Technical Tidbits 8/25

Week two of the NFL's preseason is now complete, and some of Tech's more recent alumni showed up once again for their new professional teams. Perhaps the best day of all was had by Darren Waller, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2015 draft by the Baltimore Ravens -- he caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. Waller, who is was an integral part of Tech's 2014 success, is still fighting for a roster spot with Baltimore. Zach Laskey, Isaiah Johnson, and Shaq Mason were the only other class of 2014 Jackets to suit up.

Although this upcoming NFL season won't be his rookie year in the league, former Georgia Tech defensive end (now linebacker) Jeremiah Attaochu's development is also something interesting to watch for -- the former All-ACC player is quickly becoming an every-down player for the San Diego Chargers. Attaochu, the career sacks leader for Georgia Tech, figures to be starting for the Chargers as early as week one barring an injury, trade, or the spontaneous emergence of some other player further down on the depth chart. He will be tasked with replicating the production of the departed veteran Dwight Freeney, an ACC man himself (kind of, he went to Syracuse), but appears up to the task. Anyone who watched him on The Flats knows that he is the man for just about any job and I expect him to show the Chargers that very soon.

Georgia Tech and coach Brian Gregory picked up basketball commitment number one over the weekend when Christian Matthews of National Christian committed to Tech. Matthews, a three-star small forward and the fifth-best player in the state of Maryland, chose Tech over offers from Cincinnati, Temple, Rhode Island, and NC State while garnering some serious interest from other programs. He will be one of the handful of players tasked with filling the void which Marcus Georges-Hunt will leave at the small forward position after this season.

ESPN recently named the story of Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jabari Hunt-Days as one of the comeback stories to watch for in the ACC this season, along with Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Virginia Tech's Brandon Facyson, and a number of other players. I certainly can't argue with Hunt-Days' presence on the list, but I can and will say that I fail to understand why Deshaun Watson, who is considered by most to be the best player in the ACC, is on a list of comeback players. Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't make sense to laud Watson for his 2014 performance to the point that he is considered the best in the conference but also admit that he didn't play enough last year for the 2014 season to really qualify.

What kind of NFL player will Jeremiah Attaochu become?