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Transfer Kenderius Whitehead could turn a lot of heads this season, writes the AJC. The defensive end from Georgia Military College (and originally NC State) measures in at 6'-5", 210 pounds and should see a lot of on-field action, particularly after Jabari Hunt-Days was declared academically ineligible earlier this summer. It's pretty unclear where he will fall on the depth chart when the season finally begins because he still hasn't finished his associates degree from GMC yet, meaning that he won't be on campus for a few more weeks for so. Any depth Tech can get on the defensive line is more than welcome, especially now with the dismissal of Travin Henry -- a player with the talent of Whitehead will help supplement that loss very well.
Speaking of talented players on Tech's defense, safety Isaiah Johnson is fully healed and ready to play his first game of football in over 20 months. It was a long and winding road back to the gridiron for Johnson, who injured his knee before Tech's Sun Bowl victory over USC in 2012, but he is finally 100% again and ready to keep on contributing to the team while simultaneously inching closer to that Georgia Tech career tackles record (among defensive backs). His decision to stay at Tech was probably the right one to make -- he gets another year to prove his worth (and to prove he's healthy) to the NFL executives before the 2015 draft comes our way. Johnson absolutely has the potential to have a fruitful NFL career and he is just one more good season away from likely getting his shot to do so.
Sticking with our theme of defense, ESPN recently broke down the most dominant defensive backs in the ACC and compared two of the best: Duke's Jeremy Cash and FSU's Jalen Ramsey. Both Cash and Ramsey were very good in 2013, but the FSU fanbase had something to say when only Cash made the All-ACC First Team. The article basically debunks why Cash was better than Ramsey in just about every statistical category, with the exception of yards allowed per completion. While the article is mostly focused on those two backs, it is a really interesting read because it shows just how much the eyes can deceive you when it comes to football players; the guy who looked better all season didn't necessarily play better. Not to mention that Quayshawn Nealy led the entire ACC in yards allowed per completion, which basically means that Georgia Tech is the most dominant team in the ACC (yes, that was sarcasm and no, I'm not crazy).
Former Georgia Tech wideout Stephen Hill is in his make-or-break season in the NFL, writes Yellow Jacked Up. I still think he has the potential to be a great NFL player, but he just hasn't had the opportunity for a variety of reasons as mentioned in the article (injuries, bad QBs, etc.). The Jets are thought to be nearing the end of the line with Hill, having even considered cutting ties with him, so 2014 will absolutely be a make-or-break year for him. He will hopefully have better injury luck this season and Michael Vick is an obvious upgrade over both Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez, so it will be interesting to see where he stands by next season.
Which Georgia Tech defensive back has the potential to be the strongest in the ACC next season? (Well, Chris Milton is obviously the strongest, but you know what I mean.) Which player returning from injury will have a bigger impact, Jamal Golden or Isaiah Johnson?
Have a great weekend!