GT made the cut, but is facing an uphill climb if they are going to stay in contention here.
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Logan McGuire.
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Looks like the driver had a history of not just speeding but super speeding and their fixer Gantt still tried to get her tickets reduced.

It’s an awful situation but it seems so much worse when you realize that it was enabled by their culture of dodging accountability.

I know the family that was hosting him here in Atlanta and they wanted him to stay and finish up school but alas he put his name in the portal.

After finishing the re-watch this morning with a lot less commotion, here are some thoughts-

1. Kristian Campbell's reign at the lead-off spot is only beginning

With DeLeo's K/BB ratio just over 2/1, and Campbell having a 25% walk rate (15 walks in 60 AB's with just 3 K) the move was made on Tuesday to flip-flop the two in the lineup.

Campbell responded with a 2-5 day, his first HR of the season (and his career) and set the tone for the rest of the lineup.

While many were a fan of DeLeo and the non-traditional leadoff hitter approach, having Campbell in front of him gives him a chance to bring in two runs instead of one, and also takes off the pressure that goes along with being the table setter at the top.

Against a tough (but beatable) UNC team, look for Campbell to remain atop the lineup.

2. Jackson Finley continues his onslaught of mid-week pitching

Finley finished Tuesday's game 4-4 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, and most importantly, 0 strikeouts.

His struggles making contact in ACC play are well-documented (44% K rate) but with the UNC series just over 24 hours away, seeing the ball as well as he did on Tuesday night can only help his confidence.

If GT is going to go on a run in the second half of the season, and make the postseason, Finley is going to be a big part of that both as a member of the lineup and the weekend rotation.

3. Cam Hill is starting to get his groove back

Since returning from an oblique injury, Sophomore Cam Hill has had his fair share of struggles, both with walks and with missing his spots which led to hard contact.

While Georgia Southern may not be at the caliber they have been in the past (14-15 overall) Hill dominated on Tuesday night, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out three with just one walk.

Hill is not likely to be stretched out as a weekend starter, but to have a lefty they can rely on in the pen is needed going into the stretch run.

Especially with the continued overuse of other arms in the bullpen, both lefty and righty, and the struggles this season of Dalton Smith and Josiah Siegel.

Full weekend preview to come tomorrow morning. UNC series will take place Thurs-Sat.

Should have final word on rotation at some point today. As long as I have phone service where I am in Destin at that time I will pass along ASAP

Ima hang up and lissen...

As is typically the case a lot of guys were banged up after the scrimmage on Saturday. We spoke with the three non-coordinator offensive assistants today, Josh Crawford (WR coach), Norval McKenize (RB coach) and Geep Wade (OL coach) about their respective units and I got each of them to tell the story of how they ended up at GT.

No Ken this week, he is at the Masters so they had someone filling in for him.

I'll give each guy's story on how they ended up here first and then dive into more position-specific notes.

Crawford: "First and foremost, I'm very excited and very grateful to be here. At the place I was at the last two years, we had a really good room and we were able to do some really good things prior to coming here. I didn't have a relationship with Coach Key and he reached out, we had some conversations, and it was very evident very quickly, that we were on the same page and a lot of areas. As we had conversations, things moved along and fortunately for me, ended up with me being here and I'm very grateful to coach and very excited to be here."

McKenzie: " So for me, the opportunity to come back home to the great state of Georgia. have the opportunity to see my family you know, the professional we have here is very demanding. And at times I've only got a chance to see my mom, my dad, and my sister who lives here my niece, maybe three to four times a year, and already got here in December have already seen them five or six times which is awesome, right? In addition to that, I think anytime you making a move it's all about the people I had an opportunity to work with Buster Faulkner as an offensive coordinator when we were at Arkansas State, and just know him as a person and I know him as a coach. I know him as a man, a husband, and a father. Somebody I've always gravitated towards him and I'm extremely excited to be back here with him and working with him again Those are some of the pillars that kind of steer me here. In addition to that, you got coach Key who has been able to win a national championship at the University of Alabama. You got coach Faulkner who won a couple of national championships at the other school. We have coach Weinke who's won one as a player and is a Heisman Trophy winner. So then you start to think hey, man, I surrounded myself with winners and surrounded myself with really good people. Those are some of the factors that made the decision pretty easy for me."

