When is the last time that the Braves have been so poor?

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Brent Key and his staff pulled off an epic weekend with six commitments on Sunday from five official visitors from that weekend plus one from the previous weekend's OV slate, DB Fenix Felton. The group is headlined by 4-star commits CB Dalen Penson and WR Samuel Turner, but there is depth across the committed players.

It was a big day for GT, but a helluva slog for us.

I knew that, going into the weekend, I would be in deep trouble. I spent the majority of last week either at a camp, 7v7, or in an airplane. I flew from Atlanta to Portland, Maine with my mother on 6/1 skipping my high school reunion in the process. Then I flew back from Maine to Atlanta via NYC on Monday—three flights in under three days. I helped RJ a little bit at the two Corky Kell camps knowing I was heading back out on Wednesday night to Tampa for the USF Mega Camps on Thursday and Friday. Flight #4 to Tampa on Wednesday. Saturday morning after two days ROASTING in 96-degree Tampa for mega camps that started at 10:30 am and run until 7:30 pm, I flew back to Maine via NYC again to get my mom. We flew home on Sunday afternoon. I spent Sunday morning helping turn some of Russell's interviews and then using the free Wifi on Delta I wrote three commitment stories and two other stories on the flight back from Maine and then after driving to the North GA Mountains to drop off Mom, then back home finally at 9:45 and then a pair of late-night commits in Dalen Penson (RJ story) and Sam Turner (my story). It was insanity, but a cool insanity.

RJ was balancing his parental duties and church around interviewing a dozen kids. Hell, we still have a few interviews we haven't had time to turn from OV weekend 1.

So that's the background of what is going on and what I've been up to.

What has Brent Key and his staff been up to? Kicking ass and chewing gum and they've run out of gum or Zyn in Key's case .

There are a lot of reasons why the weekend went as well as it did, but ultimately everything comes back to what Key is doing and how he has set up the program. The players are salesmen, the staff are salesmen and saleswomen and the coaches are able to close because of all the groundwork that has been laid whether that is raising money for NIL (folks should be giving because they will need to work hard to keep these players), building his culture around the program where everyone is bought in and cares (a far cry from the previous regime after the first 6-9 months) and of course the things that Georgia Tech can offer and the city of Atlanta offers.

The staff knew of the commits yesterday before they were public. We are sitting on a little more news on that front as RJ has alluded to that should come out in due time. Still, the topper to all of this and my laying out of my plans is Brent Key was on the phone recruiting late pushing for the ones they didn't get, trying to get kids committed elsewhere to visit, and working a day a lot longer than RJ or my day on Sunday or any that we worked last week.

It is very cool to see the ground floor of the building analogy that Key likes to use coming together. This is an exciting time for GT fans and the work should be applauded by fans as it was yesterday. No one is working harder than Key and his coaches right now and that is very good for Georgia Tech football.

Going to Panama City next week for the first kid-free trip for my wife since we had Emory in 2013.

We are celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary.

We’ve never been to PCB, so I’m open to all recommendations.

Greetings from GT should be ample talent on display today on the Flats

A look right here:

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress (Houston County, Ga./Houston County) continues to make his claim as one of the best freshmen nationally, earning first-team freshman all-America honors, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Monday. He is the 41st freshman all-American in program history.



Burress, a native of Houston County, led Georgia Tech in a myriad of categories, including average (.381), home runs (25) and RBI (67), becoming the 12th Yellow Jacket to win Tech’s triple crown. Burress is the first to accomplish the feat since Matt Gonzalez in 2016. His 25 home runs set the Tech freshman record and fell one shy of tying the single-season record (Kevin Parada, 2022).



In addition to his team-leading average, the ACC Freshman of the Year finished with 15 doubles and three triples and drew more walks (58) than strikeouts (37) for a .512 on-base percentage and an OPS of 1.333. He also finished 8-for-10 in stolen bases and set the Georgia Tech record for most assists by an outfielder, gunning down 10 base-runners from center field this season.



Burress led all Division I freshmen in six statistical categories to finish the regular season (home runs, home runs per game, slugging, total bases, walks and walks per game), while ranking Top 3 nationally in 11 categories. He also led ACC freshmen in eight categories to wrap up the year (runs and on-base percentage), while also ranking second in RBI, RBI/game and batting average to earn first-team all-conference honors.



In just his first year on The Flats, Burress has racked up a plethora of accolades. In addition to all-conference and ACC Freshman of the Year honors, Burress was also named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.

Just a side note- I am no longer feeling as confident as I once was that Georgia Tech is going to only take one QB in this class. For the time being, I'll keep the other QB's off but something to keep an eye on.

I'll do a better job keeping these updated moving forward, the spring softball (and tee ball) schedule has completely dominated my schedule lately.

