Derry Norris, who is committed to the DL from Georgia Tech, impressed in a 50-0 win over Seabreeze in Week 1. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman was a disruptive force for Spruce Creek, finishing with 11 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks in the first half alone.

Norris is coming off a good junior season in which he recorded 70 tackles, 20 QB pressures, 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, helping Spruce Creek to a 7-4 record in 2023. Spruce Creek made it to the first round of the playoffs before losing 35-25 to DeLand.

Here is a small excerpt from his scouting report and my thoughts when I watched his tape last summer:

What he can bring to Georgia Tech is Norris as a disruptive interior defender who wins a lot of one-on-one situations. His moves aren’t spectacular, but they don’t need to be. Norris has mastered using his hands and getting under offensive linemen to get into the backfield. His pursuit in the run game is excellent and he picks up ball carriers in a flash. Norris is great at shaking off blocks and not letting ball carriers advance.

Another thing to note about his film is that he never gives up. He is constantly moving and doesn’t stop until the whistle blows. In his Hudl film, you can see several plays where he chases the quarterback or ball carrier and makes a stop. He gives his best on every play.

Norris committed to the Yellow Jackets on June 28. He started the first game of his final season right and had a huge impact on the game. According to the 247Sports Composite, he is the No. 61 defensive player, the No. 80 player in Florida and the No. 600 player nationally. In my opinion, he is much better than the rankings suggest and has great potential at the next level. It looks like Georgia Tech has found another recruit who could become a key player for the program in the next few years.