Made this for myself to help keep track of all the news we've gotten so far this week. Hopefully this is a condensed, accurate summary of stuff that's been explicitly reported by Kelly and Russell. Ideally, if you want to find news about a particular coach, player, or recruit, just control+f and search their name.
I tried to keep editorialization/my own opinions out of this. Additionally, I'm relying on only the stuff Kelly and Russell have posted since the u[sic]ga game on Saturday. When I'm not sure if I'm reading between the lines correctly, I avoided writing anything at all. If a relevant person isn't listed, (for example, most of our 2022 recruits) it's because I haven't seen Kelly or Russell mention them since the georgia game ended.
I tried to keep editorialization/my own opinions out of this. Additionally, I'm relying on only the stuff Kelly and Russell have posted since the u[sic]ga game on Saturday. When I'm not sure if I'm reading between the lines correctly, I avoided writing anything at all. If a relevant person isn't listed, (for example, most of our 2022 recruits) it's because I haven't seen Kelly or Russell mention them since the georgia game ended.
- Coaching Staff
- Head Coach Geoff Collins
- AD Todd Stansbury has confirmed twice publicly that CGC will be the head coach at GT next season.
- Stansbury has also apparently confirmed to donors privately.
- OC Dave Patenaude
- Terminated Sunday, November 28
- Replacement OC
- Collins and Key both involved in search. Hope is the hire will be official for visit weekend Dec 10, even if not publicly
- Options under consideration per Kelly Quinlan:
- tOSU QB coach Corey Dennis
- Miami Dolphins Co-OC George Godsey (Former GT player)
- Declined offer 11/30 (Got a raise and contract extension from the Dolphins from it)
- WKU OC Zach Kittley
- As of 11/30 KQ believes the result will be Kittley or Lindsey
- Currently makes ~$200K
- Hasn’t interviewed yet as of 11/30
- In the mix at Texas Tech and other P5 jobs as well
- “Would fit with the image of GT football that Collins is creating”
- Coastal Carolina Co-OC Willy Korn
- former Troy HC Chip Lindsey
- OC at Auburn in 2017, when they beat Bama and uga the year they both went to the natty
- As of 11/30 KQ believes the result will be Kittley or Lindsey
- Will be vetted
- Tulane OC Chip Long
- Will be vetted
- Nevada OC Matt Mumme
- “Longshot” interview per KQ
- Former Minnesota OC Mike Sanford Jr.
- “Would fit with the image of GT football that Collins is creating”
- Options not under consideration per Kelly Quinlan:
- Former Florida HC Dan Mullen (no, really, he's not coming)
- Current Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin
- Rich Rodriguez
- Current Wake Forest OC
- Interviews
- George Godsey has been interviewed
- Other candidates have been interviewed, though not in person
- As of 11/30, interviews are still planned in the future
- Offers
- George Godsey was offered at least $1M/year, 3-year contract
- This is double what Patenaude made, and is about even with what Godsey currently makes
- Godsey turned down the offer after a raise from the Dolphins/uncertainty about the program’s future/uncertainty about leaving NFL
- Other offensive staff
- Other schools are currently pursuing RB Coach Tashard Choice
- Other schools are currently pursuing OL Coach Brent Key
- Key and Godsey worked together at UCF (excuse the editorialization)
- Temple is currently pursuing TE Coach Chris Wiesehan (per JOL Podcast 49)
- No news regarding WR Coach Kerry Dixon
- DC/LB Coach Andrew Thacker
- Collins is fighting to retain Thacker
- KQ’s sources have walked back the idea of demoting him to just LB coach. Situation not over yet.
- KQ expects Collins to take over as DC.
