Jackson McVey has traded his red and black basketball attire for white and gold.
McVey, who played three years at Gilmer High where he scored 1,404 points and became the school’s all-time leader in rebounds (864) and blocks (158), will take the court this season as a redshirt freshman at Georgia Tech.
“McVey has signed a grant-in-aid to join Georgia Tech men’s basketball,” head coach Scott Cross announced Wednesday, May 13.
“We are fired up about his addition to our basketball team,” Cross said. “At 7’ 1”, Jackson provides us with a pick-and-pop threat from the center position. He is very skilled and will be a tough matchup for opposing posts that are trying to defend our pick and rolls.
“He will also help us defensively with his size and ability to protect the basket.”
McVey redshirted his true freshman season at the University of Georgia in 2025-26 and entered the transfer portal at the beginning of April. McVey noted he was in contact with “20 some odd” teams while in the portal, which he described as a fluid process.
“Leaving UGA was a really tough decision. I loved life over there, and I loved the basketball too,” McVey said. “I felt as though I would have more success elsewhere. Some different things changed whenever I got there than what I was recruited on. Not necessarily to fault them or anything, but it’s just the way things happened.
“I felt as though I needed a change of scenery and a fresh start somewhere else that could magnify the strengths of my game.”
McVey realizes the uniqueness of the situation of transferring to Tech after playing a season with its bitter rival.
“The rival aspect is going to be weird, especially knowing that I was a big fan of theirs for a whole year,” McVey said. “I kind of grew a love for Georgia while I was there, but I grew up a Tech fan.
“It’s a weird dynamic, and I didn’t have this grand plan to do this all along. It’s kind of just the way things went. I’ve got to do what’s best for me, and I thought this was a good decision. I have a lot of resources in Atlanta, trainers and people I went to high school with here (Overtime Elite), so I have a bunch of different people.”
McVey is one of two centers on the Yellow Jackets’ roster along with 7’ sophomore Cole Kirouac. After meeting with Cross, McVey is optimistic about his court time.
“They said I have a great chance to make a big impact with my size and skill. My skills cater to their offense really nicely,” McVey said. “I trust my work ethic and how hard I’ve worked this offseason and the entirety of last year to make a big impact this season. I’m not really too concerned with who I’m competing with. I’ve just got to take care of my own business and see how far that takes me.”
McVey is currently in Atlanta training, taking classes and preparing for the season. Team workouts are set to begin in the coming weeks.