QUARTERBACK:
GT is standing pat at the QB position until the staff has a chance to evaluate both TaQuon Marshall and Christian Campbell in fall camp. There is still a small chance you could even see A.J. Gray there if he doesn't take to safety quickly. He is a getting very big, up to 218 now. Jaylend Ratliffe could also be in the mix as a QB for 2016 if he is cleared.
B-BACK:
GT is very happy with Dedrick Mills and will stay with just one B-back.
A-BACK:
Same thing as B-back, love Xavier Gantt though he needs to work on his speed some, but there are dozens of guys waiting that would jump on a offer if there are any injuries or attrition at that spot. They would find a spot for a guy like Tyler Simmons if he wants to come. They also add KirVonte Benson in 2016.
WIDE RECEIVER:
Jailyn Ingram remains a GT lean and I expect he will make a decision before September and commit to Tech. That leaves one WR spot and Steve Dolphus would be the next guy they would like with Jair Hawkins-Anderson being more an athlete type like Tyler Simmons mentioned above. There are other WR options that fit the body mold, but haven't been as productive as Ingram or Dolphus in HS. I can see a scenario where GT lands both Ingram and Dolphus.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
GT has two guards locked in with Jordan Johnson and Trysten Hill and the focus now is on finding a center and some offensive tackle types. Patrick Kearns is most serious about GT and VaTech right now with NC State in the third spot and then UK. He will be in Lexington this weekend and I am expecting he will take one more trip to GT with his family before he makes a decision before the end of July.
Donavaughn Campbell is hanging out with Christian and getting a feel for GT. If Christian is happy then he could end up at Tech, but it won't happen IMO until very late in the process closer to signing day unless Les Miles gets fired/leaves at the end of the year which could happen or at least he may be on the hot seat. He really likes LSU, then GT and then Bama in that order.
Scott Lashley will be up later this month and GT will "officially" offer him then. He can play both OG and OT, so he is a nice tweener piece for the OL. He has a ton of family nearby and likes the idea of playing in Atlanta so GT is in the mix.
Some other guys to keep an eye on going forward without offer are Stephen Omorgbie, Cameron Whiteman, Alex Smith, Steven Bedosky and Reed Kroeber.
DEFENSIVE LINE
No defensive ends unless it is an elite guy, they have eight on the roster now and zero seniors, they can take 2-3 in 2017 at end.
Inside GT wants some beef to counter Chris Martin. Michail Carter is in no-man's land right now with his schools and his recruitment hinges on the decision of other linemen because his top options all have people higher on their boards, maybe he falls into GT's lap... Nyles Pinckney remains kind of a long shot, but GT is hanging in there. Kobe Smith hasn't shown much interest in his recruitment at all lately. NC State's season could determine his decision especially if they can't progress or compete better. Caleb Tillman is too small and is on the backburner for now.
LINEBACKER:
It is all about the MIKE linebacker position and GT has three main options, Jonathan Smith, Emanuel Bridges and Kenneth Ruff. Bridges wants to go to Ole Miss or Tenn, but I'm hearing they may not take the commit, that puts him back in contention for GT, but they would be a placeholder IMO, it would be tough to hold onto him if someone better came along.
Smith has been more interested in local schools, but he will be down this month for another visit and Jaylend Ratliffe is working him for GT especially since they will be in the same class.
Ruff is the backup option, but I think GT may explore some other MIKE linebacker offers in the next evaluation period in September.
SAFETY/CORNER:
Romeo Finley has GT out front according to my sources, Miami isn't pushing him as hard right now. He would be a nice star power addition. Ikenna Okeke is still considering GT as well and Jarett Cole can play either corner or safety and GT leads for him by a wide margin.
The one really interesting guy is Baylen Buchanan, Louisville has solidified themselves a little, GT is now two ahead of UGA. That is a major change for him and if he goes anywhere but Louisville it would be GT.
GT can also pull the trigger on Korey Banks at anytime and land him if necessary, but he didn't perform well at camp and there is some hesitation to offer since he would pop on the spot.
The class is still going to be on the smaller side, but for those wanting attrition offers, they won't know which positions to offer until later after camp and into the season. In the past guys like Errin Joe or Rod Rook-Chungong who may have left turn into contributors for example so you don't want to push people out the door until you are sure they can't contribute or are injury-prone...
FOOTBALL TEAM
A lot of people have been asking about Matthew Jordan and where he figures into things, the answer is they will try him at some spots and he could be a goal line QB as well, but unless he really figures out the passing element he is not a long term guy at QB. He will try out at WR in fall camp or maybe even some A-back. I'll be curious to see if he is skilled enough athletically to compete at those spots. He is a great kid though and will do anything to help.
Shamire Devine is still heavy and that is a problem and they will be exploring some options at right guard and hopefully that will motivate Shamire. His weight is an issue because of how quick JT moves at QB and he simply cannot pull out quick enough on plays. They don't mash people enough to justify him playing starter snaps if he can't pull. Eason Fromayan is still working at guard, Bryan Chamberlain could get another look again and I wouldn't be shocked if Will Bryan and Brad Morgan get a look as well. They would like to redshirt both, but... Bryan is in the two-deep at OT coming out of the spring as well. Worst case scenario they move Freddie Burden to RG and start Andrew Marshall at center. Shamire can always play 20-30 snaps at his current size.
Summer workouts are going well and the spirits are high for the players. No real news yet, but I'm sure there will be a lot of news coming from Pinehurst next week when the ACCKickoff starts on Monday.
