Greetings from the beach, I'll be checking in here and there and wanted to knock this out.
A month or so ago, you mentioned how the OLine issues this past season was quite something you’ve never seen in the your time covering football. If those same issues doesn’t repeat this year, do you believe there will be an improvement in the offense?
KQ- Both the issues in 2019 and 2021 were really incredible, but this past year was out something special. The OL is more talented overall than a year ago. How long with that take to gel and turn into a solid group? That is the big question because you have all new pieces except for Jordan Williams who is most likely changing sides to LT from RT. I still think the OL is a year away from really coming together into what I think the staff envisions but I think it will be better. That guard box would be hard to go backward as long as Weston Franklin does okay at center, Mikey Minihan was very solid last year but he was the lone bright spot to me in the guard box last year.
Who do you see kicking field goals and extra points? Roster has Jude Kelley, Gavin Stewart, and Aiden Birr. Checked stats and Jude and Gavin were both 0-1 for field goals last year. Cimaglia handles field goals so they would not have much there anyway. Aiden is a freshman. Have you heard anything positive in this area? What can we expect?
KQ- Birr is out with his knee injury and rehab. That leaves Jude Kelley and Gavin Stewart and they are pretty close competition-wise, but Kelley is more accurate inside 45 yards on a day-to-day basis, but I think it will be an open competition throughout the fall. Stewart has a stronger leg but is a hair less accurate. They both can kick and I think Kelley was just not ready when he got forced into action back in 2020.
Which basketball player are you most excited to watch this season?
KQ- I'm a big Deebo Coleman guy, but Deivon Smith when he is locked in has a chance to be very special with his athleticism. He is the first freaky athletic PG type at GT in a long time. Jose was great, but he doesn't have the explosiveness or ups of Smith. If you could bottle Jose and Deivon's skills and combine them, you would have a top 5 pick.
The ACC still exists in 2025, true or false?
KQ- Yes, I kind of have a feeling that Notre Dame is just going to refuse to go anywhere and that will further stall all of this. I am merely operating on a gut feeling there though.
The ACC still exists in 2037, the year following the current tv deal and grant of rights clause, true or false?
KQ- No clue, will they be playing football in 2037? What will that look like? I have no idea.
- Did your sources offer up any info on how the brass reacted to the 3 permanent partners? For example, anything on if Tech wanted to keep Clemson for attendance or was ready for an easier draw, if they wanted to keep the Duke 1933 streak alive or didn’t mind it going away, or was there no strong opinion either way?
KQ- I think everyone just kind of is not sure what to make of any of it. I think we could still see this all changed more in the future as nothing is set in stone. I don't think anyone at GT gives a crap about playing Duke in football as a rival. You gain nothing from beating them and the fans go crazy if for some reason you lose that game. It doesn't help your resume for anything and the trip and environment up there is worse than most HS games I go to. I told you all the Clemson game wasn't going anywhere, everyone knew that.
- Since more teams are now playing in Week 0, was there ever consideration given to playing Western Carolina on August 27? That way instead of 3 games in 12 days, the new staff would have a game under its belt before Clemson and would get a BYE before Ole Miss.
KQ- You used to have to get a waiver from the NCAA to play week 0, but looking at some of the shitty games scheduled that week I guess that is out the window. The contract was signed some time ago and you would have to figure that out financially for both schools. Most coaches don't want to do that, they don't want bye weeks in week 2 of the season or after two games and honestly if I were coaching GT with a new OC and new assistants I would rather have the element of surprise on some level about what they are going to do instead of rolling the dice and hoping folks are up for WCU and that you can be vanilla.
Would much appreciate an update on where our likely-to-return GT baseball players are playing this summer (list of players and their summer leagues). Any stats on how they are performing would be interesting at some point this summer.
Thanks.
RJ- * indicates the biggest surprise (in my eyes) thus far.
Cape Cod Baseball League
Jake DeLeo, Chatham Anglers
.255 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 6 R (18 K in 51 AB)
New England Collegiate Baseball League
John Giesler, Martha’s Vineyard Sharks
2/15, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 R, 5 K in 6 games
Camron Hill, Martha’s Vineyard Sharks
3-0, 2 SV, with 20 K, 2 BB, and a 0.00 ERA in 9 IP. (0 starts)
Aedan Finateri, Danbury Westerners
0-0 with 19 K, 10 BB, and a 3.43 ERA in 4 apps. (all starts)
Cody Carwile, Danbury Westerners
1-0 with 18 K, 4 BB, and a 3.60 ERA in 3 apps.
Nicholas Romano, Danbury Westerners
.303 1 HR, 3 RBI, 14 BB 8 R (leads team with 66 AB’s, also with 7 errors)
Northwoods League
Kristian Campbell, Duluth Huskies*
.350, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 21 BB (7 HBP) 20 SB, 21 K in 32 games
Tyler Hare, Madison Mallards
.278, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 7 K in 18 AB
64 Million Dollar Question. What is your best guess as to how the ACC ultimately responds to the recent SEC and B10 expansions?
KQ- They are leaning on ND to either join or stay independent and looking around to see if there is anything worth adding that brings value in the interim for the TV partners. I have a hard time imagining they will make some grand move like adding the leftover Pac-12 teams or something that bold, but maybe they can WV or KU or Baylor and take their temps and look at the 18-20 league models and what those numbers would look like. The sort of worse case assuming the GOR's remain in place is GT is where the Big East was during the BCS where they still have a seat at the table and big bowls, but it is looked at weirdly in the CFB landscape again just like it was pre-FSU.
What's on your Fourth of July menu?
KQ- I'm in a high-rise condo on the beach so I don't have a grill or anything. We ate out the last few nights so I will probably cook some soy-glazed chicken thighs, rice and veggies and have some ice cream for later. My poor smoker at home will be cold this July 4th.
Who would you say are 3-4 of the current commitments the staff is most excited about having as members of the 2023 class?
KQ- I think it is one of those things that depends on who you ask and what side of the ball they favor. They have a really solid core of a class put together with good kids from very different backgrounds and areas. I think the OL takes so far are probably the most widely praised by our sources though. The whole staff have obviously seen them all in person now and they are good building blocks at a key spot.
How aligned is GT school administration, Athletics administration and head coaches of football and mens basketball in their visions for the football and mens basketball programs?
KQ- I think those things often run in divergent directions even at a place like Alabama or the school to the East. I know they do there at times because my folks worked there and dealt with the admins in that school. I think this is a pivot point clearly for football with Collins' situation so I think there is a strong desire to fix that top-down even from the President. Everyone like Pastner and what he is doing and what he has built, but they want to see more success (NCAAT berths and getting out of the first day) so I think that is the next area where they need to figure out the support structure and they've added some pieces in the last year or so like fixing the social media presence for hoops and doing some things behind the scenes to help. They have to figure out the NIL piece though because that really held them back this offseason and that is out of the HC's hands to a large extent.