QBs (1/1):
Top Tier:
Grady Adamson (Deerk Creek, OK) ***GT COMMIT 4/6/24***

RBs (0/2):
R.J. Boyd (Ware County- Waycross, GA)
Tomir Bransford (Westlake- Atlanta, GA)
DeAndre Desinor (American Heritage- Coconut Creek, FL)
Lucas Farrington (Woodward Academy- Atlanta, GA)
Javin Gordon (Stephens County- Toccoa, GA)
Zion Johnson (Newton- Covington, GA) CINCY COMMIT
Jasper Parker (Shaw- Marrero, LA)
JP Powell (Miller County- Colquitt, GA)
Antwan Raymond (Clearwater Academy Intl- Clearwater, FL)
Nate Sheppard (Mandeville, LA)
Bo Walker (Cedar Grove- Ellenwood, GA) UGA COMMIT
Cedric Wyche (St. Thomas Aquinas- Fort Lauderdale, FL)

WRs (0/3)
Josiah Abdullah (Woodward Academy- Atlanta, GA) FLORIDA COMMIT
Jamauri Brice (Cartersville, GA)
Gabe Daniels (GAC- Atlanta, GA)
Maurice Gleaton (Langston Hughes- Fairburn, GA)
Evan Haynes (Fellowship Christian School- Roswell, GA)
James "JJ" Johnson (Douglas County- Douglasville, GA)
Gerritt Kemp (Hebron Christian Academy- Dacula, GA) also plays safety
Isaiah Mizell (Boone- Orlando, FL)
Tristan Norman (Carver- Montgomery, AL) TOP 10
Travis Smith Jr. (Westlake- Atlanta, GA)
Clarence Taylor (Pleasant Grove, AL)
Sam Turner (Southwest Dekalb- Decatur, GA
Daylyn Upshaw (Central- Phenix, AL)
Tyler Williams (Sumner- Riverview, FL)


TEs (0/2):
Ryan Ghea (Milton- Alpharetta, GA) AUBURN COMMIT
Max Hunt (Plant- Tampa, FL)
Jackson Kohl (Christian Brothers- St. Louis, MO)
Aaron Mattingly (Green Hill- Mount Juliet, TN)
Landon Pace (St. Louis University HS- St. Louis, MO)
Marshall Pritchett (Rabun Gap Nacoochee- Rabun Gap, GA) committed to UNC
Cayman Reynolds (Sonoraville- Calhoun, GA)
Gus Ritchey (Northwood- Pittsboro, NC) NC STATE COMMIT
Gordy Sulfsted (St. Xavier- Cincinnati, OH) also plays DE
Miles Uter (Bayside Academy- Daphne, AL)

OLs C/OT (1/2-3):
Damola Ajidahun (Duluth, GA)
Bryan Auguste (Monarch- Coconut Creek, FL)
Jimmy Bryson (Baylor School- Chattanooga, TN)
Gerrick Gordon (Trinity Catholic- Ocala, FL)
Justin Hasenhuetl (Rabun Gap Nacoochee- Rabun Gap, GA) ***GT COMMIT 4/11/24***
Jayden Mann (Cardinal Hayes- Bronx, NY)
Alex Payne (Gainesville, GA) verbal to UNC
Josh Petty (Fellowship Christian School- Roswell, GA)

OLs OG (0/2):
Gavin Bowlin (Leeds, AL)
Jamin Brown (Southside- Gadsden, AL)
Kevin Peay (Lancaster, SC)
Cortez Smith (Parkview- Lilburn, GA)
Gabe Smith (Cambridge- MIlton, GA)
Andrew Stargel (Roswell, GA)

Fire away

From what I’ve gathered, Georgia Tech is ACTIVE this morning.

RB Dallan Hayden
DB Tre’Quon Fegans

Have both confirmed that they’ve been in contact with GT since officially entering.

Former Indiana defender Anthony Jones, who they offered last week, has a visit scheduled for next Monday.

He was one of the top transfers remaining from the previous window, having committed to Oregon State and then backing away.

Use this thread for all discussion, names who enter you’d like to see GT make a move for, etc.

A new transfer tracker is in the works as well.

Good morning.

Georgia Tech's coaches are filing in to the hotel this morning after another big weekend on campus with a strong group of visitors.

I expect ELCA defensive back Fenix Felton, who visited last weekend, to go public with a Georgia Tech commitment today.

I expect several others as well, though I cannot guarantee they will all go public today.

With Kelly traveling, the majority of the updates from the weekend will take place in this thread. I'll be as in-depth as I can, and will share a wrap-up of sorts once everyone leaves.

As always, this thread will be locked for updates.

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does COFH being moved to Black Friday have any ripples down the way with our schedule or is it all meaningless?

KQ- I'm unsure of what you are asking me. GT plays the Thursday night before with NC State and I think UGA plays UMass the week before so both teams will have ample downtime before the game.

Will there eventually be rules limiting transferring? If so when do you predict that would happen?