GT is standing pat at the QB position until the staff has a chance to evaluate both TaQuon Marshall and Christian Campbell in fall camp. There is still a small chance you could even see A.J. Gray there if he doesn't take to safety quickly. He is a getting very big, up to 218 now. Jaylend Ratliffe could also be in the mix as a QB for 2016 if he is cleared.
B-BACK:
GT is very happy with Dedrick Mills and will stay with just one B-back.
A-BACK:
Same thing as B-back, love Xavier Gantt though he needs to work on his speed some, but there are dozens of guys waiting that would jump on a offer if there are any injuries or attrition at that spot. They would find a spot for a guy like Tyler Simmons if he wants to come. They also add KirVonte Benson in 2016.
WIDE RECEIVER:
Jailyn Ingram remains a GT lean and I expect he will make a decision before September and commit to Tech. That leaves one WR spot and Steve Dolphus would be the next guy they would like with Jair Hawkins-Anderson being more an athlete type like Tyler Simmons mentioned above. There are other WR options that fit the body mold, but haven't been as productive as Ingram or Dolphus in HS. I can see a scenario where GT lands both Ingram and Dolphus.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
GT has two guards locked in with Jordan Johnson and Trysten Hill and the focus now is on finding a center and some offensive tackle types. Patrick Kearns is most serious about GT and VaTech right now with NC State in the third spot and then UK. He will be in Lexington this weekend and I am expecting he will take one more trip to GT with his family before he makes a decision before the end of July.
Donavaughn Campbell is hanging out with Christian and getting a feel for GT. If Christian is happy then he could end up at Tech, but it won't happen IMO until very late in the process closer to signing day unless Les Miles gets fired/leaves at the end of the year which could happen or at least he may be on the hot seat. He really likes LSU, then GT and then Bama in that order.
Scott Lashley will be up later this month and GT will "officially" offer him then. He can play both OG and OT, so he is a nice tweener piece for the OL. He has a ton of family nearby and likes the idea of playing in Atlanta so GT is in the mix.
Some other guys to keep an eye on going forward without offer are Stephen Omorgbie, Cameron Whiteman, Alex Smith, Steven Bedosky and Reed Kroeber.
DEFENSIVE LINE
No defensive ends unless it is an elite guy, they have eight on the roster now and zero seniors, they can take 2-3 in 2017 at end.
Inside GT wants some beef to counter Chris Martin. Michail Carter is in no-man's land right now with his schools and his recruitment hinges on the decision of other linemen because his top options all have people higher on their boards, maybe he falls into GT's lap... Nyles Pinckney remains kind of a long shot, but GT is hanging in there. Kobe Smith hasn't shown much interest in his recruitment at all lately. NC State's season could determine his decision especially if they can't progress or compete better. Caleb Tillman is too small and is on the backburner for now.
LINEBACKER:
It is all about the MIKE linebacker position and GT has three main options, Jonathan Smith, Emanuel Bridges and Kenneth Ruff. Bridges wants to go to Ole Miss or Tenn, but I'm hearing they may not take the commit, that puts him back in contention for GT, but they would be a placeholder IMO, it would be tough to hold onto him if someone better came along.
Smith has been more interested in local schools, but he will be down this month for another visit and Jaylend Ratliffe is working him for GT especially since they will be in the same class.
Ruff is the backup option, but I think GT may explore some other MIKE linebacker offers in the next evaluation period in September.
SAFETY/CORNER:
Romeo Finley has GT out front according to my sources, Miami isn't pushing him as hard right now. He would be a nice star power addition. Ikenna Okeke is still considering GT as well and Jarett Cole can play either corner or safety and GT leads for him by a wide margin.
The one really interesting guy is Baylen Buchanan, Louisville has solidified themselves a little, GT is now two ahead of UGA. That is a major change for him and if he goes anywhere but Louisville it would be GT.
GT can also pull the trigger on Korey Banks at anytime and land him if necessary, but he didn't perform well at camp and there is some hesitation to offer since he would pop on the spot.
The class is still going to be on the smaller side, but for those wanting attrition offers, they won't know which positions to offer until later after camp and into the season. In the past guys like Errin Joe or Rod Rook-Chungong who may have left turn into contributors for example so you don't want to push people out the door until you are sure they can't contribute or are injury-prone...
FOOTBALL TEAM
A lot of people have been asking about Matthew Jordan and where he figures into things, the answer is they will try him at some spots and he could be a goal line QB as well, but unless he really figures out the passing element he is not a long term guy at QB. He will try out at WR in fall camp or maybe even some A-back. I'll be curious to see if he is skilled enough athletically to compete at those spots. He is a great kid though and will do anything to help.
Shamire Devine is still heavy and that is a problem and they will be exploring some options at right guard and hopefully that will motivate Shamire. His weight is an issue because of how quick JT moves at QB and he simply cannot pull out quick enough on plays. They don't mash people enough to justify him playing starter snaps if he can't pull. Eason Fromayan is still working at guard, Bryan Chamberlain could get another look again and I wouldn't be shocked if Will Bryan and Brad Morgan get a look as well. They would like to redshirt both, but... Bryan is in the two-deep at OT coming out of the spring as well. Worst case scenario they move Freddie Burden to RG and start Andrew Marshall at center. Shamire can always play 20-30 snaps at his current size.
Summer workouts are going well and the spirits are high for the players. No real news yet, but I'm sure there will be a lot of news coming from Pinehurst next week when the ACCKickoff starts on Monday.
