I think this time of year and this day everyone is excited and I feel like we did a nice job addressing the needs of our team. I don't think i've ever heard a coach say they didn't meet their needs. We had a target of 18 and we hit.
ON PRIORTY POSITION
We were short at WR on scholarship guys, we have master plan 85, 41 on offense and 41 on defense and three specialists but you try to stay close, also depends on seniors. We have 16 DB slots 8 each and if we maxed out and have no seniors then you can't sign one next year unless you move one. We took five OLs last year and through attrition we were short, we only have one senior and the max we would've taken was four if it was the right four. We are a little over at RB on offense and under on OL intentionally where we went over at RB, we will sort it out next year as we get through it.
ON JAY AND LUCAS
Both very athletic and both fit what we are looking at. When I first saw Lucas, I thought he was pretty polished and can throw and run, Jay is a quick athlete like Justin, quickness and acceleration and both can play that position. We wanted to have five on QBs, depends on Jaylend, we are in that ballpark with one senior next year we can take one in this class and we are excited about both. If we could find the right guys we want five guys on scholarship, five is the number we set up out of the 85, 5 plus Jaylend, if he can play we
ON JAYLEND
As soon as they get his records, we will make a decision that is best for him, it is strictly medical and whatever they decide we will do. I think it will be sooner than later. So he can plan what he can do.
ON NATIONAL QB SEARCH
The way recruiting has changed you see tape on everyone now and we didn't see anyone we liked that we could get locally so you broaden your scope. Jay was on our radar the whole time. When I saw Lucas on tape and Bryan Cook felt the same way and he had interest and we started the process.
ON XAVIER GANTT
Xavier was the first commit and I think he wanted to go to GT from jumpstart and saw we were taking one AB, he said I'm in and didn't want to be left out. He had a lot of offers and it takes character and he gets hit every week and people offer him and it says a lot about him staying steadfast in that deal. Everyone who knows about recruiting don't know who has been recruiting. I've seen guys saying I picked this school over this school. There is no use in broadcasting it if you aren't interested. I saw a stat since 2005, only 44% of the four and five star recruits have started in college.
ON RECRUITING
It has turned into a sideshow and kids go through it one time and everyone thinks you have until Wednesday to make a decision and 95% of the time they get poor advice and the HS coaches are being taken out of the process with trainers and 7-on-7s. I saw a kid jump out of an airplane to commit. I didn't see where he went or who it was, a little over the top.
ON DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
I think that probably, this was good for whatever position and this year was a good year for defensive linemen and some good players and we got some guys, Chris Martin from Grayson HS, he wanted to come to GT and recruited us too, he wanted to come here. We found Desmond, the JUCO who is a little older and we got Jordan Woods and Brandon Adams were highly sought after, Jordan could have gone anywhere he wanted and Brandon was committed to a SEC school and flipped to us.
ON BRANCH
Always looking for pass rushers and we have some good young guys and some had to play before they are ready, but we were excited about that group as a whole, we had 9 defensive end and 7 defensive tackles, there are some good players. It is a good mix, some bigger guys, Brandon helps the size there, Kyle may be a tad too big for his body, Francis is big, Brandon is big and Pat is good. KeShun is a two-year starter, Rook has played, Anree played last year and we are always looking for a speed rusher, Woods can do that, Desmond is a cross.
ON TEAM RANKINGS
I don't pay attention, ESPN had us 9th in the ACC, whichever metrics they use their own. They add up stars, if you sign 25 you should be higher than us at 18. I think the number is that matters is your record last year it wasn't good the year before was good, that is the number I care about. It is like anything, the same six team in the top 10 for the last 10 years will be in the top 10 for the next 40 years, doesn't matter who the coach is.
ON AJANI KERR
I think he has length and it is hard to find that, clearly he runs well and he was under recruited because he transferred schools and was at McEachern under the radar behind all the other guys and no one knew about him and he didn't really camp either. A lot of time I love to recruit is I'll go to the HS I'll ask them who is the best player you played against or in your city, if 3-4 tell you the same guy then he must be good. Some coaches promote their own guys, but our coaches went out opposing coaches told us about #20.
