Technical Tidbits 7/27

Though reloading at the A-Back position has been one of the biggest parts of the offseason so far, Paul Johnson has faith in the 2015 A-Back group and its ability to get the job done. Ken Sugiura mentions repeatedly the importance of being a good blocker as an A-Back, and that trait really can't be stressed enough. Without blocking from the A-Back position, the rest of the offense suffers tremendously because big plays can't really come together. That's why guys like Dennis Andrews and Charles Perkins were getting so much playing time last season; they weren't the most explosive, but their blocking abilities made them invaluable to the offense. Hopefully the 2015 class will have some willing blockers and some equally good playmakers.

A couple of brothers, Shannon Smith and Steve Dolphus, (who just so happen to be three-star wide receivers) are reportedly considering coming to Tech as a package deal. Smith, who actually graduated from high school a few years ago and is now playing at the JUCO level, is reportedly going play a big part in where Dolphus commits -- the two brothers value being able to play together much more than some other factors. If Dolphus and Smith did decide to come to the Flats, they would become the second pair of brothers on the team along with Brad and Scott Morgan. Other sets of relatives in recent Tech history include Jabari Hunt-Days and Synjyn Days as well as Myles and Anthony Autry (which ended wonderfully) and possibly Donavaughn and Christian Campbell if Donavaughn commits to Tech.

I honestly can't tell you why the 2015 offseason has sparked so much interest in the life and inner workings of coach Paul Johnson, but this article from Sports Glutton is the latest in a long string of "getting to know Paul Johnson" type articles. I'm certainly not complaining about the spotlight being shined on one of the most underrated coaches in college football or saying that the articles are bad by any means, but the amount of writing that has been done about him strikes me as odd. Maybe it was his dry wit at the ACC Kickoff or maybe it was something else. The world may never know, but I sure am enjoying reading about Paul Johnson more often than Jimbo Fisher or Al Golden for once.

It has been a while since we've expressed our extreme desire to move away from Russell Athletic as Tech's primary uniform provider, but maybe we should just leave well enough alone and be grateful for the fact that Adidas is not in charge of what the Jackets wear on Saturday. As SB Nation points out, the sports apparel giant is now responsible for some of the ugliest and most aggressive uniforms in all of college football -- from Louisville to Michigan, Adidas is on a General Sherman-esque march to burn both nice looking uniforms and our eyes. I'm not sure how they did it, but Adidas managed to somehow make giant college athletes look like they have some type of eating disorder. Just look at those Nebraska and UCLA uniforms. Wow. There's certainly a market for slimming clothes, but this is not it.

Do you have faith in the 2015 A-Backs? Who needs to step up besides returning starter Broderick Snoddy?