- Co-DC/Safeties Coach Nate Burton
- Terminated Sunday, November 28
- Collins may make a splashy DB coach hire to coach Safeties and Cornerbacks, depending on what happens with Thacker
- There will likely not be news until a decision is reached regarding Thacker
- Cornerbacks Coach Jeff Popovich
- Terminated Sunday, November 28
- Collins may make a splashy DB coach hire to coach Safeties and Cornerbacks, depending on what happens with Thacker
- There will likely not be news until a decision is reached regarding Thacker
- Also Co-Special Teams Coordinator per Wikipedia, but the staff change announcement from GT doesn’t mention that as his role
- Other defensive staff
- No news regarding DE/OLB Coach Marco Coleman or DL Coach Larry Knight
- Head Coach Geoff Collins
- Current Players
- List of players Kelly Quinlan mentioned these players in response to a question on “who should we be concerned about entering the transfer portal”
- Bold: Announced transfer, italics: confirmed not to transfer
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Dontae Smith, Juanyeh Thomas (can have one year somewhere), Miles Brooks, Quez Jackson, Jaylon King, Wesley Walker, Tobias Oliver, Jordan Yates, Jeff Sims, Chayden Peery, Ja'Quon Griffin, Jamious Griffin
- Jahmyr Gibbs (RB)
- Announced he was entering the transfer portal on 11/29
- Jordan Yates (QB)
- Announced he was entering the transfer portal on 11/30
- Miles Brooks (DB)
- KQ confirmed he would not be leaving
- Tony Amerson (RB)
- Announced he was entering the transfer portal on 11/30
- Had not played in his time here
- Jamal Camp (DL)
- Announced he was entering the transfer portal on 11/30
- Hasn’t played very much
- Dontae Smith (RB)
- Announced he was returning on 11/30 (via that Wolf of Wall Street gif)
- Jordan Mason (RB)
- KQ mentioned on the podcast that he expects Mason to try for the NFL
- List of players Kelly Quinlan mentioned these players in response to a question on “who should we be concerned about entering the transfer portal”
- Current Recruits
- Russell Johnson posted thoughts from these players that were along the lines of “shocked/disappointed to hear that the coaches were fired, I liked them, I’m still committed to GT” (paraphrase mine)
- DB commit Jaron Willis
- Safety commit Clayton Powell-Lee
- QB Zach Pyron
- Individual recruit notes:
- Jaron Willis (DB)
- Visited by Choice, Thacker, and Collins in-home
- Disappointed by coach firings, still committed
- 100% locked in per Russell
- Has ability to enroll early, had not decided as of Nov 28
- Clayton Powell-Lee (Safety)
- Disappointed by coach firings, still committed
- Zach Pyron (QB)
- Visited by Key and Collins in-home
- Disappointed by coach firings, still committed
- Family member posted on JOL indicating commitment
- Expected to enroll early in January 2022
- KJ Miles (DT)
- Visited by Knight in-home
- 100% locked in per Russell
- Terron Kellman (RB)
- Visited by Choice in-home
- Tyler Gibson (OT)
- Visited by Key in-home
- 100% locked in per Russell
- Jaylin Marshall (Safety)
- Visited in-home by Kerry Dixon and Will Glover (QC staff member)
- 100% locked in per Russell
- Expected to enroll early in January 2022
- DJ Moore (WR)
- Visited by Collins and Dixon in-home
- Will enroll early
- Antonio Martin (RB)
- Visited in-home by Choice
- Janiran Bonner (WR)
- Visited in-home by Dixon
- Nate Kurisky (TE) (Decommit)
- Decommitted from GT, not his choice
- GT no longer taking a HS TE
- Jeffrey Bonica (OL) (Decommit)
- Decommitted from GT, not his choice
- BJ Diakite (Edge) (Target) Recently decommitted from Vandy
- Visited by Collins and Coleman in-home
- Taking official visit weekend of Dec 11-12 (Maybe 4-5 depending on what “next weekend” means)
- Best friends with teammate Zach Pyron
- Russell’s futurecast to GT is still firm
- Darren Agu (Edge) (Target) (Vandy Commit)
- Visited by Collins, Coleman, and Wiesehan
- Expected to visit GT between now and Dec 11-12
- Jaden Harris (CB) (Target)
- Visiting GT Dec 11-12
- Justin Williams (RB) (Target)
- Offered in person by Choice. (In response to Gibbs transfer)
- Williams had hoped for a GT offer
- Azaryeh Thomas (Ex Target)
- Reopened his recruitment
- Close with Nate Burton, not likely coming to GT
- Removed from offers board
- Drew Bobo
- Not a likely target per Russell
- Not on offers board
- Jaron Willis (DB)
- Russell Johnson posted thoughts from these players that were along the lines of “shocked/disappointed to hear that the coaches were fired, I liked them, I’m still committed to GT” (paraphrase mine)
- Potential Transfers
- OL Paul Tchio, transferring from Clemson
- Taking official visit weekend of Dec 11-12 (Maybe 4-5 depending on what “next weekend” means)
- Being
- OL Pierce Quick, transferring from Bama
- Key will be recruiting him heavily per Russell
- Very close with Key per KQ. “I would not be surprised to see Quick land with Key if/when he is available”
- Editorialization: If Key leaves GT, Quick would land wherever Key goes
- DB MJ Griffin, transferring from Temple (Has GT Offer)
- Recruited by Collins to Temple
- WR Jadon Haselwood, transferring from Oklahoma
- Russell posted his transfer announcement. (To editorialize, that suggests he’s a target for our staff)
- Other potential transfers (Per Russell on JOLP 49)
- Third OL, RB, QB, TE, LB, DB, DL (only DL with immediate impact)
- OL Paul Tchio, transferring from Clemson
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