Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
@Russell Johnson would you say we’re in the top 3?

Dontae Smith

Dylan Leonard

Jordan Williams

THE FLATS – With inclement weather in the forecast for Friday, Georgia Tech softball (15-9, 2-1 ACC) has adjusted its weekend schedule against No. 13 Virginia Tech (19-5, 5-1 ACC).



The Yellow Jackets and Hokies will now play both the first and second games of the series as a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Mewborn Field. Game two will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.



The series finale remains scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. on The Flats



Potential further schedule updates will be available online at ramblinwreck.com and @GaTechSoftball on Twitter.

Signees Eric Singleton, Gabe Fortson, and Jacob Cruz were all in attendance today as well. Expecting them to land at least one recruit from this list below, perhaps even as soon as today.

Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media

I’ve got YouTube Tv so y’all know the deal. How can I watch the game mañana at our farmhouse with smart tvs and wifi?

Greetings from GT.

A few of the players are already down here loosening up. Big thing to watch will be Keion White running a 40 since he didn’t at the Combine.

Will Lay and EJ Jenkins among the hopefuls aiming to get on radars beyond Charlie Thomas, Keion and Ayinde Eley.

Let's do this.

Crazy to think this time last year was the spring game 😅

THE FLATS – On Thursday, Georgia Tech officially dedicated the new day-to-day home of Tech cross country/track and field, the Michael K. Anderson Building.



The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia officially approved the naming of the facility after Michael K. “Mike” Anderson on January 18. The building was opened and unveiled to members of the cross country and track and field teams later that day.



The facility was officially dedicated in Anderson's honor during a special ceremony on Thursday afternoon.



Anderson starred as a track and field student-athlete at Georgia Tech from 1976-79, setting school records in the high hurdles, intermediate hurdles and mile relay during his time as a Yellow Jacket and earning a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.



After graduating from Georgia Tech, Anderson has enjoyed a prolific professional career and currently serves as senior vice president at Georgia Power and president/CEO of Georgia Power Foundation Inc. and Southern Company Charitable Foundation.



Despite his many work commitments, he has always found time to give back to Georgia Tech through his involvement on several boards, including the Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Trustees, the Alexander-Tharpe Fund Board, the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board and the Georgia Tech Advisory Board. He is currently a member of the executive committee of the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees and has served in volunteer leadership roles in the Institute’s $1.8 billion campaign that ended in 2015 and in its current $2-plus billion campaign.



In addition to his service to Georgia Tech, Anderson is an inspirational leader in the industry and in the community who has received many recognitions for his service. He has received Georgia Tech Athletics’ Total Person Alumni Award and the Dean Griffin Community Service Award in recognition of his exemplary community service. He is a member of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni and, in 2021, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association conferred to him its highest award, the Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his lifetime leadership, achievement and service to Georgia Tech and the community.



The Anderson Building is located adjacent to McCamish Pavilion, directly across Fowler Street from Georgia Tech’s George C. Griffin Track.

Friday- Dawson Brown
Saturday- TBA
Sunday- Jackson Finley

...the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame is tonight.

Al was previously inducted into both the Georgia Radio HoF and Georgia Sports HoF.

Brent Key spoke and he was pleased with how many NFL teams showed up and that the former GT players did well and he is hoping this starts something bigger each year with GT Pro Day. A lot of the current players came out to watch as well and Zach Gibson threw for the skill guys.

Key said that having NFL scouts here (Kenyatta Watson's primary job) is really important to the health of the program and the future of Georgia Tech because this has to be a place where NFL talent is developed.

Key said he has some great talks with people in the league about the players who worked out today and he said the mental characteristics of a GT player fit well into the NFL.

Key said he thinks EJ Jenkins is a really versatile guy that will get a pro look because he was productive at GT as a WR, but can also play TE.

I asked Key about his favorite NFL draft story and he danced around it before talking about Blake Bortles at UCF and how they found him and developed him and getting to see that up close was a real highlight for him as a coach. He said he loves when he gets the calls about kids he coached or recruited or developed from NFL people and gets to talk about them.

