Good afternoon. My favorite time of the year has officially kicked off, and the Georgia Tech campus is filled with targets and potential targets looking to get an offer.

Should be a good day.

Among the guys I saw during registration was 2024 West Laurens T Jayden Todd, 2024 Warner Robins WR Cameron Flowers, and Rabun Gap OL Felix Doege, all who are camping.

Doege and Flowers already have offers, while Todd is looking to leave with one.

There’s a talented group of guys from Louisiana here, as well as a group from Southern Express 7v7 in Birmingham.

Omar Daniels is here too. The incoming transfer DB moves in tomorrow, but his brother is camping so he’s here today as well.

2026 Wesleyan QB Walker Kirkland is here as well. He impressed me at the Rivals Camp so this should be a good chance to see him again.

This thread will be locked for updates.

I know we've discussed private clubs but I was trying to get a take on everyone's favorite public courses in the metro area. I have some visitors coming into town this summer and we'd like to play a few places.

Short list right now includes Cobblestone, The Frog, and Echelon.

I've played Bridge Mill and St Marlo and like those. Of course Stone Mountain is decent.

I grew up in Conyers so I played Cherokee Run a bunch 20+ years ago. How is it now? What about Ashton Hills (formerly Indian Creek.)

What's public in Alpharetta/John's Creek/Duluth? River Pines?

Do any of the Oconee courses have public tee times?

And then, aside from Chateau, I don't know much about the 85 corridor courses. Chicopee? Chattahoochee? What else?

TAMPA, Fla. – Georgia Tech volleyball will begin its 2023 regular season slate in the Road 2 Tampa Bay Volleyball Invitational, facing host South Florida and Penn State Aug. 25-26 in Tampa, Fla. The Yellow Jackets will square off against the Bulls on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.in Amalie Arena before battling the Nittany Lions at 6 p.m. in the Yuengling Center to conclude their opening weekend competition.



Tickets for the event are on sale now. With competition split between two arenas, separate ticket links are available. Tickets for Amalie Arena can be purchased here, and tickets for the Yuengling Center can be purchased here.



As a South Florida athletics hall of famer, coach Michelle Collier will return to face her alma mater in the season opener. Tech’s longtime skipper spent her collegiate career helping the Bulls to a 120-48 record from 1998-2002 and three NCAA tournament appearances en route to Conference USA Player of the Decade honors before joining the staff as an assistant from 2008-09. Collier remains fifth in NCAA Division I history with 2,729 career kills and ranks in the Bulls’ top-10 in numerous career and single-season categories, including leading the way in career kills.



Brining in eight highly touted new Yellow Jackets, including three transfers and five freshmen, Tech prepares to follow another year for the record books. The Yellow Jackets concluded their 2022 slate at 21-8 overall and 13-5 in ACC play after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Yellow Jackets reached that mark for the third consecutive season, joining the White and Gold of 2002-04 as the only squads to do so in succession in program history.



Event information, including tickets, match schedules, times and locations can be found on Road2TampaBayVB.com. Regular event updates can be found at the TBSC’s (@sportstampabay) and Amalie Arena’s (@amaliearena) social platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 31, 2023) – USA Basketball today announced the 35 athletes expected to participate in the 2023 USA U19 Men’s National Team Training Camp at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Camp begins June 11 with the 12-member team to be announced before departing for the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, scheduled for June 24-July 2 in Debrecen, Hungary.

Athletes attending training camp were selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee.

“We are excited about the pool of players that will compete to represent the United States at the FIBA Men’s U19 World Cup,” USA Basketball Men’s National Team director Sean Ford said. “We have a great mix of players with previous USA Basketball experience and newcomers, and together will field a great team for the competition in Hungary.”
Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens, born on or after January 1, 2004.

Ten athletes recently concluded their college freshman years: Amaree Abram, Mark Armstrong, Tobe Awaka, Freddie Dillione, Kylan Boswell, Josh Dix, Ven-Allen Lubin, Jackson Paveletzke and Kel’el Ware. Eric Dailey Jr. also was a member of the Class of 2022 and will attend Oklahoma State next year after he recently completed a postgraduate year at IMG Academy.

