Recruiting

hiveredtech

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Guys

No specifics yet, but I am told a few commitments will be in May/June just as they were last year. We are on pace with where we were from a calendar standpoint...although others around us jumped out much earlier this year. Lets just hope their early evaluations are just too early...heck these kids have not even played their senior year....and there was little time to evaluate junior year film! There are some highly rated kids that we do not agree with...just as there will be some we rate high that others do not agree with.

We are having more academic struggles again. Many of the players that had interest in us did not have the grades...including a few local superstars. I have also been told by a good source that we used up some favors with the Hill with last years class and can only take ONE borderline recruit. Hence...we have had to look further away again. This is not by choice, but by looking at what is out there this year.

We would love to get the full 25...maybe even a couple more...depending on the talent level. We only have 75 on scholarship right now...and we graduate 17 scholarship seniors.

Things do look good with Steven Sylvester despite pressure coming from AL, FSU, SC, NC, etc. They also look good for Keith Wells even though SC, NC, and LOU have swooped in. A few schools have backed off them as they think GT is a lock...we will see. We also look very good with Nick McRae who also has an NCState offer (I left him out by accident in my original post).
 
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Yeah, it has been a little nerve racking to see other schools landing recruits left and right. We got an extremely early one, and a good one at that, in Chris Jackson. Unfortunately, what you say is true. The kids in this year’s class just don’t have the scholastics of the previous class. Also, from what I understand, The Hill is only allowing us one exemption. Honestly, I don’t think that this recruiting class will be as good as last year’s. However, I do still think that it will be a strong number two since Gailey’s reign. Look for Nick McRae to make a decision, hopefully the right one, sometime in May. July was a big month for us last year and I hope that we can say the same this year. Uzzi, Sylvester, Wells, and then maybe someone like a Commack or a Page would make us breath a little easier. Truthfully, I don’t expect us to get to 25. Then we will most likely go after a couple of guys like McIver, who are definitely on our list, just not at the top of it. Still, I expect a solid recruiting class and I honestly feel that I will not be let down.
 
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MustangGT said:
Do Tell...

McIver is down the list...he does not have the flexibility in his hips/athleticism/quickness we look for in an OL. Maybe if he drops 40 lbs. he would move better.
 
I have also been told by a good source that we used up some favors with the Hill with last years class and can only take ONE borderline recruit. Hence...we have had to look further away again. This is not by choice, but by looking at what is out there this year.

No offense, but this sounds like more garbage being drummed up to reduce the expectations of what could be a crappy class. We heard this for 3 years prior to last year and then POOF!! just like that we are all of the sudden a power in recruiting. I don't buy it. I realize we have more restrictions than others, but this was never an issue with our football teams in the late 80's and 90's and now all of the sudden its a big deal. Why was last year an exception? Did the Hill see that the football team needed help and so they let a few more past? No. They did not. Organizations don't work that way. WAY too inconsistent for this excuse to hold any merit anymore.
 
BarrelORum said:
No offense, but this sounds like more garbage being drummed up to reduce the expectations of what could be a crappy class. We heard this for 3 years prior to last year and then POOF!! just like that we are all of the sudden a power in recruiting. I don't buy it. I realize we have more restrictions than others, but this was never an issue with our football teams in the late 80's and 90's and now all of the sudden its a big deal. Why was last year an exception? Did the Hill see that the football team needed help and so they let a few more past? No. They did not. Organizations don't work that way. WAY too inconsistent for this excuse to hold any merit anymore.

Please go away BOR...you are useless to this board. No one is making any excuses. Facts are stubborn things...and you have trouble with facts.

Last year we used at least four I know of. Two of them are superstar blue chips that were borderline.

A good example is Josh Jarboe...we cannot take him and he wanted to come to GT. There are a few others in this category.

Last year was great because the combo of kids from GA interested in GT that also had grades and athleticism was incredible (see Roddy Jones, Nic Claytor, DJ Donley, Willie White, Logan Walls, Joseph Gilbert, Jerrard Tarrant, Kyle Jackson, Brad Jefferson).

Getting a blue chip RB and QB will be the tallest order as we appear filled up with talent to the high school kids.

Believe me...we are going to have a good recruiting year...it is just going to be more challenging this year and it does not take a rocket scientist to realize it...just someone who pays attention to details.
 
No offense, BOR, but you're suggesting our recruiting standards are the same as in the late 80s and 90s? Have you missed the last decade somehow?
 
Unfortunately, it did seem that some of last year's class was due to luck. Much of it was from getting rid of Wilson, CCG's extension and beating Auburn and Miami in 2005, but some of it was the fact that many superstar recruits both happened to be in Georgia and we're academically qualified.

