EDGE Kalib Spivey commits to Georgia Tech: ‘I love the program Coach Key is building’
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Georgia Tech continues to add talent to its defensive front, landing a commitment from Montgomery (Ala.) Russell edge rusher Kalib Spivey.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound defender chose Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets over finalists Clemson, Duke and Maryland, giving Georgia Tech another recruiting win in SEC territory.
Spivey held over two dozen offers and emerged as a priority target for the Yellow Jackets after receiving an offer during the January of his sophomore year.
From that point forward, Georgia Tech never let up.
“They have been recruiting me nonstop,” Spivey told Rivals. “Coach Pope was constantly calling me, texting me and just telling me that I’m a priority to him. They just made me feel loved. They have brought me up there as many times as they could.”
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That consistent message helped separate Georgia Tech from the competition.
Spivey visited Atlanta four times throughout the recruiting process, giving him plenty of opportunities to evaluate the program, the staff and the direction of the Yellow Jackets under Key.
Each trip reinforced the same feeling.
“The environment there is very intense and you can tell the players and staff are hungry. They all want to win and bring Georgia Tech back to the national championship level.”
The fit within Georgia Tech’s defensive scheme also played a major role in the decision.
“I committed to Georgia Tech because I love the way they plan on using me in their defense,” he said. “Using me off the edge, inside some and even rushing from linebacker depth.
“Another reason I’ve decided to commit is because they showed me nonstop love and constantly reached out to me every single day to make sure I could call Georgia Tech home.
“I just love the program that Coach Key is building and I want to be a part of it,” he said.
Key and Pope played big roles in the commitment
Key’s leadership style stood out throughout the process.
“I really just love Coach Key’s mindset,” Spivey said. “You can tell all he wants to do is win and see his players achieve all of their dreams. He’s also very funny.”
While Key set the tone, outside linebackers coach Kyle Pope played the biggest role in securing the commitment.
The two developed a strong connection that extended far beyond football.
“The main coach to recruit me was Coach Pope,” Spivey said. “I’ve talked to him all the time since they first offered me and it’s just very easy to talk to him about anything.”
That relationship became one of the strongest in Spivey’s recruitment.
“There have been times we’ll talk on the phone and never talk about football once,” he said. “He just wants to see me become great.”
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