Technical Tidbits 12/1: Marshall, Walker to transfer from Tech program

If nothing else, Marcus Marshall’s decision to transfer from the Flats after the conclusion of this semester proves one thing that we all thought to be true previously: Georgia Tech can’t have nice things for more than a week at a time. Losing a leading rusher has become all but expected over the past few years, but this one hurts more than most given that Marshall had been so successful for his first two seasons and still had two full years of eligibility. I hate it for the team, I hate it for the coaching staff, I hate it for the program, but I really hate it for Marcus himself. We don’t know why he made his decision, but it must be hard to lead a team in rushing, perform at a very high level academically, stay on track off the field, and watch your job disappear the next year. Dedrick Mills is an exceptional player, but Paul Johnson simply didn’t give Marshall the snaps he both earned and deserved early on this season. From an outsider’s perspective, that was a mistake that will be deeply regretted. Best of luck to him wherever he may end up.

Attrition has the unfortunate characteristic of oftentimes turning into a domino effect, and we saw that yesterday when reserve defensive back Dorian Walker also announced his intentions to transfer. A backup to starter Lance Austin this season, Walker was a key special teams and depth player for the Jackets all season long. He flashed a lot of potential in his redshirt freshman campaign, which will unfortunately be his last as a Yellow Jacket. Thankfully, the upcoming 2017 class is flush with talent at his position, so his contributions will hopefully be more than made up for starting next season. Man, I feel like I’m writing obituaries today...

Fortunately, athletic director Todd Stansbury’s recent endorsement of head coach Paul Johnson leads me to believe that I won’t have to write another one for quite some time. Given his tumultuous relationship with former athletic director Mike Bobinski, who reportedly wanted Johnson out prior to Tech’s 2014 Orange Bowl victory over Mississippi State, a new era of cohesion between the AD and head coach will be more than welcome. I haven’t heard from the #FirePaulJohnson crowd lately (funny how that works, right?), but couldn’t agree more with Stansbury’s praise of the ACC’s most-tenured coach. With the exception of 2015, Johnson is a consistent winner. Why more schools don’t run the triple option remains one of the greatest enigmas of college football today.