Technical Tidbits 7/30

If you are still debating whether or not to put some money on the Jackets during the 2015 season, let a few experts -- including our own Ben Tankersley -- point you in the right direction by way of this piece from BoydsBets. The article really does include a lot more than some input about betting odds; there is a very nice breakdown of Tech's 2015 roster as well as a season projection in there as well. After reading it, I'm even more confident in my assertion that an over/under of 7.5 wins is complete garbage. This team is going to be much more talented than even the 2014 squad (don't get hung up on skill position players) and I fully expect it to be competitive this season in both the ACC and the nation.

Former Yellow Jacket and new San Francisco 49er DeAndre Smelter is not rushing anything as he comes back from a torn ACL that he suffered on The Flats. Smelter, who was taken in the fourth round by the 49ers just a few months ago, could honestly not be in a better position to recover if he had picked a team himself -- the presence of two veteran wide receivers in Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith coupled with what I assume is a San Francisco front office that is going to be more than a little bit careful with new players make for a great situation. That last variable I mentioned about being careful with new players could be perhaps the biggest reason for Smelter to stay out longer than anticipated -- the 49ers have been absolutely devastated by players retiring lately due to head and knee injuries and have no incentive whatsoever to rush their newest offensive weapon back to the field.

Georgia Tech tennis star Christopher Eubanks, who competed in the BB&T Atlanta Open this week, was thankful for the opportunity to play at such a high level despite falling in the early rounds. Eubanks, a rising sophomore at Tech, fell 6-2,6-2 to Czech player Radek Stepanek, a previous top-10 singles player in the world. The Atlanta Open is played annually downtown and will continue until August 2. Congratulations to Christopher on representing Tech well at a very prestigious competition!

Rising freshman defensive back David Curry, a late flip from UVA to Tech, is an ideal fit in Ted Roof's defense, writes the AJC. Although he is a good candidate to redshirt this season given the amount of good players Tech already employs in the secondary, his fit for Roof's 4-2-5 scheme is not up for discussion. Curry has great size at 6-foot-2, 205 and presents that great versatility between being a linebacker and safety that could make him a very valuable part of the team in the near future. It is also interesting that he flipped from Virginia as a result of Tech's scheme -- if running a 4-2-5 can help recruiting for Ted Roof, then that's just great.

Last week you saw Justin Thomas and D.J. White showcase their play-by-play skills at the ACC Kickoff, but today you have the opportunity to see Paul Johnson show off his skill as an announcer at the ESPN car wash. I'm quite honestly shocked that Johnson agreed to call a play like a television announcer, but the results were pretty impressive. If he just worked on putting some emotion into his voice, he very well could be as good as such legendary announcers as Reggie Miller and Jesse Palmer. Keep at it, Paul.

What role do see David Curry playing at Tech?