1/20 Recruiting Update
by GTNate on Jan 20, 2012 12:53 AM EST
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Hey all, your second-favorite From the Rumble Seat recruiting blogger here with an update from the flats. We've had a big recruiting week, landing 2 commits in the space of 5 days! The first kid we're going to discuss after the break is the young man that committed yesterday, Lynn Griffin, hailing from my native Florida.
Lynn's a three star safety coming in at 6'0" 220, which is on par with the other safeties on the roster. Some (read: me) have said we need smaller, quicker S's that can get into the middle and hit those guys the LBs so often miss, but if he takes off some weight he should be just that. His recruiting video reinforces that sentiment, this guy can take off in a HURRY and get to the ball:
My favorite part is probably the first scene when he blows up the receiver and then just yoinks the ball for a big runback. They also send him down to blitz a lot and he's not afraid of contact, which may mean we're looking a pretty versatile player here. Where do ya'll think we can best use his skills?
The next guy I want to talk about is the offensive lineman who committed on Sunday, Freddie Burden from Statesboro. Kid weighs in at 296, which is slightly heavier than the rest of line (most of them are in the 290's now, whereas in the past they weren't, maybe Paul Johnson has been receiving my internal diatribes about how the line needs to be bigger). This is the closest thing I could find to a recruiting video for him:
Super 11 (via wtoctv11)
But I found a tidbit on Rivals that gives a better technical breakdown: "Burden is a big OL that will play inside on the next level. He showed a great base and strong hands at the MVP Camp." And as you can see from the stripped ball he ran back in the video, he's not too slow either. So what do ya'll think of recruiting so far? I'm pretty proud of it myself. Here's hoping we'll be REALLY proud of Vad Lee and PJ's other new guys next year!
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Our OL can’t be too big because they have to scoop on the backside…meaning they have to take a circular route to block a DL or LB that is lined up in a gap to their inside (the only exception there might be Center)…unless as CPJ has stated they can carry their weight well enough to not have to lose any. I read that they’ll start Burden at Center.
Not sure if they’ve recruited Griffin to be Safety or B-Back, since we seem pretty deep in secondary.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Burden is really athletic too
Played quite a bit of tight end in high school I believe. Seems he may have the size to play as an interior lineman with the versatility to play as a tackle. We’ll see what CPJ wants to do with him though.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
Second-favorite recruiting blogger?
My prediction is that Lynn Griffin will have a chance to play the position that he has history with but there is a good chance he could be groomed for outside linebacker. You know what they say, males put on their last growth spurt between high school and age 21. (That’s approximate.) As a result he could gain another inch or inch and one half as well as add another 10 to 15 pounds. Or, the staff may try to keep him lean and mean and let him play safety.
On offensive line we keep repeating ourselves on the weight thing. Is it safe to say that we all agree we want bigger linemen as long as they can move? Thank you. I will take my answer off line now.
Oh, thanks for another interesting post.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 8:19 AM EST reply actions
Forgot one more thing.
I too am ready for Vad Lee to get in the mix but I think it would be a mistake to pin too much on him. Washington acquitted himself well this past season and deserves to see plenty of playing time next season. Hopefully we can figure out a rotation that makes sense, taking advantage of Washington’s experience while giving Lee an opportunity to grow and contribute.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 8:25 AM EST reply actions
How could we possibly
pick a favorite blogger in any category? You guys are like whiskey. Sure, there’s whiskey that burns (a blog with typos, maybe) and there’s fine whiskey that goes down smooth (for me, it’s the history lessons), but i’ma always put the whiskey in my GT whiskey glass, throw them little chilled stones in it, and drank it down slow and easy. Then I discuss football.
I met her on the campus, sir, cheering the Brave and Bold.
As I was shoveling snow today (yes, we finally had some) I thought some more about Australian talent
On the AJC there is some serious troll action as some of you know. UGA fans that have absolutely no life at all are making fun of Tech for going to Australia for talent. My prediction is this. These fans will make fun for about two more years and then they will suddenly forget they made fun as the SEC starts trying to raid the inroads made by Hawaii, Oregon State and Tech.
Then the dynamic will change. There will be Australian players who, because of their competitive nature, will begin to feel like they want to play in the very best programs or conferences and they will start going to LSU or Alabama. But Tech’s dynamic will be the same. Students who are even more competitive will not have to follow the crowd but rather will feel like wherever they choose to go it will be because they believe their very presence will make that school one of the best programs. It will be these who do not have to follow the herd mentality who will truly be stars.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
Man I hop you're right about that
The problem I’m seeing is that Aussie Gridiron has no measuring stick to judge recruits by on the front end. This O-lineman, is he good enough for the ACC? If so, is he just barely good enough or more like a five star? Being the best in an international league might not mean much since football has saturated every age group in America. But then again he might just be among the best anywhere period. We won’t know until he puts on the White and Gold I guess.