Wade: "Well, I've known Brent as a friend for about 10 years and when I was at Marshall, he was in Florida (UCF). I've always followed him. Always ran into him in spring recruiting and always respected him. When he beat Pittsburgh, I texted him you know, Heck ya! Good for an O-line guy to go get a win the way it should be done with toughness. It's been great. He's awesome to work for and you gotta think about it from my standpoint, I work for an O-line coach who is a tough-minded human being so we practice that way. So honestly, it makes my job easier. The way we practice with our pods inside, team, putting my guys in bad positions, it's only gonna be better for us in the long run."

I'll start with Wade because you guys are most interested in the OL right now. Wade said that Jakiah Leftwich is a little banged up so they slid Paul Tchio up to first-team RG and kicked Jordan Williams back out to RT. He said that moves like that will be a likely scenario when the season rolls around. He likes his OL to have some versatility and guys can play either guard or tackle in their zone-blocking scheme.

Wade wants to find 7 or 8 guys to be the core rotation pieces for the OL. He said if you play RT and you have to go to LG you have to be able to understand what they do in the schemes with the zone and it isn't rocket science so they are trying to build depth. Jordan Brown is new and is not available and Elias Cloy has had to play the last few practices at RT and he should still be in HS.

Wade says he is trying to build consistency and he has them do the same things every day in individual work so they can come off the ball with their inside/outside zone footwork and they can know that and work on it all summer on their own with him. He believes ,"repetition breeds excellence." With all the multiple fronts and looks the guys have to know what to do and focus on their base techniques and be physical upfront to avoid any mental errors.

I asked him about Weston Franklin stepping up at center, he said that position is huge and very demanding in the offense to run and reach, to block back, and to make calls. In the spring you aren't getting game planned you just see everything so if the LB is here you ID this and he is really catching on and Wade said he wishes he had more guys like Weston Franklin and Joe Fusile. He said they both worked really hard with AJ Artis in the weight room and got a lot stronger in the winter workouts and when you get stronger you get twitchier and you become a better football player with hat speed. Joe Fusile to him is a different football player this year in part because of the offseason work he put in.

Wade said they'd like to keep Jordan Williams at guard, but he has to be ready to play both guard and tackling and have that next-man-up mentality.

Wade said that Buster Faulkner is a high energy and high demand guy and they've known each over for over 10 years and worked together at MTSU and they have a great trust factor. He said Buster is great at getting playmakers the ball on the edge, handoff or whatever he has to do. They are going to run the ball and do whatever it takes to win games, but he does a phenomenal job with motions and shifts to put his players in the best one-on-one position to get them the ball.

I asked him about Tyler Gibson and he said that he has all the tools you want and you watch him play against FSU and he held his own and is very athletic. Wade and Key want to recruit more guys like him that are big and athletic and when Gibson gets his strength up he will be really good. He can do some things now just because he is good with his feet, but he is still a puppy and makes mental errors, but he has a really high ceiling.

I asked him about Brandon Best as well and he said that he is working and both center and guard and they are focusing more on center. He said that Best is hard on himself and works really hard every day but he is an overthinker and they want him to cut it loose more and just play, but he gives them some great flexibility inside.

For anyone who follows the Masters they have a fantasy game you can play on their app. I've played the last few years and it's pretty fun. Gives you random guys to cheer for during the tournament.

I set up a JOL tournament if anyone wants to join. No buy in, just fun/bragging rights. The Masters offers their own prizes for top players daily and for the whole tournament. If you want to join in on the fun download the Masters app, make an account or sign in if you have one.

The link to the JOL tournament is below!

https://www.masters.com/en_US/fantasy/join.html?leagueId=12187&leagueJoinToken=8d434636be

From what you’re hearing, do you think CDS will retain BJ Elder?

KQ- It would not surprise me either way to be honest. I have not heard much about guys like that, but my focus has been trying to figure out the main assistants first. With the rules changes allowing two non-full-time staffers to help in practice he would be a good person to keep around.

IIRC you had said GT has a competitive NIL set up now on par of the Wakes and Pitts of the world. That’s nice to hear with the delayed action. Can you confirm? I know we’re not talking UNC or Miami level but that’s a nice influx from this time last year.

KQ- I assume you are asking relative to hoops and not football. Football has been on decent footing for a bit now as Key really pushed hard to get that going even further and that was the central focus on the action prior. On hoops, they do have some money and they had some either way before the change coming in, but I imagine it is a little easier to sell people now to donate with new leadership as shiny car syndrome is a real thing in college athletics with fundraising and apathy is a major problem.

I am passively watching recruriting but seems like Key is getting more 4 stars to visit. Seems like he is raising our profile with recruits which after Collins would be a miracle. Do you agree or is my perception wrong?