The class of 2023 will be represented by Omaha Biliew, Blake Buchanan, Myles Colvin, Marquis ‘Mookie’ Cook, Jeremy Fears Jr., Trentyn Flowers, AJ Johnson, DeShawn Harris-Smith, Milan Momcilovic, Jackson Shelstad, Joseph Tugler and Cody Williams.

The class of 2024 will be represented Ace Bailey, Kanon Catchings, Johnuel ‘Boogie’ Fland, Dylan Harper, Ian Jackson, Tre Johnson, Karter Knox, Tyler McKinley, Liam McNeeley, Asa Newell, Drake Powell, Derik Queen and Cameron Scott.

More than half of the athletes have prior USA Basketball experience. Ten invitees have won a gold medal as a member of a USA Basketball junior national team.
Supporting as court coaches during training camp will be Jonas Hayes (Georgia State University), Kevin Kruger (UNLV), T.J. Otzelberger (Iowa State University) and Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame).
The United States will square off with Lebanon, Madagascar and Slovenia in pool play.

The U.S. will face off against Lebanon and Madagascar for the first time at a FIBA Men’s U19 World Cup. The U.S. own a 2-0 record against Slovenia at this event.
The United States has won the competition eight times, including three of the last four competitions—in 2015, 2019 and 2021.

and play Florida for the NC tomorrow!

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I saw a post from Kelly about the 2017 Duke game. That got me thinking about some years of what could have been.

2017 was very close, 2013, 2006, 2007 all come up.

But 2012 is the ultimate for me.

record: 7-7
We did not win one game that was close that we should have won.

VT game: Lost in heartbreaking fashion, Ted blew, Tevin blew it

Miami: Tech blew a 36-19 lead w 3 min left in 3rd

MTSU: Never have the hang over about the previous two

Clemson: Tech up 1 self destructed had a safety ended up losing by 16

FSU: lost by 6 probably didn’t deserve to win but could have

2012 should have been a 10 win team easily…

Let’s hear your what if

Just pulled the trigger on season tickets for the first time. Section 215 Row 3. Anyone on here close to that? Also any suggestions for tailgating close to the stadium? Go Jackets!

Greetings from the beach which apparently has made me brutally honest in this mailbag, enjoy!

Will our defense be better this year or worst than last year?

KQ- My guess is it will be similar to last year but the playmakers will be a different without Keion White, Charlie Thomas and Ace Eley. They need to find out and define the LB roles and even the two transfers are not locked into starting spots by any stretch so there is ample playing time available for people to grab. I think the LB play will determine if it is better or worse. I think the pass rush may be better overall though. The CB play is also an area I am hopeful about, but a little concerned about as well.

2023 Baseball Post-Mortem after a few days for everything to breathe @Russell Johnson:

1) How was your “Its time for big changes” column received by sources and people close to the program? Were the majority of them disappointed it ultimately fell on deaf ears?

KQ- So I’m going to dive into this because I actually fielded a call during my ongoing vacation about Russell’s column and the reality is something I stated elsewhere on here. GT is not in a position to make a major change in any other sport right now. There is no desire from the people who are bankrolling the baseball program and other GT sports as boosters to make a change at this time either. That is as plain as it can be.

I cannot think of a major program that made changes in football, men’s basketball and baseball in the same year, and on top of that this is a crazy time to do it anyway with some of the jobs likely to be open.

2) Which of these two statements more closely resembles the truth, and can you speak a bit to the overall point of the more accurate one?
- Danny Hall, Teixeira and Batt underestimate the amount of anger/apathy that is and will continue to be directed at the baseball program as long as Hall stays.
- I, and other passionate JOL posters, overestimate the amount of anger/apathy that is and will continue to be directed at the baseball program as long as Hall stays.

KQ- When the people on this board fill up the Rusty C and fill up the baseball donation box they will get a say in what Batt or Tex or others think. That’s how this works, if you pay you get a seat at the table and input in non-rev driving sports. GT isn’t Miss State with 15.5k seating that can sellout. GT’s total capacity is 4k, it doesn’t move the needle. Danny doesn’t cost GT anything by staying and trying to let him figure it out in the short term so they are not going to do anything with him. If Josh Pastner had more support from money people, he might still be employed to put it in perspective. This is big boy business, not a fantasy. GT just laid out $12-16 million of capital to change the two biggest positions on campus and hired a new AD at the third spot who inherited major financial issues due to bad contracts and apathy. How about folks let him make some calls on this stuff instead of being so overwrought about a guy who finished 1st in the division in the two prior full seasons to this one. It’s not like they’ve been in last place for three years.