I met her on the campus, sir, cheering the Brave and Bold.
I am basing this on (but not just on) the following . . .
Georgia fans (the ones without meaningful lives) were tearing up page after page on the AJC, whooping and hollering and making fun of Tech for going after Francis Kallon who came from a non-football playing nationality.
Now Mark Richt is moving heaven and earth to try to steal him away from Tech.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 11:30 AM EST up reply actions
I sure hope
that kid sticks with us. He just has such potential. But my hope is that if he said No to Auburn, Bama, Sakerlina and others he will say no to georgie and sign with Tech.
I met her on the campus, sir, cheering the Brave and Bold.
This is why CPJ's TO offense gives us a competitive advantage over most schools...
Yes, I said it, and I welcome all takers who disagree.
First, recruiting pro-style against other schools with deeper pockets that also run pro-style is, in the long run, a flawed strategy. CCG had difficulty with it, and in his 6 years he only got as high as 9 wins once, and only one division title. To effectively and successfully run a pro-style offense you need excellent QB play, superior skill position players, and OL depth. Thus, it simply becomes a question of talent acquisition. Teams can simply “out-recruit” other schools and have that be they’re barometer on whether the program will have success. This is a game, under the current NCAA hands-off policy on TV money for each conference, that Tech simply can’t win. To run the TO, you simply need athletes at the QB position (and skilled positions).
Second, opposing DC’s dread the TO because the offense is designed to counter-act any defense you can throw at it. If ran correctly, it neutralizes your best DL player into that of a read key (i.e., Brandon Thompson from Clemson). It forces your secondary (especially CB’s who might have been just recruited for their cover skills) to come up to the line and tackle, and forces you to lean on them for 1-on-1 coverage. In fact, it requires your entire defensive unit to be drilled on shedding blocks and making tackles in open space.
Third, I think our probability of landing “Tech guys” is optimized in a unique offensive system. A player who likely would have been recruited to play in a more conventional offense at a mid-major conference can play at Tech since the emphasis on out-sizing or out-talenting the competition isn’t as important. While defensively we’re still competing for talent similarly to other schools, building a winning program with an effective offense will increase our chances of attracting defensive talent (especially with a CAG heading the defense). Say what you want about CAG’s performance to date, he’s one of our best recruiting tools.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
I'll bite.
This argument doesn’t show that Tech has a competitive advantage over other schools. It shows that Tech can get better recruits for the TO than it can for a pro-style. At best, you’ve shown that TO Tech is better than pro-style Tech. (And even that is debatable).
While I don’t buy that defenses have “figured out” the option, the novelty has worn off. The option can work even if well-defensed, but it works a lot easier when opponents are not used to defending it. Also, good teams are adjusting defensive philosophy to maximize their strengths against the TO personnel: attacking Tech’s smallish linemen inside with big DLs and employing speed outside in run support. Tech usually has to stick 3 blocks in order for there to be only one unblocked defender to option off of, and that is where teams are focusing their attack.
Finally, defensive recruiting is an open issue.
There is a reason that the service academies run the option.
by first and thom on Jan 20, 2012 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
Let me clarify...
Trying to recruit Pro-style with a smallish ACC recruiting budget, and academic requirements, puts Tech at a competitive disadvantage. If you’ve read Moneyball, its similar to the idea of looking for gaps in the marketplace for talent. A athletic guy who’s being recruited to play his natural position at a mid-major school, or a DB at a larger school, can play QB/A-Back at Tech. This allows Tech to free up some of that recruiting budget to go after the Dalvin Tomlinson’s and Louis Young’s of the world.
Service academies run the option because it’s the best way to maximize the talent they have in their respective recruiting environments…a Service academy student-athlete readily accepts no realistic NFL opportunity and a Service commitment following college. Paul Johnson owned Conference USA while he was at Navy, despite playing his Conference opponents year after year. The idea of it being a novelty doesn’t matter because the TO has blocking schemes available for every defensive set, stunt, or blitz. When the TO is limited, it’s generally because the defense had superior players that effectively shed blocks, made open-field tackles, and covered the receivers well…but this is true of any defense playing any offense. In addition, it is possible for the offense to falter in several areas as well because of its own executional issues.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Of course other offenses can suffer from bad execution and against dominant defenses...