KQ- My expectation is there will be contracts and terms locking kids and SCHOOLS into a financial relationship for X-amount of time. I would assume that will be like a 3-year deal. It would level things off greatly if the Big Boys can't just cut guys and pick off guys from small schools when they screw up their evals.

Also, do any of our "leaders" actually care about the fans or just lining their wallet?

KQ- Generally, no one cares about people in a position of power, whether politics or anything else. Most would not pump the brakes if you crossed the road in front of them and no one was looking.

Have you been to Freakin Incan up in Roswell and if so, how does it compare to the peruvian chicken joint you recommended in Durham? Alpaca Chicken I think it was, place was closed last time I was in town.

KQ- I have not, I tried a different place up there and the sauce smelled like rotten ranch. I can't remember the name of it, but I had it delivered and it did not travel well either. It was a bummer of a meal.

Who are some of your favorite interviews - coaches that either crack you up or give you lots to work with?

KQ- I always enjoy the kids who have a lot of personality like Jordan Williams or even more out there guys like Jay Finch from back in the day on the player side. There was always something strange. As far as guys who crack me up on the coaches side, I always found Jim Boeheim to be the Larry David of college coaches and good from something really crazy coming out of his mouth. The old BC coach Frank Spaziani was a real character. Andy McCollum was also good with a fun story. Brent Key is a lot of fun outside the interview realm. There is a lot of ballbusting going on when we chat on both sides.

Thanks for the Uzzi interview. Awesome to get these lookins. Appreciate all you do

KQ- I'm going to keep doing them randomly as I am able to connect with guys. I owe one to Steven Sylvester. We were supposed to do it last year. There are a few older Curry-era guys I'd like to get and then work my way around different eras of guys.

Tech didn't use Anthony Carrie much in the spring game, so from your own observations and what your sources tell you, how would you rate these characteristics for him from strongest to weakest:

(1) Quickness - can make people miss in the open field
(2) Toughness - willing to run over people and then break tackles
(3) Speed - will outrun most DB's when he hits the 2nd level
(4) Skill & Coordination - Great hands for catching swing passes and screens
(5) Smart - Will not forget/screw up his assignments on most plays
(6) Sacrifices - Can and will pass protect

KQ- Hmmmm, He is very good at 4, 2, and 1. I think 5 and 6 are the areas that he needs to work on the most right now and 3 is pretty good.

No countdown to Ireland?

KQ- I have so much going on, I kind of forgot it was like day 97 before I remembered.

What happened with Jontae Gilbert?

KQ- He is slow. This happens every year with a guy like him. There was another DB this exact same thing just happened to last cycle, CJ Heard. He ended up at FAU.

Saw the post on the GHSA games not happening over Thanksgiving, will that be something that sticks moving forward or just a change with UGA having the game this year?

KQ- I'm not sure, but that makes sense. If COFH is on Friday moving it makes 100% sense. That is the biggest game of the year in the state of Georgia and a huge recruiting event for both schools regardless of who is hosting.

1. Who does Hall think he is?
2. What gives him the right?

KQ- ADTS

Are there any former assistant coaches for football/basketball that are still getting paid? If so, could that be hindering some NIL allocation?

KQ- That is a good question, but I believe all of that is off the books, but they had to account for all of that. I'll ask around about it.

Another guitar question. Do you like fingerstyle players? I saw that Mike Dawes is going to play in Decatur this summer.

KQ- Sometimes, it is really dependant. I like it in certain styles of music, but not necessarily when someone is covering a popular song and playing the vocal melody alongside of it. I've sen Andy McKee live and he was pretty good. I'll have to check out Dawes.

Do current commits get prioritized to come certain weekends for the OV to help recruit others visiting?

KQ- It is a mix of that and availability with their parents being able to come. If all things are equal they try to line up commits who they think will jive with specific kids to help recruit them especially the QB commits.

With unlimited OVs can they OV twice? I know it’s a Petty question.

KQ- Only if the head coach is fired. That regulation is still there, one trip to each school.

Beesball questions for RJ:

- What is the perception of the GT Program amongst other coaches and baseball people? Perception of CDH?
- Is CDH oblivious to how much the hardcore fans are past ready for him to be gone?
- Is CDH oblivious to how much he's tarnished whatever legacy he may have at one time had?
- Have you talked w/any former players to get their thoughts on the program?
- I would assume if CDH were to no longer be the coach that there would be huge interest in the job from high level coaches. Agree?

Alright @Russell Johnson

In profile format per request-

MID-WEEK
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WEEKEND
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@fulltimesavage @TBuzzIE @DPgtfan @BeerBrewingJacket talk about a cool concept for baseball!

He was a standout at the 7v7 Tuesday. Will OV next week.

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Everyone needs to watch Band of Brothers on Netflix or hbo max. I’m sure many have seen it but it’s one of the best shows of all time.

Lots of good D-Day 80th anniversary stuff out there for history nerds out there.

Also lol at the picture choice