3) Does Ramsey come back for 2024?

KQ- This is a Russell question

4) Football had trouble hiring an offensive coordinator after the ‘21 season because of the tough situation they knew they’d be stepping into with only a year of job security and a history of poor performance by the current roster. Do you believe Baseball will have similar issues in finding a pitching coach to come here for 2024?

KQ- The main issue in hiring an offensive coordinator even in 2021 had more to do with Geoff Collins and money than Geoff’s hot seat. The word was out on the street there were major issues with the program. That is not where things stand with Danny. Danny actually has been successful and put guys in the pros. He hasn't been to the CWS in a minute, but he isn't Geoff Collins either.

5) Not taking into account the 2024 win-loss record - If he wants to be here still - is Danny Hall the head baseball coach in 2025?

KQ- See above

If you had one Tech F'ball game to go to this year, which one would you choose and why?

KQ- Probably the trip to Ole Miss. If you have not been it is a cool environment from everything I heard. I missed going there twice when I covered UGA due to conflicts including a funeral. So I’m looking forward to seeing something different and I wonder how chippy that game could be given the poaching.

What is the most important F'ball game on our schedule and why?

KQ- Probably either the game at Wake or at Miami, if they win one of those they have a good shot at bowling IMO.

What do you think causes the biggest issue in recruiting- academics or wins and losses? I know wins cure all evils but the GT academics has to be somewhat of a stumbling block.

KQ- Money and academics. There are kids now asking for money just to go on OVs. It is wild in the streets right now and it is a very tough road for schools not loaded up with deep NIL money and even under-the-table money it turns out. The academic piece remains a major issue because it is a limiter. You are fighting an uphill battle on multiple fronts and with NIL people are looking at this even more as a job rather than a stepping stone. GT is better positioned than some other schools in the ACC that I know, but holy smokes it is weird. I know some schools that are now going to funnel all their donation money into NIL and just live off their TV revenues because they think they have to do that to survive.

WIthout winning it is going to take time and money to get on better footing with recruiting. So much has changed from the 2020 class or 2021 class even at this point.

I had no idea GT was in such a horrific financial situation for athletics. Im guessing this is not a surprise for most here. The article is almost a year old so perhaps things have improved.

LINK

Just found out that they are discontinuing the Cherry Dip. This blows.

Watching ole Jeff Sims give ‘em game before he decides to not play in October.

No. 1 national seed


Keep on truckin' GT baseball!

I assumed this day might come but the reality is setting in. Wednesday at high school graduation practice they weee told to wear their college or career shirt instead of their cap and gown.

He came down Tuesday night and said to my wife and me, “I’ve got a problem. I don’t own anything UGA.” We sent him to Wal-Mart to buy a UGA t-shirt. He says pretty strongly he will remain a GT fan while going to school in Athens. Hopefully he stays strong.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors today announced that it has endorsed a success incentive initiative that will begin during the 2024-25 academic year. The decision follows analysis and discussions that have occurred throughout the past year.



The specifics of the plan are in progress and will be solidified in the coming months. Under this initiative, the implementation of the success incentives will come solely from the performance of teams in revenue generating postseason competition. All other revenues will continue to be equally shared as currently outlined.



“The ACC Board of Directors continues to be committed to exploring all potential opportunities that will result in additional revenues and resources for the conference,” said ACC Board of Directors Chair and Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “Today’s decision provides a path to reward athletic success while also distributing additional revenue to the full membership.”



“Today’s endorsement follows significant and meaningful conversations by the ACC Board of Directors,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “To be certain, I applaud their thoughtfulness and continued commitment to working collectively. As we’ve communicated consistently, we remain dedicated to exploring all options to enhance support for our member institutions and their student-athletes.”

That is all.

Click the most effective and successful coach, from your viewpoint

Go Jackets!

With the additions of Christian Leary, Abdul Janneh, Dominick Blaylock, and Chase Lane (and all of our returners), who do you think will be the go to target at the WR position, similar to how Nate McCollum was last year? Also, I saw that you have the new TE Brett Seither listed as a H-back on the depth chart. Was he worked more as a blocking TE during spring? Thanks!

