Georgia Tech adds 7-foot center to basketball team

Staff Reports

THE FLATS – A 7-1 center from Ellijay, Ga., Jackson McVey has signed a grant-in-aid to join Georgia Tech men’s basketball, head coach Scott Cross announced on Wednesday.

“We are fired up about the addition of Jackson McVey to our basketball team,” Cross said. “At 7-1, Jackson provides us with a pick and pop threat from the center position. Jackson is very skilled and will be a tough matchup for opposing posts that are trying to defend our pick-and-rolls. Jackson will also help us defensively with his size and ability to protect the basket.”

McVey, who redshirted his true freshman season at Georgia in 2025-26, was a four-star recruit by ESPN.com and a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com, On3.com and Rivals.com out of high school. The Peach State native played his final prep school season down the road from Georgia Tech at Overtime Elite, averaging 9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in 18 regular-season games for Real Wild Energy (RWE).  McVey helped RWE post a 14-6 record to finish third in the OTE standings in 2024-25. He contributed 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in three playoff contests with RWE. McVey finished the season fourth in blocks and No. 14 in rebounding, while logging 11 double-figure scoring games and four double-digit rebounding outings.

McVey played his first three seasons at Gilmer County High School, earning first-team all-state for Class 3A by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a junior after averaging 26.2 points, 15.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. The Bobcats reached the round of 16 of the Georgia Class 3A tournament and finished 19-9 overall. As a sophomore, McVey picked up all-region honors, while also being tabbed Region Player of the Year, contributing 19.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks for a 19-10 Bobcat squad. McVey finished three years at Gilmer with 1,404 points, a school-record 864 rebounds and 158 blocks, and helped the Bobcats to three-straight state tournament appearances.

McVey joins Cross’s signing class that consists of Kayden Allen (Long Island Lutheran/Lilburn, Ga.) Kaiden Bailey (Santa Margarita Catholic/Irvine, Calif.), Moustapha Diop (Overtime Elite/Thies, Senegal), Colby Garland (San Jose State/Magnolia, Ark.), Tylis Jordan (Ole Miss/Milledgeville, Ga.), Victor Valdés (Troy/Monterrey, Mexico) and Nasir Whitlock (Lehigh/Brooklyn Park, Minn.).