Post-Memorial Day that is
@Kelly Quinlan and @Russell Johnson - In one of the mailbags from sometime around national signing day I gave you an over/under on the 4 stars that would be signed in the 2023 class at 4.5. Both of you took the over. Want to revise that or still sticking with it? If you do revise, what is your number? Last, what do you attribute the lack of success to date to the most? NIL, Collin’s’ job uncertainty, lack of on field success, etc.
RJ- I’ll stick with the over. Lastly, if you are referring to the lack of recruiting success, the answer is all of the above. Recruits will not talk about it on the record, but NIL is a big factor in some of the big targets’ recruitments. I feel like a broken record, but up to this point GT has not been able to keep up. The pressure on Collins is certainly a factor, too.
Very excited and appreciative of the NIL efforts GT fans are making but I just don’t see how this will work- how will small alumni based schools compete with huge alumni base schools like Ohio S, Penn St, UGA, etc.? Short of a T Boone Pickens type benefactor I don’t see how the math adds up regardless of commitment and enthusiasm. Isn’t there something the NCAA could do to “tax” (limit scholarships for high NIL schools or something to level the playing field)? I don’t see how the current business model is going to trend in the long range benefit of anyone-including ESPN and the SEC - if you dominate a market that you grossly shrink?! 32 schools or whatever is not going to create more money than 100. What am I not understanding about this? SMH
KQ- Right now it is the Wild Wild West, will it stay that way? Who knows? I think there are a ton of questions about how all of this will work in the long term, how the NCAA enforces what are clearly inducements going on (they are already investigating several programs) and how sustainable it is. What happens when an angry booster refuses to pay? What happens with a NIL deal when a school tries to process a kid? I think it will get uglier until it is controlled somehow. The reality is they should've just set up a salary fund for every player and made any NIL money connected to actually doing something like a signing or whatever that is controlled and processed through something. I'm also really curious about the tax implications of all of this because some of the collectives at a few of the big-name schools are trying to make this tax deductable and other weird tax things that will wind up putting someone in jail IMO.
I was expecting/hoping to see us pick up a legitimate 2022 starting left tackle during this last transfer enrollment window. While we've picked up some good Oline depth, that hasn't happened. Do you believe that will happen in time for them to play this Fall?
KQ- There just were not any options. I listed them all out in this post because I saw this question ahead of time. https://georgiatech.forums.rivals.com/threads/left-tackles-and-the-portal-this-cycle.36817/
Saban recently suggested there are a couple different camps on NIL, with some schools strictly using collectives to support existing players and others using them to support existing players and induce recruits/transfers.
With GT's collectives now getting off the ground, is it fair to assume we're just planning to use these to support existing student-athletes?
KQ- Well GT are not using inducements to get kids so you are correct they have to be a GT SA to get money. However, there are systems in place once someone comes. For example, the deal with the GT OL getting money would include guys coming in as I understand it. For basketball, I'm sure Pastner will want to use it if Coleman or Deebo had a breakout seasons, Deivon and Kyle can't go anywhere for example because they've transferred once already. I'm also not going to say in a public space school X is offering Y to players, I am not interested in being sent legal papers.
NIL. What is your perspective on the key differences in Jackets for Atlanthropy and SwarmTheATL NIL options? What other NIL options are you hearing about that may emerge soon and how would you compare those to these two?
KQ- One is a charitable situation (Jackets for Atlanthropy) and one is a NIL fundraiser for the average fan (SwarmTheATL) so they are two completely different purposes. I do not see anything else on the horizon that is fan-based or fan-backed so if you want to give money one is a charity and one is a collective designed to help pay SAs. It is a pretty simple thing.
@PTCJacket can share a more detailed breakdown of what they are but as I understand it those are the differences and they appeal to different people and with some crossover as I view it.
I'm concerned that we've reached a point of no return as it relates to GT being consistently relevant in the CFB landscape. Between NIL, massive differences in facilities and budget for football, academic limitations and certainly more factors... is there a realistic scenario in which GT actually gets over the hump and can compete with the big boys again? Or are we in a world where there's really only 5 or 10 relevant teams in CFB and everyone else is drastically behind the curve?
KQ- I think what you speak of happened 60 years ago and there have been a handful of blips over in my lifetime (BYU '84/GT '90)
Here is the list of everyone who has won a Natty since 1980
Bama- 6x
Miami- 5x
Clemson, FSU, Florida, LSU 3x
UGA, Nebraska, Ohio St, Oklahoma, Penn State 2x
Auburn, BYU, GT, Michigan, ND, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Washington 1x
Of that list, Auburn, BYU, GT and Washington stick out as sort of magic seasons. Can you still have that? Absolutely look at Cincinnati last year who made a playoff run despite being in a conference that is a mess and has been since well before the Big East died. I think NIL is a two-edge sword like anything and you have to know how to play the game and use it and have enough money to defend your turf which GT should be able to do.
WR Javon Baker is back/still in the portal. We’ve had internet in the past. Do we circle back around to him?
KQ- Don't think he can get into school. It was iffy the first time and much harder now as a transfer.
Re: Hossman’s question about if NIL funds are for existing players or for recruits as well. If for existing only, doesn’t that make Pastner’s difficult job close to impossible since he relies on portal recruiting heavily? He was quoted as saying the first question he is asked by portal prospects is about GT’s NIL.
KQ- It has made getting a big man hard as hell when you don't have something you can show them you do for your current players on a decent level.
The talk about it being concerning that there are not any current commits. With factories with 4/5 commits, an acknowledgment that most schools will increase their use of the portal, statements alluding that the staff could have out of state commits. I’m I wrong to think that the fact that there are zero commits is not a big deal right now?
Also, do you think that the first in class commitment will come from the future cast list or someone off the radar
RJ- I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it is not a big deal, but I also don’t believe this is a four-alarm fire or anything like that.
Especially given the fact that-
a. They previously had multiple commitments in this class
b. There are prospects, both in-state and out-of-state, that are considered leans
c. They have secured over a dozen OV’s for the month of June; closing time is nearing
KQ- They also had a massive turnover in staff and scheme changes on both sides of the ball that has led to more portal activity as well to fill out positions and backfill for guys who left. All of that has slowed the 2023 recruiting and they have really limited scholarship numbers as of right now. They'll have taken 12-15 transfer portal guys plus the HS class so that doesn't leave a hole for a 18-22 HS class this cycle, the HS class is likely to be in the mid-teens again.
Baseball question for Russ, I know the season isn’t over yet but what’s the word right now on some of the Draft eligible guys at Tech? Who would come back and who goes in the draft? Obviously Parada is gone just wondering about the others! Also what HS signees do you see going into the draft?
RJ- I currently expect the following players to be drafted and sign-
C Kevin Parada
SS Chandler Simpson
2B Tim Borden
LF Tres Gonzalez
1B Andrew Jenkins
P Zach Maxwell
P Marquis Grissom Jr.
3B Drew Compton
Also would not surprise me if someone takes a chance on P Jackson Finley as well.
I am unsure what happens with P Chance Huff, and two HS signees I anticipate getting drafted but reporting to school are OF Riley Stanford and IF Carsten Sabathia.