If he is then what is the biggest factor attracting the players? A specific recruiter or just the overall hiring changes?

RJ- I would definitely say that is an accurate statement, if you are comparing the end of the Collins era. The difference between what is taking place now and what took place then is the level of intensity in terms of in-state recruiting, as well as communication with recruits in general.

This time window that is spring football practice is a huge opportunity for recruits to get an up-close feel for what Brent and his staff are looking to do on both sides of the ball. It is one thing to hear about it, see it on TV during the spring game, etc. but recruits want to see what is going on up-close. The new staff have done a great job at having multiple coaches recruit every kid that has an offer, rather than it being just a one or even two-man show.

In today's world of recruiting, that's a big deal.

Any news on CDS staff?
Is news being delayed because background check or coaches he wants are still coaching (SDSt)??

KQ- Hires are still being made for head coaches and that has a trickle down effect on all hires. Even staffs that were in place and maybe had to replace one guy are doing it here and there. VaTech just had their lead assistant leave for Maryland today for example. Most of the hires come over the next four weeks or so. This isn't like football where you need a whole staff in place and even with that it took until what February for the football staff to be in place. He will get guys hired as he is able to, but he can still recruit and even sign transfers without the on the court assistants just with his own work and the remaining staff in place. You are talking about 5-10 guys total they are recruiting.

Can we get an updated recruiting board for transfers and 23/24?

KQ- We can reset 2023, he is just now beginning to recruit 2024 kids so that would be very premature. Who they sign in the portal will actually determine the 2024 class because the numbers and class separation determine who they will go after. He has only offered a couple of 2024 kids period so far.

Anyone talk to CDS about what positions and number of players he wants to bring in?

KQ- No because he is still working on retaining certain players and trying to keep who he wants to keep. He isn't going to just tip his hand on what will happen yet and he may not know with 100% certainty who is leaving. I know of one kid who is still on the fence for example.

Meant to ask a while back but may as well now. From some players comments after Collins was let go it seems like many of the players liked Collins and you would assume supported him at the end. Which seems strange considering his poor record and how well they performed after he left. Unless that a misperception and players where just being nice to the former coach.

But it is also a strange dynamic to think that the players thought the head coach was the only or main problem in a program he built. You would think either they would be blindly loyal, want a complete change, or be broken into two warring camps wanting one or the other. If there were warring camps or a desire for a total change then you would have expected the team to completely fold. If they were blindly loyal and therefore wanted Key as a continuation then did their thoughts change about Collins once he left and saw how Key was as a leader?

KQ- That is a lot of comments, you are really overthinking this. Of course kids are pissed off when someone who recruited them gets fired. There were guys pissed with Pnode got fired or Popovich or Burton too. That is just the natural reaction. I liked Geoff just fine as a person and enjoyed my interactions with him, but that doesn't change the fact it is business and he put out a bad product on the field that was often poorly coached and prepared. Kids can be as upset as they want, but I can't really think of anyone who left over Collins being fired. There might be people who leave because they are not willing to work to the standard the new staff sets and that is fine too or they don't like the system or whatever. That is the nature of college football or college sports in 2023.

Any news on Blue Cain? Who is he visiting or talking to? He said he would still look at Tech. Is that still the case or has he moved completely on?

KQ- UVA and Kansas are trying to set up visits with him. He is a national recruit and is getting a ton of attention. I would be surprised if he ends up back at GT, but that was what I always thought the deal was and you can't keep coaches to keep one guy unless it is Michael Jordan or LeBron James or similar.

What do you think of the portal players Damon has gone after? Is there any you expected him to go after that he has not?

KQ- There were like 40 high-major guys who entered the portal today. This is going to be an going thing for quite some time so just sit back and buckle up. I think people think the portal stuff will be squared away coming a week or two. No freaking way, it is something that could drag on for months in some cases as kids don't have to decide anytime before enrolling in summer school places. The only way that changes is if GT fills up.

Can we get CDS thoughts on the current roster?

KQ- Bro he is busy, he isn't taking time to talk to me or anyone else on a roster breakdown or anything else yet. He needs to hire a staff and fill out his roster. I sure hope he is too busy with that to take out time to talk to me for 30 minutes right now. Also, I'm not going to magically tomorrow have the relationship I had with Josh Pastner, Brian Gregory, or Paul Hewitt or their assistants where I have an open line to Damon a few weeks after he got the job. You've got to give me a little time to build some trust and that relationship.

