to Penn State, you can expect Key and his staff to continue to try and chip away. Tae Harris committed to Clemson early last cycle, but Key and defensive backs coach Corey Peoples kept plugging away and got the big flip.
Here is what our own Najeh Wilkins had to say about Barney back in March:
"This past season, he went to the state championship with the Carrollton Trojans, who went 14-1 in 2024. He finished with 39 tackles, five interceptions, five pass breakups, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. He got invited to the UA All-American game and the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii. They are both some of the biggest all-star games in the country.
I've gotten the chance to see Barney a few times in person and was blown away every time I saw him with how technically sound he was and how he carries himself as a pro. He has a high football IQ and is a very savvy cornerback who rarely makes mistakes on the gridiron. He would be another good get for the Yellow Jackets."
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!