I did some in-home visits in Nashville and schools and three opposing coaches told me Brandon Adams is the best and a JR RB are the two best players in the area.
ON FINDING GEMS
Jalen Camp is an interesting guy, I saw him on TV myself playing Colquitt Co and I was like who is this, I told coach Cook and he knew about him. I told him I wanted to see him in person and we went to the school and I said let's see your daddy, I knew when people saw him, he was committed to a small school, then when we recruited him within two weeks here comes everyone. His dad and him were sold on GT and it was good. We are hopeful he will be a good player, you never know, you see.
We went to the GACC in Macon and I had three coaches tell me Camp is really good that makes you feel good. The guys who play against them and not the guys making the star rankings.
We are still waiting on one more kid. I don't like being over when I know with attrition, I know before others do, but after the spring some grad transfer wants to come or a walk-on comes out in the spring and ends up starting then you promised them a scholarship to do that. We don't cut guys, I'm not going to over recruit. I saw a kid we recruited in June, had half ACC and SEC, just got cut loose and is going to 1-AA school (TaDarryl Marshall). We managed the numbers the best we could sign.
ON THE PACE OF THE COMMITS
I don't generally squeeze guys, but there is a deadline, after two or three visits, if I know I'm taking 18 guys, I'll over 26, but not 50, if number 50 wants it and then commits and then number one wants it, we don't put out offers unless they are committable. Xavier was first A-back, I didn't keep offering other A-backs to cut him. You have to manage the numbers that way, we had four OVs the last weekend and everyone else who had visited had a deadline and we moved on. It has been my experience if a guy has taken 2-3 visits, he is searching for something else, you might get a fallback, I want guys who are excited about being here.
ON MOST MEMORABLE HOME-VISIT
They are all different, it is still interesting and fun and you come across all kind, one of the neat things about GT, it is a certain fit that fits the niche and a lot of good families and I'm proud of the fact since we've been here, graduation rate is 90%, it was 51% when I took the job, our guys aren't getting arrested every week.
ON PRIORTY POSITION
We were short at WR on scholarship guys, we have master plan 85, 41 on offense and 41 on defense and three specialists but you try to stay close, also depends on seniors. We have 16 DB slots 8 each and if we maxed out and have no seniors then you can't sign one next year unless you move one. We took five OLs last year and through attrition we were short, we only have one senior and the max we would've taken was four if it was the right four. We are a little over at RB on offense and under on OL intentionally where we went over at RB, we will sort it out next year as we get through it.
ON JAY AND LUCAS
Both very athletic and both fit what we are looking at. When I first saw Lucas, I thought he was pretty polished and can throw and run, Jay is a quick athlete like Justin, quickness and acceleration and both can play that position. We wanted to have five on QBs, depends on Jaylend, we are in that ballpark with one senior next year we can take one in this class and we are excited about both. If we could find the right guys we want five guys on scholarship, five is the number we set up out of the 85, 5 plus Jaylend, if he can play we
ON JAYLEND
As soon as they get his records, we will make a decision that is best for him, it is strictly medical and whatever they decide we will do. I think it will be sooner than later. So he can plan what he can do.
ON NATIONAL QB SEARCH
The way recruiting has changed you see tape on everyone now and we didn't see anyone we liked that we could get locally so you broaden your scope. Jay was on our radar the whole time. When I saw Lucas on tape and Bryan Cook felt the same way and he had interest and we started the process.
ON XAVIER GANTT
Xavier was the first commit and I think he wanted to go to GT from jumpstart and saw we were taking one AB, he said I'm in and didn't want to be left out. He had a lot of offers and it takes character and he gets hit every week and people offer him and it says a lot about him staying steadfast in that deal. Everyone who knows about recruiting don't know who has been recruiting. I've seen guys saying I picked this school over this school. There is no use in broadcasting it if you aren't interested. I saw a stat since 2005, only 44% of the four and five star recruits have started in college.
