More to come. (in more ways than one )

Former Notre Dame and Woodward Academy defensive back Khari Gee is now officially a registered student at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

I am still going to let him post his commitment before running any content.

Watching Jeopardy and they asked what a block below the waist was called. The answer "chop block" was considered correct, lol

Sorry for the delay, spent the entire night on the phone with various colleagues and sources.

Azareyeh Thomas is also expected to announce his decision this month at some point.

The @MiramarPD said an arrest warrant has been issued for Giants’ CB Deandre Baker and Seahawks’ CB for four counts of Armed Robbery with a Firearm and four counts of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. Incident occurred May 13.

Per Adam Schefter

Here are a few gifs i decided to breakdown to give an idea of what happened on field vs. Syracuse

Offense:

A lot of style without the substance of scoring TDs or points at all. I believe Sims is the future but he is a freshman and will make mistakes. Currently, Sims has some BAD luck. Here are the two tipped INTs




Here is an RPO vs Cuse’s man blitz
1) Initially, i thought this should’ve been a give to the RPO but the back camera shows you what Sims see, which is #11 stepping up on run support leaving a void for the slant.

Problem:
1) Quinney does a poor job washing the defender down who ultimately makes the play. A better block would give Sims the opportunity to make the throw to Carter in 1on1 coverage

2) Even if completed we appear have OL(Johnson) downfield



Football word of the day is Scat
That’s the pass protection called when you send 5 receivers

Clearly, our offense has an idea of what Syracuse wants to do. With this route combo vs man coverage vertical/zig/swing pulls the LB out the middle LB clearing the way for the intended target, Camp, on the slant.

Problem with pass pro, you have to get a body on a body. Williams & Johnson double team the pinching DE leaving the LB (who timed the blitz perfectly) unblocked

Speaking of timing, one the biggest blunders CDP had imo with Sims is slowing the game down. This is why i didn’t mind the timeout vs. UCF when dealing with a True Freshman. Multiple times vs the blitz we snapped the ball with 20+ left in the play clock instead resetting the offense or pointing blitzers for the OLineman to pick up

Poor execution


I’m ok with play but not with the personnel nor execution. This play screamed pass with Jamious at FB. Also, a bad sell on the give. There was nothing to make #13 pause so this could be completed. If given time, Ward was wide open in the end zone. (Look bottom of screen


I’ll be back with the defense in a few

The final weekend before the "traditional" NSD is now upon us, and while there is expected to be some drama the next five days, it doesn't seem like much of it will take place on campus.

2020 four-star Ga. RB Jo'Quavious Marks will visit this weekend, though. More details about the 2020 class will be coming in the coming days, weeks, and months.

The following are committed to Georgia Tech, and will sign next Wednesday:

Central Gwinnett (Ga.) LB Cornelius Evans
Bishop McDevitt (Pa.) WR Nazir Burnett

The following targets remain:

Rome (Ga.) RB Jamious Griffin
Huffman (Ala.) DL Mike Lockhart

I expect Georgia Tech to land both of them. Lockhart just finished his first year of football, so his upside is through the roof, to say the very least. Griffin's resumè speaks for itself, as do the schools Georgia Tech would be (hypothetically, of course) beating for his signature (Florida State and Auburn, among others)

Lockhart appeared to be all but done for Mississippi State going into his visit there last weekend. He visited, said Starkville was "lit" but then never pulled the trigger on a commitment. Combine that, Mississippi State losing their DL coach to Alabama, and their top DL commit Nathan Pickering shutting down his recruitment last night, and you've got the perfect recipe for a signing day surprise.

Well, not a surprise for subscribers of JacketsOnline but still.. The staff went to see him on Monday, after moving their visit up following the expectation that Tuesday was going to be a wintry mess. That visit seems to have paid off. Will Baker (Alabama's new DL coach) offer late? That, IMO, is the only thing that could prevent Georgia Tech from signing him next Wednesday.

The following recruits are in limbo:

St. Charles (Md.) LB Kameron Blount

I don't expect him to get an offer. With the emphasis he placed on his mom getting to see him play, I'm not sure he would have lasted in Atlanta had he signed with Georgia Tech. He will likely end up at either Maryland or UMass, depending on whether or not he visits UMass this weekend.

DT Joseph Darkwa seems to be all but a done deal to Penn State. I expect that to happen tomorrow. Georgia Tech just couldn't get him on campus. I expect them to continue to recruit overseas, specifically in Europe. The talent there is growing every cycle.

WR TJ Jones was rumored by some national media to be visiting this coming weekend, but as I posted this afternoon, that ship has sailed (if it was ever even on the dock to begin with)

The recruitment of Octavius Brothers has been a weird one, to say the least. Going into this weekend, I expect him to land at Auburn, but Miami has been his dream school for quite some time, and they have what it takes to gain ground fast in his recruitment. Georgia Tech being eliminated just hours after he finalized his official visit date there was one of the strangest things I have seen.

Super Bowl traffic in Atlanta, on top of the regular traffic in Atlanta, is not a good recipe for closing time as NSD approaches.

Both of the commits from the previous staff that didn't sign early are no longer committed. Joshua Black (Stephenson HS) is now committed to Louisville, and Larry Dowdy of South Carolina is now committed to App State. Both Dowdy and Black were able to find what recruiting analysts cal "soft landing" spots, meaning that they weren't actually dropped, but the writing was on the wall for both of them.

The staff was able to shore up the OL, at least for the short-term future, with the commitment of Jared Southers from Vanderbilt. Who fills the void of transferring OG Parker Braun is still unclear, though.

Speaking of transfers, it still feels like a "when" situation regarding Marquez Ezzard announcing his intentions to play for Collins and Georgia Tech. Ezzard will push hard for a waiver to gain immediate eligibility, as he should. Were he to win that appeal, he would have the chance to display the talent locals remember from his HS career at nearby Stockbridge High School.

He's not the only former Georgia HS star that the staff has been talking to from the transfer portal. While it is unclear what position Josh Imatorbhebhe would play were he to land at Georgia Tech, his impact would most certainly be felt early and often on The Flats, and for two years of eligibility at that.

Things like this certainly won't hurt their WR recruiting:
Login to view embedded media Those two possess the staff's two best current chances on the transfer market, to go along with Southers (OL) and Tyler Davis (TE) though other names are expected to come up after signing day, and probably after spring football as well. There's some smoke about a couple of QB's, but we'll save that for another day.

Because of the continuation of the dead period, official visits across the country are being re-scheduled.

One of those is Luther McCoy, a DT from the state of Florida that had one set for June 12th.
Login to view embedded media More coming on Monday, but just wanted to get that out there. He said this in a recent interview-

"I'm very powerful and very smart," McCoy explained. "I started last year, obviously, but I was injured for most of my sophomore and freshman seasons. Both of my labrums tore and I had to have surgery on both of them. Two years in a row. I feel great. I have been cleared for about a year now."
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Will MLB and player’s union get together in time for a reasonable 2020 season??

Return to artificial playing surface expands opportunities for student-athletes, campus and fans



THE FLATS – Georgia Tech athletics will install an artificial playing surface at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the home of Georgia Tech football, this summer. The removal of historic Grant Field’s previous natural grass turf began in late May and the installation of a state-of-the-art Legion NXT turf system with Geofill infill, manufactured by Shaw Sports Turf out of nearby Calhoun, Ga., is expected to be completed in late July.


The installation of an artificial surface will allow for Grant Field to be utilized on a far more regular basis than it currently can be. The new surface will expand opportunities for Georgia Tech student-athletes and teams to train and practice inside Bobby Dodd Stadium. Additionally, it will allow Tech athletics to host many more non-football events inside the stadium that are of interest to the Georgia Tech and Atlanta communities, including campus events, concerts and other sporting events. Financially, the installation of an artificial surface at Bobby Dodd Stadium will decrease expenses associated with maintaining a natural field while also providing opportunities for significant revenue boosts associated with hosting external events. No state funds are being used for the project.


Planning for the switch to artificial turf began in earnest last winter, after Georgia Tech announced that Bobby Dodd Stadium would host concerts by BTS and Guns ‘N Roses in May and August, respectively (the concerts were later postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Those concerts would have required Georgia Tech to replace the natural grass surface less than a month before the Yellow Jackets’ Sept. 3 football season opener versus Clemson.


“I’d like to thank our long-time partners at Shaw for working with us to make this project a reality,” Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury said. “Georgia Tech and Shaw have a long history of collaborating on various projects and we’re excited and grateful to work with them once again.


“While our outstanding grounds crew has consistently produced the nation’s best natural grass football field, Shaw Sports Turf’s Legion NXT turf system will provide our student-athletes with the safest, most consistent playing surface available today,” Stansbury continued. “Additionally, installing an artificial surface will allow us to utilize Grant Field 365 days a year, as opposed to the very limited number of events, practices and workouts that can safely be held on a natural surface. The switch to an artificial field will allow Bobby Dodd Stadium to continue as one of college football’s best stadiums, as well as become a space that the entire campus community can enjoy more often, and evolve into one of the Southeastern United States’ premier entertainment venues.”


The installation of the state-of-the-art Legion NXT surface marks the return of artificial turf at Bobby Dodd Stadium, major college football’s oldest on-campus venue. Grant Field had an artificial surface for 25 seasons from 1971-94, which included the Yellow Jackets’ fourth national championship campaign in 1990. Willie Clay, Marco Coleman, Bill Curry, John Davis, Eddie Lee Ivery, Robert Lavette, Randy Rhino, Pepper Rodgers, Bobby Ross, Lucius Sanford, Ken Swilling and Pat Swilling were among the Georgia Tech legends that played and coached on Grant Field’s artificial surface during their time as Yellow Jackets.


“I’m grateful to our athletics administration, led by Todd Stansbury, and our friends at Shaw Sports Turf for all they’ve done to make it possible for us to install a state-of-the-art playing surface in Bobby Dodd Stadium,” Georgia Tech football head coach Geoff Collins said. “An artificial turf field will give us the ability to practice and train inside the stadium on a regular basis year-round, which will be a huge advantage as we prepare to play in the best setting in college football, Bobby Dodd Stadium in the heart of Midtown Atlanta!”


The Legion NXT turf system is Shaw Sports Turf’s newest fiber system. Including the exemplary ThunderBolt Fiber, Legion NXT is a hybrid system that offers realistic aesthetics with an electrifying degree of durability. The system is built for strength, pushing the envelope and providing endurance through even the toughest of matchups. It is 20 percent more robust and shows minimal signs of wear up to 80,000 lisport cycles. The Geofill infill system is 100-percent natural, and plays natural, resulting in a perfect balance of vertical deformation, rotational resistance and energy restitution. The Geofill infill is made of coconut husks and fibers, which is a rapidly renewable resource. The infill also requires much less water than natural grass, thus resulting in significant levels of conservation.


The National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals (Paul Brown Stadium) and Indianapolis Colts (Lucas Oil Stadium) both have Shaw Sports Turf surfaces in their respective stadiums.


The new playing surface is one of several upgrades will be unveiled at Bobby Dodd Stadium when Georgia Tech football hosts Clemson in the Yellow Jackets’ highly anticipated, nationally televised season opener on Thursday, Sept. 3. Additional upgrades include a new fan- and energy-friendly LED lighting system, a new sound system, improved stadium signage, fresh paint throughout the facility and a refresh of restrooms throughout the stadium.


2020 Georgia Tech football season tickets are on sale now. The Yellow Jackets’ seven-game home schedule is one of the best in program history, featuring matchups at Bobby Dodd Stadium versus Clemson, Miami, Virginia and UCF, as well as the inaugural “Mayhem at MBS” showdown against Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Nov. 14. Season tickets start at just $229 and include the Mayhem at MBS contest versus Notre Dame. For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit ramblinwreck.com/footballtickets.

For the sake of this exercise, the class below has 25 members-

(I do not expect them to sign 25)

Bold indicates a verbal commitment.

QB- (1)
Chayden Peery JR VIDEO (Sierra Canyon- Chatsworth, CA)

RB- (0)
None

WR- (5-6)
Jaden Alexis JR VIDEO (Monarch- Coconut Creek, FL)
James Blackstrain JR VIDEO (Holy Trinity Academy- Melbourne, FL)
Derwin Burgess JR VIDEO (Riverdale, GA)
Jamal Haynes JR VIDEO (Grayson- Loganville, GA)
Malik Rutherford JR VIDEO (Champagnat Catholic- Hialeah, FL)
Jaquez Smith JR VIDEO (Westlake- Atlanta, GA) OR Leo Blackburn JR VIDEO (Westlake- Atlanta, GA)

TE- (2)
Jordan Dingle JR VIDEO (Bowling Green, KY)
Ben Postma JR VIDEO (Cypress Ranch- Cypress, TX)

OL- (4)
Weston Franklin JR VIDEO (Wayne County- Jesup, GA)
Jakiah Leftwich JR VIDEO (Westlake- Atlanta, GA)
Micah Pettus JR VIDEO Sparkman- Huntsville, AL)
Eli Richey JR VIDEO (Southern Academy- Greensboro, AL)

DE- (3)
Grey Carroll JR VIDEO (Alcoa, TN)
Noah Collins JR VIDEO (Grayson- Loganville, GA)
Joshua Robinson JR VIDEO (Douglas County, GA)

DT- (2)
Cameron Ball JR VIDEO (Tri-Cities- Atlanta, GA)
Zeek Biggers JR VIDEO (West Rowan- Cleveland, NC)

LB- (3)
Christian Burkhalter JR VIDEO (Spanish Fort- Spanish Fort, AL)
Jackson Hamilton JR VIDEO (Blessed Trinity- Roswell, GA)
Trenilyas Tatum JR VIDEO (Mt.Zion- Jonesboro, GA) OR Baron Hopson JR VIDEO (Lee County- Leesburg, GA)

CB- (2)
Jayden Johnson JR VIDEO (Cedartown, GA)
Jordan Young JR VIDEO (Gaither- Tampa, FL)

S- (2)
Shawn Chappell JR VIDEO (Southern Durham- Durham, NC)
Jaden Slocum JR VIDEO (Alpharetta, GA)

P- (1)
David Shanahan (Prokick Australia, Ireland)

.

There's a ton of smoke going up right now in the recruitment of Fla. LB Gavin Barthiel.

Barthiel has offers from schools like Nebraska, Louisville, Pitt, Missouri, and several others.

Many sources around his recruitment believe it is going to come down to two schools: Louisville and Georgia Tech. An announcement could come as soon as this week. Louisville appears confident based on a couple of conversations I have had this morning.

Were he to choose Louisville, I am under the impression that will further push in-state LB Jackson Hamilton closer to announcing a decision, as he will see that time truly does wait for no one.

Hamilton's got a solid group of schools involved in his recruitment, but it seems that Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Louisville had separated themselves from the rest of his offers, including SEC programs such as Kentucky and Vanderbilt among others.

Georgia Tech is in a very good position with Hamilton, to the point that I have on several occasions been on his profile ready to put a pick in for him, but have held off until at least one of the other dominoes drop.

Staying at the linebacker position, and I will keep this brief, there has been no let-up from the staff on the Flats in the recruitment of Trenilyas Tatum despite his commitment to South Carolina. If they are going to miss out on Tatum in the end, it will not be due to a lack of effort.

Lastly, there's some divide in opinion around the recruitment of Tex. LB Terrence Cooks. Regarded as one of the best linebackers in the country (and overall players in Texas) Cooks is a priority for the in-state schools, most notably Texas. Is this a two-team battle between just Texas and Georgia Tech? Not at this moment, but it is certainly trending that way.

I have said it on multiple occasions, but that visit he took right before the shutdown made a lasting impression on him and his family.

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These are just a few Tweets that have been posted that I thought you’d like to see.

You know it’s a slow day on here when the dominant topic is kickers. I think we need a new commitment to spice things up!

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Players I identify right off the bat...

Jordan Mason, Dontae Smith, James Graham, Sylvain Yondjouen, Antwan Owens, Peje' Harris, Jaquez Jackson. If you can tell others feel free to share!

Enjoy.

https://georgiatech.rivals.com/news/a-look-at-where-the-2021-class-stands-on-the-ol

I noticed that Javon Nelson is on the offer list, i remember we made his top schools list, but where do we stand with him?

RJ- Nelson's recruitment has definitely slowed down a bit with everything on in terms of not being able to visit, coaches not being on the road, etc. but I have removed him from the offer list as of today. Georgia Tech made his top schools list, but I see him joining the group of recruits enamored with the SEC.

What are the bathroom upgrades at The Dodd supposed to be like? Are there going to be new water fountains?

KQ- No idea, they weren't exactly state of the art, so I think they'll be given some newer features. They've added water stations every time and I believe they are adding more.

Now that you have seen spring ball and what this offense will look closer to. What team can we look at to say, " thats what our offense is going to look like this year and moving forward"

IDK why Tebow, with Demps and harvin come to mind. maybe im crazy with that comparison..

KQ- Lol, the offense looked exactly as it did last spring (2019) and in fall camp (2019) and 2020 spring ball. The offense is a NCAA spread run out of different formations with some screens and dropback passes. It looks like every other team running a spread. The individual concepts are still the same, the formations may change, the play calling may change, but that won't be determined until probably they've played some games or who is QB.

They weren't doing some grand install of a new system. They just didn't execute last year and the playcalling was limited (likely due to the previous issue).

If our team has any a decent 2020 campaign, which coach is likely a target of a factory with more $$$?

KQ- Huh? You talking about poaching football staff. What is a decent campaign? This is like the third time someone asked this, how about folks STOP asking that, it is not a good question. That is like asking your buddy when someone is going to take his wife or girlfriend because you don't think they are good enough for them. Every coach who has left GT since I've been covering them was either for a major step up coordinator/NFL assistant/head coach job or they were fired or about to be or they went to work for a mentor or close friend like BJM.

One thing that I appreciate as a reader, and that provides us the most insight into the coaches thought processes recruiting wise is giving us a look at our current recruiting board (Option A, Option B, Option C at each position/spot). Asking Russell or Kelly to break down the entire recruiting board seems like a lot... but I think all of us would appreciate as much insight into the current recruiting board as you are allowed to share.

RJ- I'll do as much as I can right now without rambling on.

Things are set at the QB position with Chayden Peery for the 2021 class, and it seems they are set on not taking a running back in this class, as well.

The 2022 class at RB is worth monitoring, and it starts with Damari Alston and Antonio Martin inside the state of Georgia.

This doesn't really satisfy your request but I can't go on without talking about how loaded the 2022 class is in Georgia.

There are already nearly 70 recruits in the class with at least a 5.5 rating (three-stars)

The group at wide receiver is not yet maxed out, as targets such as Marcus Burke, Jaden Alexis, and a handful of others from the state of Florida remain. A potential wildcard at the position is JaQuez Smith, a new teammate of Jakiah Leftwich and Leo Blackburn following his transfer this off-season from Hapeville Charter.

At the TE position, the class is off to a good start with Ben Postma from the state of Texas. If the staff gets their (likely) wish granted, four-star Jordan Dingle will join his brother Justice in the class. Several others also remain on the board at the position, such as Carson Cota, Mitch Evans, and of course local product Miles Campbell, a Tennessee commit currently.

On the offensive line, having both Jakiah Leftwich and Eli Richey already committed is something that is not talked about enough. Two-fifths is a solid start, and a third could be coming at any moment now, in the way of Weston Franklin. Franklin projects along with Richey in the interior side of the OL, while Leftwich is joined by other targets in the outside such as Cedrick Nicely, Diego Pounds, and the newest target, Jacoby Jackson. Jackson has offers from all over the country, but the new interest from Key, Choice, etc. has his full attention.

I’ll do defense next week!

KQ! I say Johnny Cash's rendention of Hurt is the greatest cover I've heard followed closely by Hendrix's All along the watchtower. What say you?

KQ- Now this is an interesting question. Van Halen's version of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", Johnny Cash doing "Hurt", Jimi doing "All Along the Watchtower", Metallica "Whiskey in the Jar", Cheap Trick "Ain't That a Shame", The Who "Young Man Blues", Stevie Ray Vaughan "Little Wing", Joe Cocker "With a Little Help From My Friends",

The one that brings me to damn near tears is Stevie Ray Vaughan playing "Little Wing" as just an instrumental. That brings me back to being a teen. "Young Man Blues" is probably the one I listen to the most because I still spin "Live at Leeds" a ton.

What would be your top 2 sell pitches for mj Morris

RJ:

1. Flip the script as one of the top recruits in the state. The chance to play so close to home in front of friends and family
2. The degree

What ever happened to Pat Bryant? At one time we thought he would be our first commit of the class

RJ- As someone who has spent so much time and effort covering recruiting, until the prospect either commits or signs with the school. Recruiting is a two-way street.

Without giving a name unless its from back in the day. Who is the biggest 5 star or its equivalent bust you have ever seen that was not recruited by Tech?

KQ- Trevor Lawrence is the first one that pops to mind, they offered Justin Fields in that class and recruited him early, but Lawrence was never bothered with because he didn't fit the system clearly at the time and was the top dude in that class. Collins-era they never bothered with Broderick Jones at all. I mean coaches don't like to waste time recruiting someone they can't get or can't afford.

You might have mentioned it before and several times, but it just feels good to hear it again. How much of a improvement should we see from the OLine. Obviously not expecting world beaters but should we expect decent improvement which will allow the offense to really take form?

KQ- I mean I can just tell you what I saw in the spring and it was night and day. You could tell that CBK was much happier with it too even with having to break in two true freshman OTs at times in key reps with various units to get them work. The guard box looked much better. I thought Mikey Minihan was a step-up from what I saw from the center position though Kenny Cooper was hurt pretty much the entire time this staff was on campus, so I have yet to see him healthy at center truly. The right side with Ryan Johnson and Zach Quinney looked really good to me. Jack DeFoor is very good at LG now with the amount of reps he got. They'll add Devin Cochran who is a LT pretty much any ACC or SEC would have starting for them. So that is a big step up.

Are you hearing any names for likely candidates to play on both sides of the ball this year?

KQ- It is a little early for that, typically that is worked on more after injuries crop up to provide depth, the numbers are okay everywhere right now so there is less of a desire for it. Jerry Howard is expected to play some RB or FB type snaps according to what Collins and Howard both said. Lee isn't playing OL anymore unless there are major injuries.

Any chance Juanyeh will be back returning kicks again this year? Can't recall whether they started working him back in towards the end of the year.

KQ- He did not work on KR last year to my recollection, he tried some PR but was pulled off of it. They like to have someone with fresh legs doing KR or PR anyway because if he is on D 60-70% of the time his load from playing DB isn't ideal for a returner. I think you are more likely to see some of the RBs and slot WRs back there than a starter at safety or CB.

My big sleeper in this class

https://georgiatech.rivals.com/news/freshman-focus-khatavian-franks

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Symptomatic is the key word here

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