I've skipped things that have been addressed already elsewhere on the site
Where do we stand with current commits? Are all still takes? Are there new recruits to keep an eye on not listed in the big board of offers?
KQ- Russell could answer this better, but be suspicious of anyone who doesn't have a new OV set for December. With the coaching change even guys who OV'd this summer can now OV again and are lining those up.
Do we know which current commits are planning to enroll in January?
KQ- Ask RJ
Can Pastner have the team practice boxing out for an entire day? We give up so many easy rebounds bc we don’t box out and undersized.
KQ- I will pass that along, but I think a lot of the issues have to do with being undersized at every position except SG and PG.
If the DC isn’t announced by Mondays mailbag, any shot at Schumann? Coached with Key at Bama and potential to be the sole DC.
KQ- No
Secondary to the above, if Thacker is still the guy at DC, do you expect a scheme change? Can we please never see a DE covering a RB out of the backfield ever again?
KQ- I told Key they should burn that play in the defensive playbook. I expect more changes in terms of scheme and ideas with a full offseason to work on it. They were patching things up the last few weeks because you can't do a lot in the season.
Top Flip candidates before the ESD?
KQ- To GT or away from GT?
Do you still vote for the heisman? Who’s got your vote this year?
KQ- Yes, I believe I am not allowed to say until the results come out.
- At what level do college coaches get/need agents?
KQ- Anyone who truly wants to be a HC needs an agent. That is what held back Tony Elliott for a long time, he wouldn't do it. So even guys like Key would need one who have that desire.
Now that all the coaching drama is gone what will the next topic be that causes 8 pages of the same replies to be added to every single post by the same 6 people.
KQ- Probably portal drama or someone getting poached/getting fired off of the staff which could still happen. Coaching staffs are not truly set until mid-Jan.
Can you give us an idea how much guys are getting in NIL money? Like how much will McCollum go for in the portal? How much do certain positions go for in NIL out of high school and portal?
KQ- Nope, the people giving that out are not interested in that being public.
With the hiring of Brent Key, is this the most United you’ve seen a program? The kids went absolutely wild. Alums/former lettermen are excited and of course the fanbase has been as close to universally excited as possible.
KQ- It seems like given what happened and how he did as the interim, people want to believe in Key and want him to do well, so there is generally more support than I've seen even compared to when Collins got people fired up with talking points and gimmicks.
UGA has their 11 on field coaches including Kirby but as their help staff they have a special teams coordinator, how does that work? I thought a special teams coordinator would be considered on field staff.
KQ- JB Hall Jr. did the same job at GT, he just wasn't an on the field coach until Key promoted him to it. There are limitations on what "staff assistants" or analysts or GAs can do, feel free to google it. I don't get into the weeds on that stuff.
When a recruit takes an official visit, what is the typical agenda? Any idea how much GT spends on average for an "official visit"?
KQ- Maybe we will do a breakdown of the OVs, but basically they arrive on the first day, go to the hotel check in, eat, go out and do something with current players, then they sleep, eat a large breakfast meet with academics and take tours and all of that stuff, meet with the position coaches eat a bunch more and then go out and hang with the current players. The last day they typically have breakfast check out of the hotel and meet with the HC and the position coach/area recruiter and see where things stand.
When's the coaching search War Room? I'm ready to replace rumors with facts.
KQ- When I'm good with sources to really dive into it. I am still getting mixed messaging on how it all played out except for Key's hiring and how that went down. I do know that part of the story. The chase part is very mixed messages about how it played out.
In your opinion, what needs to happen at Tech for us to avoid becoming (or continuing the trend of becoming) the "Minor Leagues of college football". By that, I mean the type of school where if a player experiences success early in their career or shows an abundance of potential then they will attempt to "level up" to what would be a better program in their eyes.
KQ- I think you heard Brent Key explain this very well in his presser, you develop and use your NIL money TO KEEP TOP GUYS because you can show them you can get them to the NFL and win here.
If you're Key, what positions are you looking to add via the portal? Any specific names you'd be reaching out to that have already entered? I'll take as much info as you can give me.
KQ- Linebacker is the biggest one and maybe an RB and some outside receivers and a TE.
I asked earlier and you told me to wait until the end of the season:
How would rank the current talent level on the team versus the talent level when Collins took over as head coach (ie the team he inherited)?
KQ- Ask when the portal stuff is cooled off. I still don't know what the final team will look like yet in terms of who might still leave.
Now that the dust has settled- in your opinion did we get it right with the hire and do you think it’s more important to build thru Recruiting Classes or build from the Portal?
KQ- I think they hired the right guy given all the elements of where the program is at, how Key did as the interim and what is needed to build it back up. I think you have to lean hard on recruiting and use the portal to backfill needs or misses not as a catch-all recruiting tool.
I clearly missed some info during transition to CBK as interim. Who was the OL coach unil the season end? Now, we have transitions in the O to new coaches. Are we going to hire an OL coach?
KQ- Key's GA Nathan Brock who played at Ohio State took over since that was easy and Key still helped some. They will hire an OL coach.
Any guesses what our total $$$ pool for coordinators and assistants will be?
KQ- No idea right now.
Would it be correct to assume that there is a lot of “back door “ / second hand recruiting via NIL promises by other schools even before players enter the portal? What if anything could the NCAA do to regulate this?
KQ- The NCAA can't do much to regulate coaches caught on wiretaps cheating so I have little faith they can figure out how to stop the backchannel stuff. I can tell you this, when a parent of a player asks me my opinion on the portal my advise has been the same since it started, don't go in unless you already have a committable offer to go somewhere. That should tell you how active people are on backchannels.
Do you know the reasoning behind Kaleb Edwards moving to RB rather than staying with the DBs?
KQ- Trying to get him on the field and build some depth. He ended up back at nickel for the UGA game because KJ Wallace was out for the game. I'll be curious to see what the plan is for him moving forward. I still kind of see him as a potential LB.
So back to your comment about Collins ego and peers not liking him. Did Collins and key like each other? Do you think Collins is upset that Key got it?
KQ- Key and Collins liked each other and were friends, but the dynamics change a lot when you are in a boss/employee relationship and a lot of where Collins went off the tracks happened in stages. Do I think Collins is upset? Well yes. Yes, I Do.
Can we get Derrick Moore back?
KQ- There are some people working on that as I type.
What’s the deal with JIm Chaney? It seemed like a good hire to get some one with his experience. did he do anything? Or did he come for the Waffle House discount? think key will use him? If so, how?
KQ- His role was basically per Chip Long to scout opponents ahead of the next week to help prepare some ideas for that game and to give some self-scouting feedback for the offense. He did that, but it was a part-time job.
Could you give us a few tidbits of the things Collins did that we would shake our heads at? I know you mentioned a tell all Zoom meeting.
KQ- I can't spoil my call.
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