KQ- I would guess out of the receivers that Rutherford will be to the go-to guy since he has the best hands. I think from the outside guys that will be figured out in camp and as the season unfolds. There are like four or five options and I think there are a lot of unknowns there.

On the TE thing, I listed him as an H-back or a Flex-Y or whatever you want to call it, but all of the TEs can do both. They all know how to block and do the basic TE stuff as well as the flex stuff. Dylan Leonard and Seither could be used interchangeably if needed.

Who is RB1 target for 2024 ?

KQ- @Russell Johnson

How many LBs will Tech take for next year ? I know they've already got 3 commits

KQ- They don't have three commits they have two. One you are thinking is a LB is a DL, Tah'j Butler and Demontrae Gatson are LBs and Jordan Boyd is a DL. They will take at least one more LB. They lose three to graduation after this season in Moala, Oliver and White and there could be guys who grad transfer out or attrition so I'd expect three.

If the GOR situation was resolved today and two mega conferences were formed, where would GT land?

Follow-up: If your answer is "outside the bubble" what meaningful things can be done / accomplished on and off the field to move the needle positively so, when the time comes, GT ensures a seat at the table.

KQ- There is nothing that can be done in the short term. The answer is on the outside but they'd be joined by teams as big as Arkansas, Minnesota, and even possibly Iowa. If they go full mega conferences then everyone is screwed that isn't Bama, Ohio State, Clemson, Penn State-level or better. It has to shrink to make sense so it won't be 65 teams, but more like 34-40 teams max.

Some further commentary would be interesting:

The crazy part to me is the deal may end working out come 2030 depending on TV revenues which are going to decline over the next 5-7 years. Those SEC and Big Ten deals may end up being the last hurrah. None of this is sustainable and we are heading for an eventual crash of the TV deals.

KQ- Everything is moving toward à la carte programming. It is like TV network news, not like Fox News or MSNBC or CNN, but like the NBC Nightly News or ABC World News tonight, the viewership of those shows cratered as cable news exploded. Now we are in a world where everyone just has an app on their TV or some people don't even own a TV and just use a laptop or Ipad to watch stuff. Cable subscription fees carried ESPN and to a lesser extent Fox for a long time. Fox shed the RSN Network as part of the death of this model. ESPN charges carries a big rate for their channels, but the viewership is declining and getting older. As people unplug it pressures both those carriage fees and advertising dollars in a downward trajectory. I think you will see pushback from the viewership with interest in some of these sports as the rivalries are put to the test. For example, the SEC will have to change their scheduling model when Texas and OU join and that will end up causing some important games to go away as they have to go to the model the ACC is using with pods. That will harm interest. The same thing is going to happen with the Big Ten.

I think there will be a major adjustment later in the decade as this sorts itself out. The days of the $100 million per year media rights are likely going to go away and it will shift back to probably half that amount. That is my read on it.

Strat, Tele, or Les Paul?

KQ- Depends on what I'm playing. I've owned cheap versions of all three. I am hoping to own a real LP soon (I have a LP Jr. Epiphone right now). I just haven't had a chance to acquire it from a friend yet. The strat is probably the most versatile, but it really gets back to what I'm doing. I played a strat the longest, but I do not own one currently. I can pretty much cover my ass with a strat and a boost pedal to get some humbucker type sounds. Eric Clapton has a built-in boost on his strat that covers all the old Gibson tones. My brother gifted me a cheap tele for my birthday and I like it as well, but I don't do a lot of a chicken picking so it mostly in one position all the team on the bridge pickup.

The one I really dream about is an old Gibson Firebird VII, but I need GT to win some games in football and hoops to make that happen and my youngest out of daycare.





The remaining questions are Russell's to answer

Fire away. Mailbag will drop like normal late Sunday night.

I have been watching college softball, particularly FSU, and am amazed how talented and hard playing these young women play, especially the top playoff teams. FSU entered their regional finals against USC(e) in the winners brarcket. They scored 1 run in the 2 games, losing the first game 0-4 and won the second one 1-0 with a perfect game pitched by their ace Kathryn Sandercock, ACC pitcher of the year, to advance to their super regional against UGA. Last night, she pitched 5 innings in their win over the Dawgs 8-1. It really is entertaining to see how hard these girls play and the enjoyment they get from playing their sport, win or lose.

Story on Brumfield and Georgia Tech's efforts in The Boot here-