… but not all of them to the same degree. The thing that hurts Tech is the absence of effective constrain plays. Plan A is “run until you stop us.” Plan B is “run counters.” Against a team that actually closes up the running lanes inside and out, the constraint play has to come through the passing game – and that is where so much breaks down.
Also, querey how much it costs to recruit Dalvin Thomas. Georgia is stocked with D1 talent – much of it in the Atlanta area. Geography is a natural advantage for Tech, especially against ACC teams like VaTech, NCST, Duke, BC, UNC, and Wake. Rules limit how much you can spend on recruits.
by first and thom on Jan 20, 2012 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
The style of play limits the number of possessions for the offense. While I see your point…I would argue that when most team fall behind (and presumably ditch a more balanced gameplan for a 1-sided passing offense) one ofv2 things happen…
1) there’s a slim chance that the team comes back
2) there’s a more substantial chance that the team doesn’t get closer or falls more behind given the risky nature of passing
Tech has used passing-only in 2-minute situations to either win games or get in position to (2010 win at Wake Forest, 2010 loss at VPI). Every offense has a specific design….Tech’s is different yes, but no less susceptible to changes in gameplan.
Yes…Atlanta should be a benefit…but GT is a brand that is tougher to sell. The SEC is a stronger brand and kids think they need to pick such schools to improve their possible chances at the next level. Many of these kids don’t care about the odds of getting to the next level.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
by TBuzz on Jan 20, 2012 5:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Lynn Griffin killed that receiver
and the QB was going to him the entire time. Poor QB, gotta go to your second option when the WR gets knocked down.
Better to have died a small boy than to drop this football - John Heisman FromTheRumbleSeat
by Winfield Featherston on Jan 20, 2012 10:42 AM EST reply actions
Dude
That is how rumors get started. Lynn Griffin has killed no one. Craig James on the other hand…
I met her on the campus, sir, cheering the Brave and Bold.
Allegedly
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Jan 20, 2012 1:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Nate, you're MY favorite recruiting blogger.
The Church of Paul Johnson - There's not much to it outside of whooping ass and giving haters the finger. To HELL With georgie!
by LilBroey700 on Jan 20, 2012 10:45 AM EST via Android app reply actions
Don’t fight guys; just step away from each other and move on.
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions
Corollary
Nigeria=Football?
Haiti=Basketball?
/paging Yvon Joseph
Athletes be athletes, coaching them up is why coaches make bank.
You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
RANDOLPH SCOTT!
by DressHerInWhiteAndGold on Jan 20, 2012 1:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions
WHO IS LEFT OUT THERE THAT WE WANT?
I will confess again that I honestly don’t know how these things work though I have my suspicions. Tech has two scholarships left available and maybe close to ten offers still sitting out there. I randomly picked 7 scholarship offers that are still undecided (leaving out several linebackers and athletes) to ask the following question:
WHICH TWO OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO COMPLETE TECH’S SIGNING DAY AND WHY?
OG- Michael Flint
DE- Jamal Marcus
OT- Zach Banner (here you go, a 6’8" 305 pound behemoth who can move)
CB- Ronald Darby
AT- Stefon Diggs
DE- Alex McCalister
DT- Dalvin Tomlinson
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 1:46 PM EST reply actions
Tomlinson and...
…the Australian kid from Australia who is Australian from Down Under.
I met her on the campus, sir, cheering the Brave and Bold.
So you’re saying he’s an Aussie?
by Atlanta's original team on Jan 20, 2012 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
Tomlinson and McAllister...
I would have thought that being Vad Lee’s teammate, we would have had a chance at Marcus…but he’s looking elsewhere. Banner’s OVs suggest he’s staying on the west coast at a place he can play 2 sports. Michael Flint probably left the picture once we signed Burden, and his stock looks to have dropped a bit. Diggs is probably hitting up the usual suspects that get 5-star athletes. Darby’s committed to ND isn’t he?
Tomlinson gives us a nasty, athletic guy ready to step in a contribute at DE. McAllister looks to have that prototypical size/speed you look for at OLB in a 3-4. We need both these guys to help out a defense that severely needs more talanet and depth…especially in the front 7.
"Reach down in there...TURN THAT DAMN THING UP!" - Coach Paul Johnson
Tomlinson for sure.
Darby’s taking an OV to Clemson this weekend, looks like an FSU lean. Diggs and Banner are gone elsewhere. McCalister maybe??
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