Early Recruiting Thoughts

[Axe]

I know it's early, but there has been very little discussion regarding recruiting here or on the Hive. I noticed that Newberg's Insiders network has ranked the few players they currently have listed in their database. Here is a link to the players in his database that list GT.
http://scout.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=140&p=9&c=4

Notice the big OL from Texas, Ian Yates-Cunningham, I menitoned him here a few weeks ago and I've noticed a few other sites have mentioned he is high on GT. I know it's way too early, but it's nice to be mentioned with the Top OL in Texas. We are mentioned with a few other Texas kids.

I think we are going to see some positive returns from our new Texas recruiting ties.

 

[Axe]

One thing to remember when reviewing this list, is the offers listed are not always accurate. I believe if the kid tells a guy like Jamie he has an offer, then it is reported, but those lists can be questionable.

Also, the players that are marked NR or * are often very good players that just haven't been ranked yet.

 

[Axe]

I just realized that Ian Yates-Cunningham is from the same hometown as GT True Frosh Michael Sampson, Lewisville, TX, although they did not attend the same HS.

 

[Herr Goldshields]

I've been real bored, and decided to do a little studying of my own from Newberg's database since they are now ranked. I counted the number of prospects who were ranked (with a number, not just 1 star and no rating) for each ACC school. Here's what I found about who's getting considered early:
1) FSU 80+ names
2) Maryland 73
3) Virginia 68
4) UNC 63
5) Clemson 52
6) GT 47
7) NC State 43
8) Wake Forest 25
9) Duke 16
Doesn't look very promising early on for us. Very few of the top in-state kids are even listing us. Many are listing Maryland, UVA, and even Wake or Vandy instead. I realize this is early on for the first full recruiting year for Gailey and staff, but Groh and company sure did mop up their first year last year. To be fair, I tried to compare us with other Southeastern schools with first year coaches: Vandy had 34 names considering them, but Florida had 146! It seems like every year we have to prove ourselves over and over again to HS players and coaches as a quality football program, while Maryland has one good season, Virginia goes 5-7 and North Carolina loses to us for the billionth time in a row and these schools all get more consideration from kids. I will have to give O'Leary's staff credit; they looked under every rock and tried every gimmick they could to get players in, and up until last year, we were top 3 in the conference in recruiting class for 3 straight years. This is not to doubt Gailey's staff since it is early, but just an observation.

 

[gtfan]

Originally posted by Technician:
Here's what I found about who's getting considered early:
1) FSU 80+ names
2) Maryland 73
3) Virginia 68
4) UNC 63
5) Clemson 52
6) GT 47
7) NC State 43
8) Wake Forest 25
9) Duke 16
Doesn't look very promising early on for us. Very few of the top in-state kids are even listing us. .

<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Tech,

Interesting work, but I dont know that it would be unusual for a NEW coach at GT to be where we are at.

If we win then those numbers will increase. There has to be much uncertainty about the Tech program right now.

I know we feel good about it, but not sure that the word is out yet.

If we win our first 3 then that will be a big help. We have the new stadium and the city of Atlanta. There is much to offer here at GT.

 

[ncjacket]

The real question would be how this compares to last year or the year before. Do we normally start out like this and finish fast or is this different from what we've seen the last few years? As far as in-state kids we normally don't recruit quite a few so, again, is this abnormal or not?

 

[bellyseries]

ncjacket asks a good question. Isn't it always an uphill battle to recruit for Tech? I'm confident that with CG sitting in front of them, kids are going to give us a good look. Isn't the NFL connection what has done the job at UVA? And that was AFTER a year coaching on the field.

Incidentally, I teach high school. What does the NCAA say about me saying to an athlete, "Take a look at Tech"?

 

[Indian Buzz]

There is a compliance page at Ramblinwreck.com. I *think* it says that you canNOT recruit for Tech, but I could be wrong. Also, that page refers to Georgia Tech University, so it may be null and void. The people at Ramblinwreck.com, need to get it together.