I don't think there is a maximum limit so I'm posting the group info here.

Private group created in Yahoo Fantasy. Link to Yahoo Group
Password is "Ekreb!"

Cost is $10 per entry. Up to 2 brackets if you'd like. Please Venmo me when you join so I don't remove your bracket. My Venmo is in the yahoo league details when you join. All unpaid brackets will be removed when they lock at first game tip on Thursday 3/16.

Scoring is progressive with bonuses for early round upsets. It's all online so you can check your standings real time.

Per Rodney, Rodney Howard has entered the portal as a grad transfer.

He’ll look for a final destination to finish his college career.

Laughable calls in Game 1, but I guess someone has to get the 16/16 assignment.

No Federiko tonight for Pitt.

Avery Johnson is legit 1/2 the size of his TV partner.

I've been pretty slammed with the wife recovering (she had to go to the ER on Friday) and then spending Saturday in urgent care with my toddler. It has been a long ass weekend.

Saturday was a basic scrimmage, they did some 7v7 and indy work and then ran 120 plays of very base schemes on both sides of the ball. It was very even between the O and D. Both sides had positives and things they need to work on.

Two standout performers on offense were Dylan Leonard and Brett Seither at the TE spots. Seither is filling the Luke Benson type role (Benson is recovering and will return at some point from his injury) as a stretch the field guy and had a big day including a 70-yard touchdown catch from Zach Pyron on a deep throw. Leonard was good all-around and was getting after it blocking too. The staff finally feel good about that position. They like Jackson Long a lot as well but he needs time to develop.

Christian Leary shows flashes, has to be more consistent with his hands, but he has been a nice addition and they have some real speed there between Leary, Malik Rutherford and Jamal Haynes. Overall the WRs just need to be more consistent. Juju Lewis had a nice catch on a deep ball as well.

All of the RBs looked good even freshman Evan Dickens got called out by my sources as having a good day. Jamie Felix has made some major strides, Kaleb Edwards is still learning the ropes but gives them some needed size and Antonio Martin is coming on. Tre Cooley is what they expected there and he can contribute as well. The backs all run hard though.

The first-team OL looks very solid and the experience playing together is showing on the field and there is some chemistry there with that core group. They finally have a little more functional second unit now as well.

Pyron continues to show off his improved arm strength and confidence leading the offense. Haynes King is effective although everyone who watches him makes the comparison of a weird pitching motion or a guy with an ugly basketball shot when they see him play, the ball gets there, but it is not textbook looking. Zach Gibson is still Gibson when he has time he is very accurate, when he doesn't he gets sacked. I'll be really curious as an aside to see how things work because QB running is a big part of the offense which is a bonus for Pyron and King.

Zeek Biggers was back at DT and had a big day in the middle and was disruptive.

LaMiles Brooks had a great day tackling in the open field.

Both young LBs Kyle Efford and Ashton Heflin had good days and flashed some. That was very encouraging as they really need to build some depth at LB.

Kenyatta Watson had a pick on a play where he stuck with a play on a ball that should've been caught.

Chase Lane was there watching the proceeding along with several other signees and targets.

The team gets back to work tomorrow morning.

Boston College has surprised many with their start to the season.

At 18-5 (6-3) the Eagles have been able to win by being capable in all facets of the game.

With the series set to begin at Noon today due to bad weather in the forecast in Boston, this preview will be brief compared to the others.

BC is 3rd in the ACC in SB coming into the weekend, and in terms of offensive stats, that’s about where their impressive numbers end.

High on fundamentals and timely hitting, the BC offense is led by plate discipline specialist Peter Burns (.493 OBP) and the all-or-nothing power duo of Joe Vetrano and Cameron Leary.

Where Boston College is different than most teams GT has faced this season, is with their pitching.

Saturday starter Chris Flynn has been one of the nation’s best thus far this season, entering the weekend with a 1.80 ERA in 35 IP, and a 44/11 K/BB ratio.

Friday starter Henry Leake has played multiple roles for BC’s pitching staff thus far this season. Coming out of the bullpen and starting, he too has the type of control GT fans have been looking for in their pitching. Entering the weekend, he has walked just 6, while striking out 28.

Moving briefly to Georgia Tech, I’m told that Dawson Brown has a shoulder issue that will keep him out entirely this weekend. His absence is due to injury, not performance.

The hope is to have him back next week for the Thursday opener against UNC.

