Mailbag 1/20

Of all the 2022 FB recruit prospects we have offered thus far who would be the biggest fish rankings wise you think we could actually sign? - Lake Park Jacket

Ben: The guy I’m keeping an eye on right now is MJ Morris, a four-star quarterback from Atlanta. Both of the Rivals guys put Future Cast predictions for Georgia Tech back in December, and I think Morris could be very good.

Robert: Definitely MJ. We have a legit shot, and he would be the third highest rated recruit we have gotten in the recruiting rankings era (~post 2000), as well as the highest rated quarterback. Could be a game changer.

Of the two QBs who left this offseason who do you feel will be most successful at their new school? - Notwima13

Ben: Having not seen Gleason really get a chance at the college level, I have to go with James Graham. I think both have the potential to be successful, but I think they are probably both better off moving onto a different school.

Andrew: IIRC, Gleason is reuniting with his HS coach. I also think the MAC is usually a pretty open conference. I am also excited to see Graham get a shot at running the offense at Southern, I think he is a great fit for what they want to do. I think Graham is going into a better situation and a better fit for his skillset.

Jake: I think James Graham will fit in just fine in Statesboro and I look forward to seeing how his journey goes.

Robert: James Graham. He has a season of P5 reps and will benefit from the scheme fit in Statesboro.

Expectations for Wednesday’s round ball game: Clemson just lost by 35 to UVA and dropped from #12 to #20; any chance of UVA beating them twice and us stealing a win, or should we expect a fired up Clemson looking for redemption? Should we expect another slow start while we shake off the rust from an extended break between games, or have we changed up our practice philosophy enough to come out hot? - SullyGT

Andrew: I read somewhere that we might not be going into this game at full strength and I have learned that having expectations for this program is a fools errand.

Jake: I personally would look to a slow start, given I am unsure of the team’s conditioning during the COVID break. I know that bit us a little bit last time. However, we beat this Clemson team just fine last year, and I think that they have definitely shown themselves to have some weaknesses. I would like to add that it is incredibly unfair for Clemson to be good at football and basketball this year. They should knock that off right away.

Akshay: “It’s the hope that kills you.” - Ted Lasso, 2020

I’m sure it’ll take a game or two for the team to get back to game speed and match fitness. I don’t really have anything beyond that; this ACC basketball season has been weird, and Andrew’s point about expectations for Tech is evergreen.

When will our baseball team act like a top team and go back to Omaha? - ramblin gooner

Andrew: I think it will be soon. This is going to be an odd season, but we have a really talented team. I like the impacts Ramsey and Borrell have had on the program.

Jake: We have a ton of depth to do just that this year. We still haven’t gotten a full season of Borrell, as weird as that is. I think there’s a chance to do it this year, but, really, can’t say enough about how this program has made exciting moves and adds in the past two years. Good work from Hall on down.

Akshay: Roster management weirdness because of COVID and Tech’s usual level of recruiting would seem to indicate that a trip to Omaha is entirely possible within the next 5 years. However, see the first sentence of my answer to the basketball question.

Should the The Fulmer Cup be renamed “The Pruitt Punchbowl”?? - DressHerInWhiteAndGold

Jake: I think it could be argued that he was complicit in the Pruitt-ness, no matter what his separation might say. Why change a good thing? Or, perhaps the “sticky situation” it implied the Athens boys were in could make it an oxymoronic Smart Trophy.

Akshay: Not sure, but the books that will be written about these last few years in Tennessee football history will be legendary.

Robert: Richt had some pretty legendary numbers on his watch as well. Whatever we name it, it should disparage the boys in Athens IMO.

Hello Party People,

Hope all is well for you this week. This one has been pretty slow for me personally. With the GT basketball team getting down with the sickness (Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah) and football season coming to an end there hasn’t been much for me to watch on TV.

I have been using the opportunity to get outside more. I’ve picked up disc golf and have been enjoying things aside from the cold weather and rain. It has got me thinking about what other sports are out there to watch or play. So my question this week is what unusual sport would you like the opportunity to either see or take part in? There’s now a bunch of documentaries on netflix about strange sports that might give you some ideas.

One I would like to see would be “Fireball Soccer” from Indonesia. The players coat themselves in salt and non-flammable spices, take a coconut, pour kerosene over the coconut, light it on fire, and proceed to play soccer with what is now a flaming coconut ball. Sounds like a crazy thing to watch... not sure if I would want to participate. Let me know if y’all can think of any ESPN 8 THE OCHO sports worth highlighting, and have a good one.

Yours,

Sextus Pompeius (submitted via email)

Ben: Equestrian is actually pretty fun to watch. I covered it for UGA during a class that I took not really knowing anything about it, but if you take the time to figure out what’s going on, it’s very enjoyable.

Andrew: I have a special place in my heart for Biathlon. I have never cross country skied in my life, but I have shot a rifle a good bit. I record the World Cup races and go back to watch them. I wish the US was better at it.

Jake: Wow! What are the odds! It was a slow week for me, too, and I just broke out my discs that I got for Christmas for the first time at a park here in Atlanta. I don’t know about the kerosene soccer thingy, sounds wild, but I think that if I could have more people do an odd sport, I would love to watch or do bobsled or luge. My middle school gym teacher was an Olympian in luge and builds a mini hill in his backyard every winter, but I have never done the real thing. Seems like it would be rather cool, but definitely not an Atlanta winter sport, haha.

Akshay: