Georgia Tech defensive tackle D'Quan Douse, offensive lineman Jordan Williams and receiver Eric Singleton Jr. all spoke to the media on Tuesday. Douse and Williams both seniors with a extra covid year will return to Tech next year. Singleton who is a freshman also turned down lucrative offers from schools back channeling to stay at Georgia Tech.

Coaches are out on the road so these practices are being run heavily by the GAs right now as the staff aim to close things out. This is a busy time for the guys who are normally on the scout team to get extra work and more indy work with coaches and staff than they've been getting since camp broke in August.

Douse explained his decision to walk on SR Day which confused some people on his status for 2024.

"I did walk on senior day. It was kind of a family thing for me just being there with my family in that moment, something we really wanted to do, and I appreciated that Coach Key allowed me to do that. But now I do have another year I plan to play here at Georgia Tech," Douse said.

Douse said the GT OL's growth is a real testament to how far they've come and how cohesive they are and being a defensive guy going against them they are quicker and connecting quicker and the chemistry is really good on that side of the ball. He is excited they are all coming back for next year and that bond should grow even stronger.

Douse said that guys are very bought into GT and what coach Key is doing here and that is why the numbers of guys in the portal are so low right now.

Douse said practicing in December has been a new and different thing and he has really enjoyed not being at home right now with his family but instead with his brothers playing ball. He is excited to play UCF and they have a mobile QB who they have to deal with.

Douse said the bowl practices have been very smooth and they are just staying competitive out there and guys are excited to come back and play.

Douse said a big goal for him is to work on his pass rush and become more active in that area and get to the QB more and improve his technique.

I asked him about Shymeik Jones and he said that he is going to be really good in the future and he has flashed some in practice, but he is still a little raw. He needs to refine his technique.

Jordan Williams said that OL's decision to return the four eligible starters (Connor Scaglione is out of eligibility) came from them talking and knowing how much more they can accomplish and how far they've come this season. They know they can play faster and make more plays and build upon the success from this year.

Williams said the OL has been building rapport with each other and knowing more about the defenses they play and how to attack them and build chemistry up. That should lead to more success down the road.

Williams said he is enjoying the bowl practices and he sees now how you can build upon success with the extra practice and time you get from the bowl game for the young guys on the team.

Williams said he never thought about leaving, he said when Coach Key recruited him to come to GT and his signed here he was focused on playing his entire career at Georgia Tech and he wants to be a part of the build up that is going on.

Williams said that OL coach Geep Wade isn't some guru with Xs and Os, he is just a good dude and a good coach and fun to talk to and he knows tactics and how to coach. He is like a buddy to the guys as well and he is your friend and is a good connection for a coach to have with players.

I asked him who is standing out to him in bowl practice from the younger guys and he said James BlackStrain, Ben Galloway, and Ethan Mackenny on offense and defensively DJ Moore is starting to flash at CB.

Williams said that his teammates really love what Coach Key is building and that is why you haven't seen many guys go into the portal.

Williams joked that Coach Key is still an O-line coach at heart and he will still come over during drills and chew them out left and right, but it comes from a place of love and they love having him come over and do that.

Williams said that Singleton is a quiet guy unless you talk to him and then he cuts up a lot in the locker room and is a fun guy to be around and then he is a great target on the field. He said once he has more time with the S&C guys he will be a real force.

Williams said the big jump they made offensively this year is really exciting for the future because they are able to execute this scheme and they love the playbook that Coach Faulkner brought in and it started to click in spring and fall camp.

Singleton said that teams have reached out to members of his family to try to lure him into the portal, but he committed to Georgia Tech who believed in him and he wants to be a part of this program not another school. He is who he is and he remembers where he came from and he has no reason to leave because Georgia Tech has everything he needs.

Singleton said he really enjoys how Haynes King throws a catchable ball and they have a good bond and a great relationship.

I asked him about his expectations for year one and he said really his goal was to just get on the field and his dad was the one who told him he had a chance to be a freshman All-American.

I asked him about Coach Crawford and he said that he loves him and he stays on top of all the WRs to try to make sure they do everything the right way.

Singleton said his favorite play from this season was his first touchdown catch against Louisville.

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The whole saga with Andrew Thacker and Travares Tillman's demotion and expected parting of the ways next January illustrates something I've harped on from day one with Brent Key. If Key sees something that isn't working or is a problem he is going to use his Georgia Tech brain and try to fix it. You saw that early in the season when he benched Thacker as the defensive play caller and inserted Kevin Sherrer into that role removing the co-DC titles and you will see it applied with the rest of the defense with both personnel and coaching choices this offseason I expect.

The offense was pretty solid and mostly functioning despite some holes and depth issues at running back and receiver and some adjustments on the fly that offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and his staff had to make and the growing pains of Haynes King playing his first full season of football with some great ups and a handful of down games.

Offensively, Tech jumped from 113th to 31st in one season in total offense.

The defense however took a major step back as the staff struggled to replace Charlie Thomas, Ayinde Eley and Keion White the three key cogs to that group and a pair of key defenders, Sylvain Yondjouen and LaMiles Brooks both suffered serious injuries in the opening game against Louisville. Yondjouen was lost for the year and Brooks struggled to regain his All-ACC form the rest of the year showing flashes, but not building upon a great 2022 campaign.

The defense dropped from a not-great 85th in 2022 in total defense to 121st this season.

So Key knows he has to fix that. The defensive issues are both coaching/development and probably a larger chunk lack of developed talent issues.

There was no four-man pressure upfront because they didn't have an ACC-ready strongside end to replace Yondjouen who was pegged to replace White's production. To illustrate how far that position was off from 2022, White and Yondjouen combined for 10 sacks and 19 TFLs last season. This year that position produced 1.5 sacks and 5.5 TFLs.

You can start to see why the defense was so bad at one position group.

Eley and Thomas combined for 230 tackles, 20 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 6 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in 2022. Four linebackers, Kyle Efford, Paul Moala, Trenilyas Tatum and Braelen Oliver combined for 198 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 3 forced fumbles and no fumble recoveries and I left out Tatum's numbers from 2022 to show how much just two guys did the year before.

So that is part of the defensive problem, lack of depth/talent and some of it was coaching. They asked guys like Moala to play outside of his comfort zone or put too much on the defensive backs early in the year and as they played a little simpler on the back end of the schedule things got better and as Efford gained his first true experience playing he really improved, but it is still a mess on that side of the ball and there were so many plays missed in the secondary and potential TFLs and missed sacks that cost Tech in multiple losses.

Now Key wants to fix that and he has a plan. I am not privy to his plan, but given how he blew up the offense and has blown up every holder on defense now, I expect many changes will come down the line after the bowl game.

As I've now infamously said Key would fire his mom if he thought it would help GT win more games. No one was more pissed they lost to UGA who was the #1 team than Brent Key. He legit thought his team should've beat that Georgia team. That is what he is building toward and it should be fun to watch it over the coming years as he lays the foundation of his program and process honed under Nick Saban and GOL.

The next hires will be critical because if you get the defense into the mid-50s with the offense staying at a similar clip the Jackets should be competing in Charlotte for the ACC Championship again very soon and on a regular basis once again for the first time since PJ's early run through 2014.

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech will face UCF in the 2023 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 22 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Gasparilla Bowl announced on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.



The bowl invitation is the 46th in Georgia Tech history, which is the 16th-most in college football history and the third-most for a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (behind only Clemson – 50 and Florida State – 49). With a 25-20 all-time record in bowl games, Tech is tied for 13th all-time in bowl victories and stands alone in 13th all-time in bowl winning percentage (.556).



The Yellow Jackets are making their first-ever appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl, which originated in 2008. The Jackets are also facing UCF for the first time in a bowl but the sixth time overall. Georgia Tech owns a 3-2 against UCF, but the Golden Knights have won the last two games in the series in 2020 and 2022.



Georgia Tech earned its first bowl berth since 2018 after finishing 6-6in the regular season, including a 5-3 mark in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets tied for fourth place in the ACC standings after being picked to finish 12th in the conference’s preseason poll. The Jackets have been especially potent on offense, ranking among the top five in the ACC in rushing (first – 197.1 ypg), total offense (third – 429.1 ypg), scoring offense (fourth – 31.2 ppg) and passing efficiency (fifth – 139.80).



Tech’s offense is led by redshirt-sophomore quarterback Haynes King (2,755 passing yards, 648 rushing yards, 26 touchdown passes, nine touchdown runs), who is one of only two players in the nation with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and five touchdown runs this season, joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels. The Jackets’ offense also features redshirt-sophomore running back Jamal Haynes, a third-team all-ACC selection who ranks fifth in the league with 931 rushing yards this season and is on the verge of becoming Tech’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017.



Defensively, Tech ranks 13th nationally in takeaways (23) and fumble recoveries (10) and 20th in interceptions (13). Leading the way is redshirt-senior defensive back and second-team all-ACC honoree Jaylon King, who ranks 16th nationally in interceptions (4) and 17thin fumble recoveries (2) to go along with 68 tackles, eight pass breakups and a blocked kick.



In his first season as Georgia Tech’s permanent head coach, Brent Key’s first bowl game at the helm of the Yellow Jackets will be a reunion of sorts, as he spent 11 seasons (2005-15) as an assistant coach at UCF under legendary Georgia Tech and UCF head coach George O’Leary, beginning as a graduate assistant in 2005 and working his way up to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator before departing to become offensive line coach at Alabama in 2016.



Key has led the Yellow Jackets to 10 wins in one-plus season as the head coach at his alma mater (including a 4-4 record as interim head coach in 2022), surpassing the Jackets’ nine wins over the previous three seasons combined (2019-21). He finished fourth in voting for 2023 ACC Coach of the Year.



UCF is 6-6 this season, including a 3-6 conference record in its first season as a member of the Big 12. The Golden Knights went 3-1 over its final four games of the season to become bowl eligible, with wins over Cincinnati (28-26 on Nov. 4), then-No. 15 Oklahoma State (45-3 on Nov. 11) and Houston (27-13 on Nov. 25).



TICKET INFORMATION

Tech fans are urged to strengthen the Yellow Jackets’ candidacy for future premier bowl selections, as well as guarantee the best seats alongside other Yellow Jacket fans in exclusive Tech seating areas, by purchasing Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl tickets directly from Georgia Tech.



Georgia Tech tickets will be allocated in the following order:



1) Current Alexander-Tharpe Fund Donors (based on Priority Points as of Wednesday, Dec. 6 – donors have until the close of business on Wednesday, Dec. 6 to earn additional Priority Points with new gifts to the A-T Fund, including the Competitive Drive Initiative Turn 2).

2) 2023 Football Season Ticket Members

3) 2024 New Football Season Tickets Members – Click HEREto purchase 2024 season tickets

4) Order Date



For more information and to secure your Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl tickets, visit ramblinwreck.com/bowl.

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Kirk might need a security detail with the FSU fans

Jack Barton, a super senior from Furman by way of Centennial HS, added an offer from GT on Monday.

Barton had 25 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks 1 FR, and 3 PBU this season.

In the last two years, Barton has 55 tackles, 13 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and 7 PBU.

Was second-team All-SOCON this past season.

THE FLATS – After dropping a career-high 39 points on Sunday and helping Georgia Tech to a pair of wins last week, sophomore guard Kara Dunn was selected as the ACC Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.

Dunn had a career day on Sunday, converting 14-of-18 from the field, including a 4-of-5 effort from three-point range and 7-of-9 showing at the free throw line, to finish with 39 points and lift Georgia Tech to a 94-70 win over Georgia State.

She added five rebounds, including four offensive, four assists, one steal and a block in the victory. The Dallas, Ga., native set personal-bests in points, field goals, three-pointers, free throws, and free throws attempted against the Panthers.

Her 39 points marked the fourth-highest individual scoring total in Georgia Tech women’s basketball program history and the most by a Yellow Jacket since 1999 when Niesha Butler dropped 40 points against Florida State (Jan. 2, 1999). Dunn was four points shy of matching the all-time program record of 43 points set by Marielle Walker in 1987. Her feat also set the new individual scoring high by a player in the ACC this season, topping the previous-best of 35 points from FSU’s Ta’Niya Latson.

Dunn opened the week adding 11 points in Tech’s win over Mercer last Tuesday. She now owns four games scoring in double-figures this season and ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game.

For the week, Dunn averaged 25.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and shot 64.3 percent (18-28) from the floor. She added four assists, two steals, one block and turned the ball over just once in the two games.

Dunn and the Yellow Jackets return to action this Saturday at Georgia. Tip is slated for 1:30 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.

Fire Away, keep in mind I have no answers regarding the DC thing and probably won't know a lot until after the bowl.

I just want to say thank you to @Russell Johnson for all the hard work you have been doing for the site on top of family and full-time job these last couple weeks.

I know how busy the holiday season is for most families including mine, but then adding NSD and transfer portal to the mix, I can’t imagine how you and the family do it.

So I just want I say thank you for putting so much priority into this board.


(I almost feel like we should setup a meal train for Door-Dash gift cards to help your wife out, LOL)

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THE FLATS – The Damon Stoudamire Coach’s Show will make its 2023 debut on Monday, December 11, from 7-8 p.m., live from New Realm Brewing Co. on the AtlantaBeltLine (550 Somerset Terrace NE, ATL 30306).

Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach Damon Stoudamire will join the “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Andy Demetra for the hour-long show, which can be heard worldwide on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app and locally on the flagship station of the Georgia Tech Sports Network from Legends Sports, 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or XTRA 106.3 FM.

Monday’s show will be the first of 12 radio shows to air during the season (the next one will be Tuesday, January 2, with the remaining shows to air each Monday for the duration of the regular season), and the first of three to be broadcast live from New Realm. Dates and locations of the other two live shows will be announced at a later date.

Live shows at New Realm Brewing Co. are open to the public and Tech fans are welcomed and encouraged to come out and show their support for Coach Key and the Yellow Jackets. New Realm features include its Georgia Tech-inspired beers, HelluviennaLager and Ale of an Engineer.

here is the link

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Good morning.

The dead period has now officially ended. Across the country, programs are preparing for OV weekends and getting coaches on the road.

This thread will be used to provide updates throughout.

Georgia Tech coaches are expected to be out tonight, though there will also be a contingent staying back and playing host to the official visitors. Each of them will get their own post below.

This thread will remain locked for ease of access. Feel free to start a reaction thread if you would like.

Drop your questions here

The greatest rivalry in sports. I look forward to this game every year. This is a superbowl in my household. My grandfather served in the Navy during the end of WW2. He lied about his age to enter the war and got in at 16. Growing up we watched this game and cheered on Navy together.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

Was not good here.

I imagine HK is reviewing several $1M+ offers. I do think Singleton would not stay if King we’re leaving , but…?

Former UGA walk on.
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Have a great one!