DE Keion White tweaked his hammy on his second run but was in the 4.75 range, he said he had to pull up a bit on his second run and thought he might hit 4.7. HIs plan was to do that and position drills but he had to scrap the second part.

White has been working out with a lady who trains NFL, MLB and NBA players instead of working in a NFL Draft factory workout lab. He gets more specific instruction that way and he thinks that has helped his stock rise.

White said it is weird being sought after now after always being an under the radar guy who surprised people. He said he is still hearing he is likely to be a 1st round pick, but he said he doesn't care if he is 1st, 2nd or 7th round, he just wants to make it past five years in the league. He said all that stuff with mock drafts is just guys sitting in their offices anyways. LOL

He has a bunch of private workouts coming up with NFL teams and he had basically every team talk to him.

White said he has been told he can play anywhere from DT to OLB depending on the scheme and he likes that teams view him as being that versatile.

LB Charlie Thomas did position drills only and did well in those. He just wanted to show he can move and get in and out of breaks and stuff like that.

He has been getting a lot of interest after his workout at the Combine last month.

Thomas said he is just focusing on what he can control and will do whatever he has to do.


EJ Jenkins ran a 4.56 40 on Pro Day, this is what he had to say about his performance:

EJ said that he was not surprised by his strong performance. He has higher performance expectations than anyone outside does. He knew he was having a good day, but he won't be complacent either. He just kept hitting reset after every drill.

Jenkins got invites from several teams including Baltimore and an invite to the Falcons local "pro day" or whatever they call it. Jenkins said it would be a dream come true to play for the Falcons. He grew up a Falcons fan.

He said he measured in at 6'6" 245 today. He is willing to play WR or TE, he mentioned a few players that he is patterning himself after. Calvin Johnson was his biggest one, but he said with the TE thing making the transition that Darren Waller did is on his mind.

Other than White, EJ was the most sought after guy by the NFL scouts, he spent a LOT of time talking to scouts.


LB Ayinde Eley looked good in drills and workouts and weighed in at 230 and was moving really well. He is just looking for an opportunity in the league. He enjoys playing special teams and talked about how he was on every single unit at one point or another during his career in college and he knows that is his path to make.

Former RB Nate Cottrell was there trying to get one more shot in the NFL, he needs one more year to vest in the NFL retirement system so he really wants it bad. His 40 wasn't up to his standards he said, but he crushed the other part of the workout.

Malachi Carter, Will Lay and Hassan Hall also worked out. Hall probably has the best shot of that group, but he will have to go the free agent camp route to make it.

Auburn (12-3-1) will host Georgia Tech (13-3) on Tuesday night in a matchup that many believe is a measuring stick for both programs.

Auburn is coming off of a home series loss against Southeastern Louisiana in which they lost both games of a Saturday doubleheader forced by the weather.

Georgia Tech, of course, took the first two games of the series against Notre Dame before being embarrassed 17-4 in the finale.

PROBABLES: GT RHP Ben King (R-So., 2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. AUB LHP Tommy Vail (Gr., 2-0, 0.00 ERA)

BATS TO WATCH FOR AUBURN

2B Bryson Ware (.455/.536/1.000 with 7 HR, 20 RBI, 10 K, and 9 BB)

1B Ike Irish (.477/.541/.677 with 0 HR, 16 RBI, 9 K and 9 BB)

X-FACTORS FOR GEORGIA TECH

Ben King, SP?

After an extremely impressive start to the 2023 season, a fully-healthy Ben King's stuff and to the point where coach Danny Borrell is ready to transition him into a starting role.

With six scoreless appearances under his belt, and a pitching staff with more questions than answers one weekend into conference play, the opportunity in front of King is a big one.