The key this weekend for Borrell’s staff is going to be throwing strikes, getting ground balls, and getting help from a defense that has struggled recently.

First pitch in about 120 minutes.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Following a deliberate and comprehensive search, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced today the hiring of Pearlynn Houck as its first in-house General Counsel.



Houck, who will begin her tenure on April 17, comes to the ACC from Robinson Bradshaw’s Charlotte office, where she was most recently a litigation shareholder. During her 17-year career at the firm, she has practiced in the areas of litigation, government and internal investigations, education, and sports law.



“Pearlynn brings a wealth of experience to this critical position, and we look forward to her leadership and legal expertise,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “As we continue to navigate the future of college athletics and the many opportunities and challenges ahead, this is the right time to hire a full-time executive staff member to provide comprehensive oversight of legal affairs and risk management for the Conference.”



"I am honored and excited to join Commissioner Phillips and his team as the ACC’s General Counsel,” said Houck. “The legal landscape of college athletics is evolving rapidly. I look forward to working with the Conference and its member schools to ensure the ACC is not only ready for, but a leader in, the future of college athletics."



Houck will report directly to the Commissioner and serve as a member of the ACC’s Executive Staff, playing a leadership role in setting the strategic vision of the Conference. She will be responsible for all legal matters and risk management, while managing all litigation and other claims, internally and with the assistance of outside counsel. She will provide legal consultation to the ACC Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Advisory Committees, Conference committees and service groups and will be the primary point of contact for the Conference’s institutional General Counsels.



In recent years, Houck served as outside counsel to the Southeastern Conference. This included representation in pending litigation, including the antitrust lawsuits (Alston and House) and concussion litigation. In addition to litigation, Houck provided counsel on a number of issues, including NIL laws and compliance conference governance, and conference specific disputes. Her experience also included other sports and higher education clients.



Houck received her undergraduate degree with high honors from the University of Montana and Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and clerked for the Honorable N. Carlton Tilley Jr. in the Middle District of North Carolina. Houck has been widely recognized during her tenure, including being named to The Best Lawyers in America’s 2020-2023 edition for commercial litigation and as a North Carolina Super Lawyer since 2013. In 2015, Houck received a Forty Under 40 award from Charlotte Business Journal and in 2020 was named one of The Mecklenburg Times’ 50 Most Influential Women. In 2021, the Sports Business Journal included her as an Outside Counsel Power Player.



A longtime contributor to the Charlotte non-profit community, Houck is a member of Charlotte’s Women Executives and the Women's Impact Fund, where she has served in several leadership positions through the years. She also currently serves as an Executive Committee member of the board of Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center.



DHR Global led the ACC’s search with significant work from the Advisory Committee comprised of Pam Bernard (Vice President and General Counsel - Duke) and Jack Swarbrick (Vice President and Director of Athletics- Notre Dame) as well as input from University of Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud.

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball senior Jack Rubenstein (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy (Emory)) was among the nation’s top catchers when he was named to the Buster Posey Award watch list.



The Buster Posey Award is given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher. Rubenstein joins the list of 75 catchers nationwide and is one of 21 Power 5 catchers – eight of whom hail from the Atlantic Coast Conference.



Rubenstein is having a terrific senior campaign for the Yellow Jackets, batting .314 for 32 hits, seven doubles, two triples and four home runs. He’s driven in 20 runs and has reached base at a .427 clip this season, holding the team’s season high for consecutive games reaching base at 19. This season, he’s made 26 starts in 28 games, with 17 behind the dish and nine in the designated hitter spot.



The Atlanta native is following in the steps of other great catchers at #CatcherU, most recently in the 2022 Buster Posey Award winner, Kevin Parada. Parada was the second winner in Tech history, following Joey Bart in 2018. Three other Yellow Jacket catchers have been named finalists for the award (formerly the Johnny Bench Award), in Kyle McCann in 2019, in Zane Evans in 2013 and current Tech undergraduate assistant coach Matt Wieters in 2007.



Rubenstein was selected this season to wear the number 21 this season in honor of former Yellow Jacket standout relief pitcher Jim Poole, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021.



Rubenstein and the Yellow Jackets return home to play four games in five days at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium, beginning on Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m. against in-state foe Georgia Southern.

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Not sure about this one but Joe Tipton says Dowuona has committed to GT

Josh Crawford

Norval McKenzie

Geep Wade

Mailbag is pushed back until tomorrow late afternoon/evening. Been swamped and had some other stuff like scrimmage notes and the recruiting stories I wanted to push.