Georgia Tech flipped defensive tackle Kam Cullins from SMU on Thursday night, but when JOL caught up with Cullins to get the details on his decision it turned out to be a bigger decision than football for the talented lineman from North Cobb HS.

For Cullins, the process of taking a visit, keeping things quiet, and weighing three different options was a heavy burden over the last week, but at the end of the day, it was an obvious decision for him to commit to Georgia Tech.

"I wanted to make sure I put my family first and that is one thing that I've always done, put God, faith and my family first and me third. There is a lot of stuff going on with my family and I had to go back to the drawing board and it really came down to Georgia Tech and South Carolina," he said. "I went to Georgia Tech and everything sounded good and everything looked good and it was an ongoing thing, there were too many pros for me to say no to Georgia Tech so that is really what has been going through my mind this week. There were just too many pros to say no to Georgia Tech."

Cullins didn't want to get into his family issues, but there was a significant change for his family and that really spurred his decision to rethink his commitment to SMU.

"There is something really major going on with a family member that was a big-time loss for us and changed our view of things and I know what my parents can handle and the last thing they want me to do is to go 12 hours away where they can't come to see me at nighttime or whatever the case may be," he said.

The way that Tech head coach Brent Key and his staff handled the visit with care and a lack of pressure also was reassuring to Cullins who wanted to keep the process very quiet until he made his decision.

"The first thing that stood out was the relationship with the coaches. It didn't feel pressured or anything, they knew I was committed to SMU, but they didn't really talk about it too much. They knew where I needed to be and where I would be developed more at and that was the first thing," he said.

The recent commitment of defensive back Fenix Felton also played a major factor in Cullins' decision to commit.

The second thing is my childhood best friend Fenix, he played a part in it as well. Me knowing I'll have someone every single day as my roommate pushing me and being honest with me. I can go to practice and work hard and find out I did this, this and this wrong, but overall I did well, but my best friend that I grew up with since Pampers will keep it real with me and even tell me things that coaches won't tell me or my other D-line teammates won't tell me. If I see him doing good that will push me as well and we can both strive together and that is also a plus in my decision."

Cullins is so close to Felton, that he was the first person who found out he was committing to Tech.

"He was the first person I told. I didn't even tell my parents first," Cullins said of his relationship with Felton. "I didn't tell anyone, I just told him. I knew he wanted to hear that news and he was really excited. Before he committed, I knew he was going to Georgia Tech and he was just ecstatic and he wanted to tell his parents, but I told him to wait because I knew they had people talking to them and I wanted to make sure everything was settled with SMU first. He is really excited for us to be roommates and teammates for the next four to five years."

Being in Atlanta as a native Atlantan made the decision easier for Cullins as well.

"The third thing for me is Tech being in Atlanta in the city. My brother goes to Clark Atlanta, my sister goes to Georgia State and my mom has an apartment six minutes away from campus and she can look into (Bobby Dodd) Stadium from her apartment. My dad is right here in Kennesaw so it is all centered right here and when I had to go back to the drawing board after some family issues happened, it was just too good to say no to," Cullins said. "When I made the decision my dad told me that it was a big time relief and it was the same thing for me, my mom felt a relief, and my siblings too. It has been stressful throughout the process."

Tech defensive line coach Jess Simpson was the recipient of the good news when Cullins decided to commit.

"The coaches were excited when I committed and Coach Key called my phone immediately when I told Coach Simpson and he exploded on the phone and talked about it and went straight to the other coaches who hit up my phone too. It didn't really hit me until I announced it (on social media) and then I was up all night just smiling," Cullins said.

Simpson has a full plan on how to use Cullins and told the defensive tackle he has some versatility for their scheme.

"He sees me as a three-technique, but with my athleticism, they'll move me around the D-line a lot, but I'm going to play three-technique on the DL. He sees me coming in as a true freshman and having a good shot to play and start, but that will be on me to earn it," Cullins said. "I know that I am going to grind for my spot and I want to play."

That relationship with Simpson and the Tech coaches is something Cullins is enjoying building up and was a special part of the OV weekend for him.

"Coach Simpson, it is kinda of crazy, I have an old head coach who reminds me of him. I actually saw my old head coach yesterday at practice. It is a really good and genuine relationship. I met his wife over the official visit and she is a really good woman. Meeting with Coach (Tyler) Santucci and all the other staff I've built good relationships all around and that is a great feeling," he said.

Part of the secrecy of the whole recruiting process was Cullins wanting to be respectful of SMU defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux, head coach Rhett Lashlee and the SMU staff who were one of the first schools to recruit him and took his commitment in good faith.

"It was really hard to explain to them, especially Coach Tibs. It was an issue that was building over time and they knew they would have to take me off my family's hands and my siblings hadn't been to Texas but one time, it was a deep relationship but Coach Tibs understood where I was coming from and it hurt him and me, but it was for the best," he said.

Cullins' commitment moved Georgia Tech to 14th in the Rivals Team Rankings for 2025 as the 18th commitment overall for the 2025 class.