For the notable guys in the WR room, could you give us your opinion to who they model their game to?
KQ- So that is tough. I assume you mean NFL guys and I don't actually watch a ton of NFL football anymore. I try to spend my weekends with my family when I am not working because I work so many weekends.
What letter grade would you give each position group on offense and defense. Also grade out our depth separately in position groups
KQ- Like in what manner, what I expect this upcoming season production wise? Again probably a little early for this as well.
I think Texas has proved that money doesn't automatically equal wins/improvement - even before in the underwhelming Big XII and like you I think they're in for a world of hurt in the SEC. Apologies in advance for maybe the not best worded questions.
A couple weeks ago while the fantasy of joining the BiG and it's increased revenues was spinning in our heads - where does the tipping point lie now on how much money total - both from the AA and NIL does it take to be able to field a truly competitive team in the ACC / make it to the playoffs? If we had been able to join the BiG, what would your thoughts on realistic impacts on our football team end up being (presumably after addressing debt servicing, etc...)- more quality control assistants, recruiting specialists, higher level coordinators? Is the lack of high dollar NIL backers going to keep us at a lower ceiling if we continue on the trend of not growing a generation of grads who love GT football and want to see it thrive, etc...
KQ- So I believe you are asking what would happen if GT had gone to the Big Ten instead of Rutgers and how would that have impacted things for GT over the last 8-9 years. That is hard to say. Both Maryland and Rutgers have struggled on the football field with the Scarlet Knights going bowling twice since 2014 and the Terps with three appearances. Both teams were much better in their previous conference. Clearly, Nebraska is another team that has struggled a lot with that move as well. I think financially things would be better, but it is really hard to say what the on the field product would look like especially if you were in the division with Ohio State and Michigan and even Michigan State who are all light years better than what GT sees in the ACC Coastal typically during the same span.
On a lighter note, do you guys play a drinking game based to which unexpected (well it’s probably expected) direction any given thread will go?
KQ- I'm pretty sure both Russell and I would be dead if we did.
We all worry about OL depth. Any chance that 4* Tyler Gibson or 3* Bobby Mooney or Brandon Best surprise and get into the 2 deep this fall?
KQ- Gibson is probably the most likely at this point. Best is working a lot at center so he has a chance if he can get ahead of Will Lay as the backup to Weston Franklin. I think the tackle spot is more open outside of the three main guys, Williams, Leftwich and Green. Mooney is kind of an unknown to me at this point since he is the only one I haven't seen play or in camp.
With so many players, and a couple recruits, getting drafted and signing from GT Baseball there's going to almost certainly be a big push to add from the portal this offseason. When should we expect action on that to pick up? Has there been any names already being thrown around as interesting? Should there be high expectations for who we are able to get based on the recent transfer success of Borden, Simpson, Malloy, Huff (kind of - he got drafted at least lol)?
RJ- I touched on this a few times throughout the month of July, but I will reiterate again today that I do not anticipate them to be nearly as active in the portal as was once expected… the players in the portal seem to have unrealistic expectations in terms of what they are worth, and what level of schools they are good enough to play at.
Once that starts to even itself out, within the next couple of weeks, things could pick up.
I do not anticipate anything being imminent though. I will say, though, that Ramsey and Co. added a 2025 commitment today if that tells you how worried they are about the portal.
With football season getting set to really amp up this coming week, typically this is where baseball coverage kind of goes away for a while.
I am pushing to make sure that does not happen this time around, and will be hopefully dropping a baseball war room of sorts sometime in the coming weeks.
In regards to expectations, I believe that is a fair question given the amount of success by the
Now that RJ is down here will both of you go to the football practices that allow media availability?
KQ- Not really, I think RJ may sub for me when I have something come up or am traveling for some reason, but we each have lanes. He may help with some game stuff but that is TBD.
On Jacob Cruz and Gabriel Fortson, the FC has been in on them for a while now. Will we see commitments soon? Or are we going to get into another situation like Quentin Ajiero? What's the latest?
RJ- Gabe Fortson has his commitment date in early October locked in. The date means a lot to him, as he honors his father who passed away when he was much younger.
As I mentioned earlier this week, I have no plans to change either of my FutureCasts.
I believe a decision from Jacob Cruz is imminent.
Another BDS question:
Schools across the country have upgraded their jumbotrons over the last few years.
We haven’t upgraded ours since 2009.
Boise State just did their’s for $4.5 million.
Maryland for $15 million.
Clemson is in the process of completing their’s and UGA back in 2018.
please tell me there’s a plan to upgrade it?
KQ- I'm pretty certain they've replaced the entire thing since 2009. I've seen the board taken apart during that span and they added more elements to it as well over the years. I'd be curious to see what the returns are on something like that. You have schools with massive ones that keep replacing them all the time. It seems like a money pit to me.
It’s been mentioned Tech is looking at QB for 2023. A little curious about that because that’d make 5, and unless you’re getting Trevor Lawrence you’re looking at a RS. Is that having any effect on the guys they’re looking at?
KQ- There is always attrition at quarterback, it is the most attrition-prone position in all of college football. There are so many moving pieces right now from Jeff Sims and what his arc looks like to the younger guys and how they fit in. Typically you carry 4-5 QBs at a time anyway. It also depends on if Taisun is a legit QB or not and how he develops throwing the ball.
Are we also looking at September 5th to see who’s calling plays on D? If so that’s going to be an extremely interesting post game presser regardless of what happens.
KQ- Everything I have been told or seen with my own eyes at practice is that Andrew Thacker is the DC and calling the plays. You will be able to tell on the sideline if Collins or someone else was calling the game so that would be very difficult to hide and we would hear about it from the kids as well. You can't keep something like that a secret.
If we win 7+ games how many current commits do we drop because higher rated players want to come now?
RJ- I am no betting man, but I would expect there to be several. Not going to put a number on it out of respect to the kids committing, but I also believe some targets would also be forced to look elsewhere as well.
That is a slippery slope to count on, though. What if the school these recruits are currently committed to also exceed expectations? What if GT wins 7+ games and then Geoff leaves for another job?
There are so many what if scenarios floating around right now, but the biggest one for GT fans to follow right now is= what if GT wins the games they are supposed to?
If that happens, results will follow, whether that means kids finding safe landing spots, new offers going out, etc.