Will he throw 100 pitches? Absolutely not. His season high is 39, which I would expect him to surpass. In that season-long outing, he pitched three innings. If he is able to replicate that today, or even stretch it into the fourth and a second time around the order, he may find himself in the mix for more chances in the future.

Patience at the plate, especially early

While it may be easy to be excited in a matchup like the one GT is Auburn's starter has allowed just ne hit thus far this season, but does come into tonight's matchup with 6 BB along with the 17 K that have Auburn fans excited.

Vail has 14 of those 17 strikeouts in his two starts thus far this season.

Overall, he's got one of the better profiles for a mid-week pitcher that I have seen in several years, and given Georgia Tech's strikeout rate by the high-impact bats (Finley 16 K in 42 AB, DeLeo 17 K in 62 AB, Reid 19 K in 64 AB, Romano 14 K in 53 AB) he is going to have his chance to keep up his current rate of 7 K per start.

If Georgia Tech is going to be effective against him, they are going to need to work counts, foul off pitches, and be patient. As much as the 0-0 fastball may look appetizing, the earlier that GT is able to get into the Auburn bullpen and get off of Vail, the better their chances are at pulling this one out.

Georgia Tech held practice number two on Wednesday of spring ball and after practice, offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Buster Faulkner and co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke spoke to the media after practice.

Faulker spoke about how he ended up at GT, he said after the GT-UGA game and the SECCG things picked up with him talking to Key. He has known Key since Key hosted his brother in-law on a recruiting visit over 20 years ago. They never worked together but stayed in touch over the last 20 years and he had a lot of respect for Brent and what he has done and how he approaches his work. They share beliefs on the game and how things should be done and they've put together a great staff.

Faulkner said that they are searching for the identity of the offense and they will develop that this spring, but they want to control tempo fast/slow in and out of the huddle, they will do it different ways and they want to set the standard for GT football. There is not standard set yet, they are trying to establish that standard. The idea of the offense is to get the ball in playmakers hands and create explosive plays and protect the football. They want to be good on third down and in the red zone. They want the QBs to be able to make plays with his feet. Those are the things they are working on and the questions they are trying to answer.

On his TEs, Faulkner said that it is becoming a key position in the NFL and college now and they have to be able to catch the ball, run and block. They are going to play to the strengths of that group and they want to stretch the field if they can at that position.

On Brett Seither, he has familiarity with what they do and how he wants to call it.

On Dylan Leonard, he is extremely pleased with him so far.

Billy Ward is coming on and starting to do some good things and Jackson Long is a young guy that is coming around as well that they are excited about.

Luke Benson is out for a little bit with an injury but they are looking forward to seeing what he can do.

On why he came to GT,

"I think I'm the luckiest man in the world to be in the state of Georgia. This is where I want to be I don't want to be anywhere else. I actually told my wife back in the season, this would be the only place that I would want to be and this is I could not be more excited. Being from 20 minutes down the road growing up watching Georgia Tech, Joe Hamilton, Jeremy Muyres was a teammate of mine, one of the best football players I've ever met around back at Parkview and just to be here in this great city, you know, great state. I think it's the best state in the country as far as high school football goes. We've got a son in high school we want him to finish up his career. So Coach Key was obviously a big part of that. You know, like I said, the way we're aligned and his beliefs, I think he believes in the right things. I think he believes in people the way he went about hiring people is exactly kind of the way I see things. I'm excited. I really, truly feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

On having three QBs but no clear #1 yet,

Pyron started and got hurt so he obviously has an idea of what it takes to be the starter at least for a few weeks and what it takes to be a gamer. Haynes won the starting job a couple of times at TAMU and battled through injuries there so he is similar to Pyron and Gibson started some games as well so all three have some starting experience. The bottom line is we are looking for the toughest guy on the field, bottom line. QB has to be extremely tough and has to be a great leader and have all the intangibles you are looking for at QB. If you look across the country the QB is usually the guy with the best intangibles, whoever ends up wining that job. Right now they are all getting reps.

