Technical Tidbits 4/18

Whew. I had no idea how terrible it was to link to two certain sources, but I definitely learned all about it yesterday and I am happy to inform you that they will no longer be a part of Technical Tidbits. I am still the new kid down the street, don't steal my new bike! (Please note: metaphors are not my forte.) Anyway, thanks for the feedback and here we go!

One of the top running back prospects in the state of Georgia, Mikell Lands-Davis, has been looking closely at both UGA and Georgia Tech (!) as he draws nearer to his decision. Davis, who will graduate from Alexander High School in Douglasville in 2015, is a four-star prospect (as rated by 24/7 Sports) and a three-star prospect (according to ESPN and Yahoo Sports) who has some good speed, posting a 4.66 in the forty, and boasts some very nice footwork and the ability to make people miss in the open field. While he is considering both UGA and Tech, don't get too excited-- it is more than a two-horse race. Clemson and Cincinnati are also considered to be front-runners for his services and he has offers from UAB, NC State, Middle Tennessee, and Georgia State as well. You can access his scouting profile here and watch his season highlights below. (Thanks to DressHerInWhiteAndGold for pointing out the article to me.)

Georgia Tech safety Jamal Golden has been kind enough to provide us with five points from spring practice this year. While it is always nice to hear the media's interpretation of how the spring has been so far for the Jackets, getting a player's opinion is what can be the most revealing as far as how much progress has been made, and some of Golden's comments do just that. Georgia Tech's defense showed major improvement last year (finishing as the 43rd overall defense in the nation and 11th in defending the run), exceeding expectations, and Golden's comments about how they feel "more comfortable" with the scheme could be a big sign of even more progress to come. He also provides some good insight on a few players who could become key contributors to the Jackets in the years to come, including B-Back Travis Custis and linebacker Tyler Marcordes.

On a personal note: Marcordes in particular showed a few flashes of pure brilliance last season in limited snaps and if I had a list of players to watch this year he would certainly headline it. Huge potential for him to be a big time player.

A-Back Broderick Snoddy is a very fast man. So fast in fact that in addition to playing on the football team, he has set a number of Tech records in track and field and finished 13th in the nation in the sixty meter dash. Just in case you missed the story earlier this month, Snoddy has also made a position change to A-Back after spending the first part of his Georgia Tech career at B-Back. The Jackets were obviously very deep at B-Back the past few seasons and Snoddy should be able to see more of the field this season as an A-Back.

In NCAA news, unlimited snacks and meals will now be provided for student athletes around the country. This new policy change comes not long after UConn guard Shabazz Napier claimed that he and other athletes struggled with hunger and often couldn't afford to buy food. Another contributing factor to this decision by the NCAA to help feed athletes could be the increasing pressure applied by student-athletes who want to unionize and receive pay for playing collegiate sports, and this decision to make a policy change came much faster than any other decision the NCAA has ever made (see: every NCAA investigation ever) which could indicate that even the NCAA is beginning to feel the heat. Feel free to comment regarding whether or not college players should unionize or get paid below.

The Testudo Times (SB Nation affiliate of the Maryland Terrapins) has provided a very nice preview of the upcoming weekend series between the Terps and Jackets in College Park. It is a big series for both teams and could go a long way in deciding the Jackets' future tournament aspirations depending upon the outcome. Tech has been consistently delivering versus the toughest teams on their schedule but has been defeated a number of times by teams who they should beat on paper, including Pitt (swept) and weekday games versus lower tier teams in the state of Georgia. The Jackets desperately need to prove they can win against all levels of competition, and a series win (or sweep) versus a Terrapin team with tournament aspirations could go a long way in determining the outcome of the season for Tech.

Georgia Tech has decided to integrate a very cool new advertising campaign which will hit the streets on campus soon: cutouts of Justin Thomas advertising season tickets for students! Have a look below!

#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/n7dEhwFiSE

— GT Marketing (@GaTechMarketing) April 17, 2014

Thanks for all the love and tips and have a great Friday!