How Goes It Jacket Fans?...

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DawgByte

Varsity Lurker
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Oct 18, 2002
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Well the recruiting season is finally over, thank God!

I've been trying to follow how you guys have been doing during the season and it looks like you've picked up some solid out of state recruits. I think Reggie Ball will be a playa for Tech. From a fans perspective how do you rate this class? Did you guys fill your needs, get some speed and create some balance?

As for UGA, as Richt mentioned yesterday - our recruiting class got respect from most analysts but didn't generate a lot of late season buzz because most of our top talent committed early in the process. The one thing I'm most encouraged by was our ability to lock down the players we wanted from the state of Georgia. Lemming said, he has never seen UGA go after and get so many top in state prospects. I think Kregg Lumpkin has a shot to be a solid contributor right out of the gate.

As most of you know, rankings don't mean much it is what you do with the recruits when they get into your program that counts.
 
I think it's a mixed class. Scott will play next year. Grant will if he's fully recovered. I've seen Reggie Ball and really like him. On the other hand, Fleuridor and Rhodes are real projects. The best UGA IMHO got was Pope. I think he will be a star. I don't think the OL class was quite as good as people say. It was a thin year for OL in Georgia. Excellent group of linebackers. I believe Marcus Howard may end being the best of of the group. Clemson wanted him real bad. Like you said, a lot depends on coaching.
 
Funny about Pope, he was one of Ga's highly touted recruits last year too!!! Had to go to Hargrove to learn to qualify.
 
DawgByte: Coaching and offseason weight training takes front seat now. Coaching absolutly has to improve or Coach Gailey may see this class grow up under another coach. Also sympathies for that young man yall got for 2004's class who's father passed away just hours after learning his son had a scholarship to Georgia. Believe his name is Jackson. Sometimes this life sure can seem unfair.
 
Thanks Stateline Jacket -

That is a sad story about the Dad who wanted his kid to go to UGA and died on signing day. I hope he does well in his senior year and has a successful career in Athens.
 
Pope is certainly highly thought of, but this UGA class has some other serious studs. According to CMR, Kregg Lumpkin is the best RB he's seen on film east of the Mississippi and the second best he's seen in the country. Des Williams is a monster LB that is every bit as big and strong as Ernie Sims. The AJC named Zeb McKinzey the Georgia State "Player Of The Year" and he is a lineman! He will definetly get PT next year as will Fernando Velasco and possibly Trey Chandler, all three offensive linemen. From what I've been told Trey Chandler ate Cedric Boone's lunch when their teams played this year.

Sean Bailey, Marcus Howard, Brandon Coutu, Paul Oliver, Richard Cook, Dana Graydon and Jarvis Jackson all have the potential to be special players in the SEC. From everything I've heard Marcus Howard is comparable to Boss Bailey.

In any event, I'm pleased with the class and expect many of these players to make significant impacts in the future.
 
Originally posted by DawgByte:
Well the recruiting season is finally over, thank God!

I've been trying to follow how you guys have been doing during the season and it looks like you've picked up some solid out of state recruits. I think Reggie Ball will be a playa for Tech. From a fans perspective how do you rate this class? Did you guys fill your needs, get some speed and create some balance?

As for UGA, as Richt mentioned yesterday - our recruiting class got respect from most analysts but didn't generate a lot of late season buzz because most of our top talent committed early in the process. The one thing I'm most encouraged by was our ability to lock down the players we wanted from the state of Georgia. Lemming said, he has never seen UGA go after and get so many top in state prospects. I think Kregg Lumpkin has a shot to be a solid contributor right out of the gate.

As most of you know, rankings don't mean much it is what you do with the recruits when they get into your program that counts.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">The one thing we recruited this year was speed. We've got a bunch of guys that can run. Also, I believe we signed a group that will qualify, every one of them. Overall, I'm very pleased with this year's class.
 
If Zook was simply suffering from first year barriers, look out. Bringing in Charlie Strong will help his defense, but the question is can he improve his offensive line, which was the poorest I've ever seen for the Gators.

I say this because Georgia certainly has a fine class, but I watched Chris Leak play and he is the real deal at QB, and Florida will get some immediate help with their signees.

Tennessee certainly has to be contended with, but I think South Carolina is just as dangerous in the SEC East.

As for my opinion, Dawg, I think Richt certainly has the program in full throttle, but you dont get the stars aligned but every so often as you did last year - the miracle pass at Auburn, the missed FG vs. Clemson, playing UT without a QB, some questionable calls vs. Bama, all things went well, and you need a certain amount of luck to get to the top, but it will be interesting to see how this season goes after some teams reload. One thing we can all agree on - its too long till August and college football starts again!!!
 
3518techie,

Have you ever seen more than a head shot of Rhodes or Fleuridor? Perhaps you have, but I don't see how you can say those guys are projects. For all we know they might be studs and Scott can't play a lick. We've had more success with two-star kids, than 4 star ones.

I could understand if you said, many of these kids weren't recruited by major schools so I'm worried. But what do you base the statement that Rhodes and Fleuridor are projects on?

Most of the recruiting gurus admit they've never even seen the kids play.

As a Dawg fan, DawgByte can appreciate this. Their little corner Jennings would have gone to South Carolina State if UGA had spotted him. He will probably be an All-SEC CB down the road.
 
Charlotte NC produces dud overated QBs. I guarantee Chris Leak will be a flop.
 
I've seen Fleuridor's Nike camp time where he ran a 4.7 40. He may have great cover skills but there's no way a cornerback can be successful who is slower than a lot of linebackers. Rhodes had an SAT score over 1100 who really wanted to come to Tech. I think it's great to have somebody who really wants to come here and is not settling. However, he was neither highly rated or heavily recruited. They both may surprise. Rhodes needs to gain weight and maybe Fleuridor was hurt when he went to the Nike Camp. It's easy to remember the 2 star recruits who surprises. It's also easy to forget the 2 star recruits who didn't much.
 
Attaboy, just keep on accentuating the negative and elimanating the positive.........You would do well, as would many others to read on The Hive and this board as well the destruction that can easily take place by expressions of negativism such as these.............Hey.......rip up all that are not just what we want them to be........that is the plan/program that will lead us to succeed against all the ACC, SEC, and the world.........whoopeee, we got power!!!!!!!!! Let those who ar not 3 nor 4 stars know that we believe that they are mere schlorship squatters...........Hey, jump off the wagon, and push......the free ride is over. Get in or get out!!!!!!
 
I was saying positive things about Newberry back when he was a 1 star. I also think Pupello and Williams are real finds. I saw Reggie Ball nearly singlehandedly beat Camdem Co. However, it's naive to think we recruited a class full of All-Americans. There are some reaches. They may pan out. They may not. Please don't start with this bandwagon stuff. I went to Tech during the Herschel years. My freshmen year Tech went 1-10. I have always supported Tech and always will. I refuse to be a Stepford fan. I have given credit to Gailey for moving Hollings to tailback. I've also criticized him for his handling of Suggs. Fans and alumni should support Tech but they have every right to question things if they see problems.
 
3518,

The point I was trying to make is you can't make judgements on kids you've never seen play. You can look at the entire class and say too many two star kids, but you can't say Fleuridor and Rhodes are projects you have just have no idea.

In addition, if you look at the 4 star kids we've brought in since the winter '99 class. Very few have turned out to be real good players. Muyres and Hollings are the two I can think of. Otherwise, there were so many guys that didn't pan out. Daryl Smith was highly touted in some mags, but he was 3 stars by rivals.
 
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