On the WRs, he thinks they have some size and some speed and they are hungry. They've got to continue developing guys and getting reps. Leo Blackburn is obviously a big part of it and they are encouraged with where he is with his recovery from the wrist injury. He always has a smile on his face. Malik Rutherford is a guy who never got the credit he deserved, he is quick and they are excited about him. Christian Leary is a guy who had a lot of reps at Bama and has done some good things. Abdul Janneh has done some nice things as well. They are two-deep across the board at receiver right now.

On comparing Key and Kirby Smart, both Nick Saban disciples

Anytime you are at a place like Bama there are similarities between him and Kirby and this is Coach Key's alma mater and it means a lot to him and you feel that every day. He thinks that is great and it is very similar to UGA. He said it is very similar to Bama or UGA in how things are done and walkthroughs and how things are done and other guys on the staff have been at places like that too and are like that as well they understand that practice structure and how it is set up.

On the RB room,

He wants position versatility there guys who can run, catch and block. They will know way more with pads on with that group. He is really excited about Coach McKenzie and they've worked together before and he is one of the best teachers in the country.

I asked him about his role developing Stetson Bennett and what he learned about picking QBs from that scenario where they went with the walk-on guy and not the 4/5-star big name,

"I kind of alluded to it earlier, but Stetson is probably the toughest human being I've ever been around and he possessed a lot of the qualities we look for and he has been able to go out and do great things. Whether I'm here, in the NFL, or coaching peewee football, I'm looking for tough guys who are smart and that have all the intangibles."

Login to view embedded media

Link to watch live at the top of the hour, discuss within here

I'm in the market for an everyday shoe, which I may walk or jog in as well. It seems in airports nowadays every other shoe people wear seem to be OCs and the cheapest pair I can find online is $140. Is this brand a fad or is it legit?

Also I read that it runs narrow, and I have wider feet. A colleague of mine said if you go up 1/2 size larger it's not a big deal.

Any owners here that have thoughts?

Buster Faulkner

Chris Weinke

Is setup man Ben King.

King still has an ERA of 0.00 this season, along with 15 K, 1 BB, and 7 H allowed in 12 IP.

This will be his first career start.

Auburn and GT were playing a little game of chicken last night, waiting as long as they could before announcing pitchers. GT wasn’t going to name one until Auburn did, while Auburn was attempting to do the same thing.

The Tigers will be starting lefty Tommy Vail, a grad transfer from TCU who also comes into tonight’s matchup with a 0.00 ERA. He’s got a 17/6 K/BB ratio, and has allowed just one hit all season.

Full preview to come once I get caught up on some recruiting stuff today..

Throw them in here

My main camera battery somehow died completely so I was left with my smaller one so less photos than normal.

Today was the lone open practice to the media thus far for spring ball.

Obviously, it was the first day of practice so rust was being knocked off and you'd see the occasional mistake in routes or QB throws for example as signals got a little mixed up.

A few guys were out with illness so when I post pics later and you don't see someone that is why.

OL Cade Kootsouradis and DB Jalen Huff are no longer with the team as players. Koots graduated, unsure what the story is with Huff, but I was not surprised when he was no longer on the roster they just updated.

Christian Burkhalter is back and has moved to TE per my sources they wanted to get him on the field to see what he can do. He actually looks like an NFL TE body and had a couple of nice catches today.

Kaleb Edwards remains with the RBs and they now have a full room of RBs to work with that have class separation with Dontae Smith, Tre Cooley, Jamie Felix, Edwards, Antonio Martin and Evan Dickens plus walk-ons Daylon Gordon and Englan Williams who are pretty good.

Linebacker Khatavian Franks also has returned to the practice field after leaving the team for a second time last fall.

Overall the team looks bigger and a little deeper at some spots.

WR Avery Boyd had a pair of nice catches including a 25-yarder on the sideline.

Sirad Bryant moved back to safety from linebacker and had a nice INT during practice.

Zach Pyron was throwing darts around practice like a veteran QB.

