-Now that Snoddy is gone, is JT the fastest person on the team?
JT then Cottrell when he is fully cleared assuming he comes back strong. Benson is probably the fastest if they ran today.
-Who is the strongest person on the team (pound for pound)
Kirvonte Benson, he is like Godhigh on roids with a bigger frame.
-Who are your 5 potential "stars" on next year's team?
JT, Lamont Simmons, Brant Mitchell, Pat Gamble and Freddie Burden
-In your opinion what is going to be the most interesting position battle next season?
B-back to me has the most interesting possibilities.
Can you share the nature of JT's rehab that is preventing him from getting his running legs back?
He has a bad shoulder and bad ankle that are not surgery level bad, but are healing slowly.
Is Shamire's weight & conditioning worse than last season or just equally poor?
It is a little bit better than where he was a year ago.
Odds MBob is still the AD in two years?
Less than 50% IMO.
Odds Kirby is still the HC in Athens in five years?
That's really hard to say. I have no clue right now, but he won't have a long leash.
I understand that there is an argument to fire Gregory so someone else can recruit the 2017 high school class, but is it realistic to expect that a new coaching staff can come in and sign one or more of those players with essentially just a summer to try and win them over?
I mean Gregory is no Paul Hewitt or Cremins when it comes to recruiting and he put together an amazing first class with Carter, MGH, Bolden and Solo. So yes it is.
Long context lead-in: AJC headline: "Support staff growing under Smart". Payroll of staff supporting football jumps from $5.2m to $5.6m. Four major new staff additions. One is "senior graphics designer" over others of like duties. In addition to these four senior staff jobs, salary increases and promotions were announced: Jonas Jennings (player development) from $175,000 to $211,500; Bryant Gant (player wellness) from $84,000 to $125,000; Josh Lee (football operations) from $125,000 to $180,000; Marshall Malchow (on-campus recruiting) hired from outside at $180,000. The article noted that this was a Saban/Bama style staffing philosophy booster shot for the recruiting support buildup started earlier by Richt in recent years.
1) APOLOGIES for the data dump. But the question: you said that of our support staff only Waggoner is on board, others are selected but awaiting final vetting........could you do a special piece on this unit to let us know what folks we now have focused on player talent (ANY technology specialists yet?) and what they do? When the time is right.
Right now they are standing pat with Waggoner, Saeed and Lutz and the new social media person (Brittany McCormick formerly assistant SID, probably doing some double duty there) and they have to replace Courtney. I have not heard who is replacing Courtney yet another female though.
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2) GOL used to say "playmakers" were the difference between GT and FSU. He said that year that they had 15-18 with potential to be all-ACC before graduating and we had 4-5. Who on our current roster impresses you as having all-ACC potential before they're done?
JT, Mitchell, Gray, Simmons, Jeune, Philpott, Howell, Bryan, Burden
The idea that following the season maybe MBob encourages BG to move on to another opening instead of removing him. What level do you think BG needs to move down to? Can he hang at the A-10/AAC level or does he need to move down further to like C-USA, CAA, or Horizon?
I think he will be fine at any step down like A-10, or whatnot.. He is a good coach, just not ACC level IMO with recruiting being a huge issue.
A couple of jobs opening up today (St. Louis & UCF) that might be the profile he'd be interested in if that's how the postseason evaluation shakes out.
Tulane, and a few others as well. I'd be curious but I think Brian thinks he can turn GT around still.
You had mentioned in your most recent War Room (thanks for that BTW) that Francis Kallon has had a great offseason and the coaches are hoping the light bulb finally turns on for him this year (fingers crossed). Do you see any other afterthought/under the radar upperclassmen (or underclassmen) turning the corner and making an impact on the field in 2016?
A couple of guys to watch sink or swim are Corey Griffin, Shamire, Chris Griffin and KeShun.
-Worried about vic alexander, whats the deal there?
He is stiff and has struggled picking up the defense. He is having trouble getting loose enough to the move the way he needs to at that size. He is also 19 so give him a little time.
-You said schemes might be too tough for Gray, why is that?
What I said was the schemes they ran last year are too complex, they were running NFL level DB calls that only upperclassmen can run. I said that CTR would have to make things simpler for Gray and the other DBs because they haven't played 30+ games.
-Chris Griffin was said to be a step slow. Do you think thats something he can regain?
Yeah, he is not that far out of his second surgery. Give the dude some time to get back into the fold, he hasn't played football since the end of 2014.
Your thoughts on the ACC Tournament in Washington, DC ?
It is just a stop gap before NYC, so I'm not sure how much attention it was going to get. Next year in Brooklyn should be the showstopper.
My Better Half and I went ..
We were surprised at the LACK of Attention the Tournament was getting ...
I Guess Maryland having to shell out 31 million to leave the ACC did DC in ...
It's still a Fun City to Visit ...
Yeah everyone who went seemed to enjoy it, they probably should do it in Charlotte but whatever.
Do we have kids on the roster with the physical gift, dedication to their craft, and attitude to operate effectively at OG? If so, who possesses all three of these attributes?
Chris Griffin, Shamire Devine, Brad Morgan, Jake Whitley all of whom are guards, they just need to be coached up and need to develop.
What are the odds that MBob is actually an android sent from the future by UGA to destroy our athletic association?
I doubt UGA would ever have the people skilled enough to build an android in the future unless they hired disgruntled GaTech grads.
Little worried about the small number of offers for OL and their size. Same for DT (size). Can you comment/provide insight. Which corners and safeties do you think we have best shot at?
DB wise, Caleb Rozar is close to popping, he will be down this coming week for a visit I believe. CB wise, Dameon Williams from Norcross is close. OL and DT offers come during the spring evaluation period, need 2 DTs and 3-5 OLs.
JT then Cottrell when he is fully cleared assuming he comes back strong. Benson is probably the fastest if they ran today.
-Who is the strongest person on the team (pound for pound)
Kirvonte Benson, he is like Godhigh on roids with a bigger frame.
-Who are your 5 potential "stars" on next year's team?
JT, Lamont Simmons, Brant Mitchell, Pat Gamble and Freddie Burden
-In your opinion what is going to be the most interesting position battle next season?
B-back to me has the most interesting possibilities.
Can you share the nature of JT's rehab that is preventing him from getting his running legs back?
He has a bad shoulder and bad ankle that are not surgery level bad, but are healing slowly.
Is Shamire's weight & conditioning worse than last season or just equally poor?
It is a little bit better than where he was a year ago.
Odds MBob is still the AD in two years?
Less than 50% IMO.
Odds Kirby is still the HC in Athens in five years?
That's really hard to say. I have no clue right now, but he won't have a long leash.
I understand that there is an argument to fire Gregory so someone else can recruit the 2017 high school class, but is it realistic to expect that a new coaching staff can come in and sign one or more of those players with essentially just a summer to try and win them over?
I mean Gregory is no Paul Hewitt or Cremins when it comes to recruiting and he put together an amazing first class with Carter, MGH, Bolden and Solo. So yes it is.
Long context lead-in: AJC headline: "Support staff growing under Smart". Payroll of staff supporting football jumps from $5.2m to $5.6m. Four major new staff additions. One is "senior graphics designer" over others of like duties. In addition to these four senior staff jobs, salary increases and promotions were announced: Jonas Jennings (player development) from $175,000 to $211,500; Bryant Gant (player wellness) from $84,000 to $125,000; Josh Lee (football operations) from $125,000 to $180,000; Marshall Malchow (on-campus recruiting) hired from outside at $180,000. The article noted that this was a Saban/Bama style staffing philosophy booster shot for the recruiting support buildup started earlier by Richt in recent years.
1) APOLOGIES for the data dump. But the question: you said that of our support staff only Waggoner is on board, others are selected but awaiting final vetting........could you do a special piece on this unit to let us know what folks we now have focused on player talent (ANY technology specialists yet?) and what they do? When the time is right.
Right now they are standing pat with Waggoner, Saeed and Lutz and the new social media person (Brittany McCormick formerly assistant SID, probably doing some double duty there) and they have to replace Courtney. I have not heard who is replacing Courtney yet another female though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) GOL used to say "playmakers" were the difference between GT and FSU. He said that year that they had 15-18 with potential to be all-ACC before graduating and we had 4-5. Who on our current roster impresses you as having all-ACC potential before they're done?
JT, Mitchell, Gray, Simmons, Jeune, Philpott, Howell, Bryan, Burden
The idea that following the season maybe MBob encourages BG to move on to another opening instead of removing him. What level do you think BG needs to move down to? Can he hang at the A-10/AAC level or does he need to move down further to like C-USA, CAA, or Horizon?
I think he will be fine at any step down like A-10, or whatnot.. He is a good coach, just not ACC level IMO with recruiting being a huge issue.
A couple of jobs opening up today (St. Louis & UCF) that might be the profile he'd be interested in if that's how the postseason evaluation shakes out.
Tulane, and a few others as well. I'd be curious but I think Brian thinks he can turn GT around still.
You had mentioned in your most recent War Room (thanks for that BTW) that Francis Kallon has had a great offseason and the coaches are hoping the light bulb finally turns on for him this year (fingers crossed). Do you see any other afterthought/under the radar upperclassmen (or underclassmen) turning the corner and making an impact on the field in 2016?
A couple of guys to watch sink or swim are Corey Griffin, Shamire, Chris Griffin and KeShun.
-Worried about vic alexander, whats the deal there?
He is stiff and has struggled picking up the defense. He is having trouble getting loose enough to the move the way he needs to at that size. He is also 19 so give him a little time.
-You said schemes might be too tough for Gray, why is that?
What I said was the schemes they ran last year are too complex, they were running NFL level DB calls that only upperclassmen can run. I said that CTR would have to make things simpler for Gray and the other DBs because they haven't played 30+ games.
-Chris Griffin was said to be a step slow. Do you think thats something he can regain?
Yeah, he is not that far out of his second surgery. Give the dude some time to get back into the fold, he hasn't played football since the end of 2014.
Your thoughts on the ACC Tournament in Washington, DC ?
It is just a stop gap before NYC, so I'm not sure how much attention it was going to get. Next year in Brooklyn should be the showstopper.
My Better Half and I went ..
We were surprised at the LACK of Attention the Tournament was getting ...
I Guess Maryland having to shell out 31 million to leave the ACC did DC in ...
It's still a Fun City to Visit ...
Yeah everyone who went seemed to enjoy it, they probably should do it in Charlotte but whatever.
Do we have kids on the roster with the physical gift, dedication to their craft, and attitude to operate effectively at OG? If so, who possesses all three of these attributes?
Chris Griffin, Shamire Devine, Brad Morgan, Jake Whitley all of whom are guards, they just need to be coached up and need to develop.
What are the odds that MBob is actually an android sent from the future by UGA to destroy our athletic association?
I doubt UGA would ever have the people skilled enough to build an android in the future unless they hired disgruntled GaTech grads.
Little worried about the small number of offers for OL and their size. Same for DT (size). Can you comment/provide insight. Which corners and safeties do you think we have best shot at?
DB wise, Caleb Rozar is close to popping, he will be down this coming week for a visit I believe. CB wise, Dameon Williams from Norcross is close. OL and DT offers come during the spring evaluation period, need 2 DTs and 3-5 OLs.
