When it comes to wide receiver depth, the 2016 season figures to be something of a down year for the ACC as a whole. Though the conference is hardly going to be devoid of talent at the position, the lack of a standout talent -- a Watkins, Boyd, or even Calvin Johnson -- will likely be noticeable. Fortunately, there are always plenty of breakout candidates to take note of, including Tech's own Ricky Jeune (video link because the ACC website's embed codes don't actually embed anything) and a number of others from around the league. Jeune in particular has the potential to play a key role for Tech this year. Now a redshirt junior, he emerged as a go-to target for Justin Thomas during the 2015 season, pulling down 24 catches for north of 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. Those aren't world-beating numbers by any means, but he wasn't playing for a world-beating team either. It is perfectly reasonable to expect even more production this year from Jeune.
Spoiler alerts are just not fun. That's especially true when the spoiler comes from a self-proclaimed clairvoyant who writes for Southern Pigskin and wants nothing more than to hurt the feelings of ACC fans across the nation, but has a special hatred for Tech fans with their eyes set on making a bowl this season. In fact, the psychic's very first prediction is that Tech will miss a bowl for the second straight season. Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? Maybe. Do I want to think about it being possible or likely? Nope! That's why I'm going to channel my own inner psychic and make the bold prediction that Tech will actually go 16-0 this season, including a bonus game that the NCAA added on after a petition from fans who wanted to watch the team play once more. Jokes aside, I actually agree with exactly one of those predictions. Care to guess which one it is?
Though we haven't seen head coach Josh Pastner pull in his first signature basketball commitment so far, the the day is almost certainly coming some time soon. Perhaps that first big splash will come in the form of Alabama native Herb Jones, a four-star shooting guard who will pay a visit to The Flats this month in advance of his big decision. One of many top-rated talents on Pastner's radar, Jones would immediately be the highest-rated player to call Tech home in years. He would also fill a massive offensive hole for the Jackets, though that's unfortunately not saying much given the already porous nature of the team and the program as a whole. Whether Jones comes to Tech or not remains to be seen, but there is one encouraging thing no matter what he decides: seeing the Jackets in the running for top talent. It's a critical part of winning but was almost completely absent under Brian Gregory.
What are your bold predictions for the 2016 football season?