Kenan Johnson had a really nice PBU on a potential TD

Leo Blackburn had a couple of nice grabs including a long touchdown pass.

Practice was very even during the 1v1s and 7v7 stuff.

On to what Key had to say.

Key said they got a jump installing during winter workouts with S&C coach AJ Artis as they got 4-5 weeks of some walk-throughs with the team, but he approached today as day one and they started the installation at the top.

"We approached today as if everyone walked in there for the first time. It was their first time here. Because that's what this spring is about. It's about developing the core building blocks of a football team. It's about bass fundamentals. It's about techniques. It's not. It's not really about the plays that we're going to run on offense or the calls on defense or the blitzes or the coverages or what type of schemes on special teams. It's about basically developing ourselves as good football players and the building blocks that go along with that. And that hasn't changed in 100 years. You have to be able to get your hands inside on both sides of the ball. You have to be able to tackle somebody the right way. You have to be able to take the right pursuit angles, you have to be able to cover kicks with the right angles. You have to be able to protect the right way. Get your head on the right side in the run game. Right dropped by the quarterback you know assignments with the back so that's what this is about. That's what the spring is about to become good football players individually. So then collectively on the side of the ball special teams, we have a chance to have a good football team."

Key talked a lot about physical and mental toughness and building that through S&C and through practice habits.

"So the toughness, the discipline of the football team in all aspects of their lives. Not just on the field but what they're doing off the field, in the weight room and in the classroom. All those things, the discipline that those are all the things that carry over, you know how you play on the field," he said.

He said that is how you get all 11 guys on the same page and execute, all it takes is for one guy to be off for the whole thing to screw up.

He said the goal is to eliminate fear and anxiety from the players and that they have to be totally committed to the team and the goals of the team.

Key said it is good to have five of the six main OLs back from last year minus Pierce Quick, but continuity can't be counted in this game and they have to build more depth on the OL.

Key said that spring ball is the same at most places and he learned that Coach Saban and Coach O'Leary for example did things the same way, maybe they had different names and ways of teaching it, but it was the same football principles in the spring and he focuses on that. He said he used his 20+ years of experience to program a way he thinks is best for his team to learn and build.

Key said having only 3 scholarship QBs isn't a bad thing as it is harder to rep more than three huddles anyway in spring ball and they will get plenty of work. He said with the staff they put together a core list of what they expect from each position and there are 10 attributes excluding Ht./Wt. they look at and the number one thing is toughness especially at QB. They want someone who is tough and will go fight to win. How the QB leads, how they carry out fakes, how they carry themselves off the field, being a leader on both sides of the ball not just O and D, but the whole team. He believes toughness is a skill and can be taught and learned and coached up.

He wants the QB to manage the offense and he pointed out there is a reason the QB in the NFL commands 20% of the salary cap, they lead the whole team.

Key said he is excited about the RB room and they have Donate back and added Tre Cooley but now they have Jamie Felix with some valuable reps under his belt and they moved Kaleb Edwards to RB to give them a bigger body back there. He said he is looking forward to seeing who separates themselves in that group.

Key said they have measuring sticks for things, but he also doesn't want to put a ceiling on this team either. He saw major improvements just in offseason workouts from Jan onward.

Key on hiring Buster Faulkner he said he knew him in college and Buster knew a little about GT being from the area and he went to HS with some of Key's teammates. He said that Buster has a knowledge of GT and what this place can be and what it has been and that was important to him. He said also that Buster can coach the coaches who work with him and he has a system that he believes in, but also is willing to tailor that system to the personnel he has rather than trying to force something.

Key said the new transfers have fit in well.

I asked Key about replacing Charlie Thomas and Ace Eley's production and if Andre White and Braelen Oliver can do that. He said he hopes so. That they will have a better idea about the LB position in a few weeks, but they have guys with the right measurables and skill. He is really happy for the guys getting a chance to go to the NFL now as well and he said that is what makes CFB so great.

Looks like the Texans.