 

[beeware]

Coaches O'leary, McWhorter, Roof, and Kelly were proven outstanding recruiters. The talent that was left by them is unprecedented at TECH; and is probably the most that any new coach in America has inherited. If Fridge had been left with this much talent at Maryland he would probably have won the national title in his first year.
'Buck' is not even in their league in recruiting. Many of the hivers proudly proclaimed how the recruits would flock to TECH to play for Gailey. As we saw last year, most of the top recruits we were going after, that were strongly considering TECH but had not committed previously, took a wait and see attitude towards 'BUCK'. They voted no....with their feet.
Hopefully 'Buck' won't mess up O'leary's talented recuits too much the next couple of years. But then it will be up to 'Buck's' own recruits to take over the load. And so far 'Buck' doesn't even seem to have a clue about it.

In 'Buck' We Trust

 

[getwrecked]

Beeware, I had previously sworn off your bait, but this is an honest question.

WHY is it that Gailey will be such a poor recruiter? All you have ever given us is platitudes. What is it about him or his staff that will make them such poor recruiters - and conversely what was so good about O'Leary that made his staff such good recruiters? I'm not being sarcastic and bashing O'leary here - I agree with you that they were very good recruiters. Can you help me understand why that was so, and the differences in staffs?

 

[Axe]

Technician,

It is very difficult to produce any conclusions from this material so early. Chuck Amato and is staff have done an outstanding job on the recruiting trail so far, yet they rank below us on this list. Clemson isn't much higher. These are just the kids that have made Newberg's list. There are plenty of highly ranked kids that aren't in his list yet, and many that have not been ranked yet. Let me give you a few names that would likely have been NR or absent from Newberg's database in previous years:

Nat Dorsey
Tony Hargrove
Tony Hollings
Jonathan Smith
Will Glover
Greg Gathers
Key Fox
James Butler

Beeware, is right the previous staff didn't rely on the top instate talent. The looked hard to find quality football players. Let's see what this staff can do. There are a number of things I like about this staff from a recruiting standpoint. We are young, racially diverse, and the staff has a lot of ties in the south which is exciting. In addition, we basically have an extra man in the recruiting picture this year with Dave Wilson. If you consider O'Leary's Brother-in-Law was in the position last year, we are a step ahead this year. Dave Wilson is considered one of the top recruiting administrators in the Southeast. If we have some success on the field this year, I think we could have a nice haul.

In addition, many of these kids will change their team lists many times over the fall. As I said it is still very early.

One thing that I have to agree on is that Maryland and UVA have really cranked it up in recruiting. Although, I think UVA will have another tough season this year and Al Groh's pitch might start to sound a little hollow. Maryland is the trendy choice right now and Fridge will need another excellent year to reel in the big fish. Like I said, it's early and things will change.

 

[gt_white_gold]

As the season progresses, we will gain more people interested in Tech and Tech Football.
I think that if we do well on the field this year that the recruits will be more numerous and maybe of a higher quality. We have people with contacts in more areas of the country than we did under O'Leary.

 

[pjjacket]

These are high school kids who are constantly changing their minds. Newberg is a huckster because he is trying to sell subscrptions.

Have been out of touch for awhile but I am back. Glad to see Beeware is still kicking. Hope he is ready to show Buck to BDGF.

GT will get their share of signees.

 

[beeware]

Glad to have you back pj. I will definitely be at BDS@HGF. Maybe 'Buck' will find his way there too.

 

[Herr Goldshields]

If I were a HS coach, parent or HS athlete, I'd have to look seriously at the fact that here's a guy who has coached John Elway, Jerome Bettis, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, and he's coaching at a place from which a degree means a lot. That seems to be the perfect combination of highest level academics and athletics.

Unfortunately, you seem to have, particularly in-state, a lot of HS coaches and parents (even if they are former pro athletes themselves) who are blindly and ignorantly pro-SEC.

BTW, I did a little research, and as Ahso has pointed out, the Cowboys were bad before Gailey (6-10) and worse after him (5-11). Plus, in the 2 years he coached Dallas, in 1998, Aikman was out injured for a quarter of the season and they still won the NFC East title, and 1999 was the year Michael Irvin received his career ending injury. He had only 10 catches that year.

My opinion on our former staff under O'Leary is they were excellent at spotting hidden talent, but not necessarily great at coaching it up.