ON RECRUITING
It has turned into a sideshow and kids go through it one time and everyone thinks you have until Wednesday to make a decision and 95% of the time they get poor advice and the HS coaches are being taken out of the process with trainers and 7-on-7s. I saw a kid jump out of an airplane to commit. I didn't see where he went or who it was, a little over the top.
ON DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
I think that probably, this was good for whatever position and this year was a good year for defensive linemen and some good players and we got some guys, Chris Martin from Grayson HS, he wanted to come to GT and recruited us too, he wanted to come here. We found Desmond, the JUCO who is a little older and we got Jordan Woods and Brandon Adams were highly sought after, Jordan could have gone anywhere he wanted and Brandon was committed to a SEC school and flipped to us.
ON BRANCH
Always looking for pass rushers and we have some good young guys and some had to play before they are ready, but we were excited about that group as a whole, we had 9 defensive end and 7 defensive tackles, there are some good players. It is a good mix, some bigger guys, Brandon helps the size there, Kyle may be a tad too big for his body, Francis is big, Brandon is big and Pat is good. KeShun is a two-year starter, Rook has played, Anree played last year and we are always looking for a speed rusher, Woods can do that, Desmond is a cross.
ON TEAM RANKINGS
I don't pay attention, ESPN had us 9th in the ACC, whichever metrics they use their own. They add up stars, if you sign 25 you should be higher than us at 18. I think the number is that matters is your record last year it wasn't good the year before was good, that is the number I care about. It is like anything, the same six team in the top 10 for the last 10 years will be in the top 10 for the next 40 years, doesn't matter who the coach is.
ON AJANI KERR
I think he has length and it is hard to find that, clearly he runs well and he was under recruited because he transferred schools and was at McEachern under the radar behind all the other guys and no one knew about him and he didn't really camp either. A lot of time I love to recruit is I'll go to the HS I'll ask them who is the best player you played against or in your city, if 3-4 tell you the same guy then he must be good. Some coaches promote their own guys, but our coaches went out opposing coaches told us about #20.
I did some in-home visits in Nashville and schools and three opposing coaches told me Brandon Adams is the best and a JR RB are the two best players in the area.
ON FINDING GEMS
Jalen Camp is an interesting guy, I saw him on TV myself playing Colquitt Co and I was like who is this, I told coach Cook and he knew about him. I told him I wanted to see him in person and we went to the school and I said let's see your daddy, I knew when people saw him, he was committed to a small school, then when we recruited him within two weeks here comes everyone. His dad and him were sold on GT and it was good. We are hopeful he will be a good player, you never know, you see.
We went to the GACC in Macon and I had three coaches tell me Camp is really good that makes you feel good. The guys who play against them and not the guys making the star rankings.
We are still waiting on one more kid. I don't like being over when I know with attrition, I know before others do, but after the spring some grad transfer wants to come or a walk-on comes out in the spring and ends up starting then you promised them a scholarship to do that. We don't cut guys, I'm not going to over recruit. I saw a kid we recruited in June, had half ACC and SEC, just got cut loose and is going to 1-AA school (TaDarryl Marshall). We managed the numbers the best we could sign.
ON THE PACE OF THE COMMITS
I don't generally squeeze guys, but there is a deadline, after two or three visits, if I know I'm taking 18 guys, I'll over 26, but not 50, if number 50 wants it and then commits and then number one wants it, we don't put out offers unless they are committable. Xavier was first A-back, I didn't keep offering other A-backs to cut him. You have to manage the numbers that way, we had four OVs the last weekend and everyone else who had visited had a deadline and we moved on. It has been my experience if a guy has taken 2-3 visits, he is searching for something else, you might get a fallback, I want guys who are excited about being here.
ON MOST MEMORABLE HOME-VISIT
They are all different, it is still interesting and fun and you come across all kind, one of the neat things about GT, it is a certain fit that fits the niche and a lot of good families and I'm proud of the fact since we've been here, graduation rate is 90%, it was 51% when I took the job, our guys aren't getting arrested every week.
