Following a standout career at Darlington High School in Rome, Georgia where he had 1,502 yards and 23 scores in his senior season, Tiaja’i Whatley redshirted for his freshman season for the Yellow Jackets in 2018. Originally signed under Paul Johnson, Whatley demonstrated a wide variety of skills that made him a versatile pick for the Yellow Jackets offense.
He was able to line up in a receiver look, complete passes on fake run plays, and even caught passes out of the backfield which was the perfect athlete to fit the old scheme. It is hard to imagine that with new head coach Geoff Collins, Whatley will not be just as coveted as a potential playmaker with players being asked to hold various different roles for the team.