Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Johnson turned his gaze back to Hawaii, where he once coached, to extend yet another scholarship offer.

For Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall, this weekend’s impending regional matchup in Gainesville represents an opportunity for a fresh start for both himself and his team. Truer words have never been spoken; the Jackets can finally move forward without their postseason fate hanging over their heads for the first time in months. Although a two seed in the same region as the No. 1 overall seed is hardly a reward, it does mean that the rest of the pool should be a bit easier to stomach. If Tech had been placed as a three seed in any other regional, it would mean that the selection committee saw them as the third-best in that pool alone. I’ll personally take second-best over third-best any day, even if that type of selection is totally arbitrary and subjective.

The Georgia Tech football staff hopped halfway across the Pacific to find the next great Tech defender, offering Hawaii native and three-star defensive end Aliki Vimahi an opportunity to play football on The Flats. It’s nice to get that home-grown talent from the Atlanta area, but I’m perfectly content with quality players from anywhere in the world. Vimahi, the sixth-best player in the state of Hawaii, certainly appears to fit that “quality” label. If he does decide to choose Tech over other reported offers from BYU, Colorado, and Oregon State, he’d become the second Hawaiian on the roster, joining safety Shaun Kagawa. Perhaps that will be a draw for the 6-foot-3 edge rushing prospect.

In basketball recruiting news, Tech’s staff spent its Wednesday extending an offer to four-star forward Jordan Tucker of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY.

The second-rated player in the state of New York, Tucker would be an amazing addition to Josh Pastner’s recruiting class. Most outlets have Syracuse as a heavy favorite to land him, but it’s still relatively early in the process.

Former Georgia Tech linebacker Lucius Sanford was included on the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, released yesterday for eligible voters and the public alike to gaze upon as the selection process continues. I was two decades too late to watch him play, but all indications are that the All-Time Jacket is quite worthy of induction. Whether or not he will achieve the accolade in a star-studded 2017 class is what remains to be seen — the name recognition just might not be there when put up against a Peyton Manning, Brian Urlacher, or Ray Lewis. Whatever the outcome may be, congratulations to Sanford on his inclusion. If selected, he’d become the thirteenth Tech player in the College Hall of Fame.