I still think this year's class will be much better than the 2004 and 2005 classes, but just not to the level of last year's class.
 
hiveredtech said:
A good example is Josh Jarboe...we cannot take him and he wanted to come to GT. There are a few others in this category.


I really, really, really hate to hear this about Jarboe. I believe he grew up a Tech fan, and my how I would love to see him in W&G. Excellent speed, size, and toughness from what I hear...would be a great target for Threet/Nesbitt down the line.

I'm also disappointed to hear about the lack of academic exemptions. This is a fairly important class, in my opinion, with the lifting of the scholarship reductions coupled with the positive momentum from last year's amazing group.

I'm sure the staff will identify quality, eligible players outside of the state (I believe we have offered in CA, AZ, and NJ already this year), but casting such a wide net has to make for a more inefficient process.
 
Calvin forever said:
I really, really, really hate to hear this about Jarboe. I believe he grew up a Tech fan, and my how I would love to see him in W&G. Excellent speed, size, and toughness from what I hear...would be a great target for Threet/Nesbitt down the line.

I'm also disappointed to hear about the lack of academic exemptions. This is a fairly important class, in my opinion, with the lifting of the scholarship reductions coupled with the positive momentum from last year's amazing group.

I'm sure the staff will identify quality, eligible players outside of the state (I believe we have offered in CA, AZ, and NJ already this year), but casting such a wide net has to make for a more inefficient process.
If this is true about Jarboe, the most disappointing thing is Jarboe hasn't done the necessary work to prepare himself to gain admittance into GT. Getting into GT isn't normally the problem (especially for athletes) - getting through is the tough part.
 
THANKS SO MUCH for the info Hiver and Mustang! You guys are great in getting us this info. :biggthumpup: It's still a long four months until the season starts...three until practice starts.

Let's pray that we have MINIMAL injuries, academic problems until then!
 
We must remember that we will be offering a lot more DL and OL this year then last. We have always been able to secure a decent number of LB's, Safeties, and RB's to Tech that were top quality. We seem struggle to bring in top quality numbers at the OL and interior DL, so some 'scoring' will be down. But, we also know that a 2 or 3 in the OL often just means a kid that will take some time to gel instead of one who starts as a freshman. No big deal.
 
I'm useless? I don't post to save the team face. I'm just being blatantly honest. You say we used 4 passes last year but only have 1 this year? What are these secret rules that apparently only a handful of insiders know? Last year blew the doors off all the excuses that we heard for the past three years.

When Wilson was here, no one scorched the guy for being a piss poor recruiter. It was all about "The Hill" and ""Not many top recruits can get into GT". We're you one of those guys? Once Wilson left, it was apparently Wilson's fault that we sucked. Everyone was very vocal on that. Funny they didn't say it when he was here. Day late, dollar short in our ability to call it like it is.

So this year the Hill has more stringent regulations than last. Apparently Chan used up too many hall passes last year and this year has less. I don't necessarily think that is an untrue statement.

What I am saying and what I have always believed is that there are smart top notch athletes available to us. Sure we have to work harded than the next team. But GT is unique and it is all about knowing how to sell GT. O'Leary knew how to do that. Chan found someone last year who could.

So this year we're back stuck on "The Hill". BS, get out there and go to work. I don't expect this class to be as good as last years. I do expect to see it be pretty darn good though. Anything reminiscent of 2006 and 2005 though is unacceptable and shows that there are problems with this staff not that there are problems with The Hill.
 
BarrelORum...

Though I do agree with you regarding the Georgia Tech Recruiting Rollercoaster and some of the apologies that seem to accompany it, I would like to point out that there are distinct generational differences in the academic dependability, if you will, of high school athletes. We definitely lost something special in Collins. However, I truly think that Liam is going to be a good recruiting coordinator. However, last year’s phenomenal recruiting class has to be attributed, somewhat, to the academic pursuits of a larger percentage of athletes, especially in the State of Georgia. This year it just seems that we have less committable athletes to pick from than the previous. Would you agree?
 
MustangGT said:
However, last year’s phenomenal recruiting class has to be attributed, somewhat, to the academic pursuits of a larger percentage of athletes, especially in the State of Georgia. This year it just seems that we have less committable athletes to pick from than the previous. Would you agree?

No I don't agree. I don't disagree either. Where are we getting this information from? In the past when we heard this, it seemed like an excuse for what turned out to be a crappy recruiting coordinator and a Coach who wouldn't do anything about it. How am i supposed to believe this? We don't have access to all of the recruits GPA's and test scores so we really have no frame of reference. I have a hard time believing that there can be such a drastic difference between the grades of last year's class compared to this years or years previous. So when I see someone make a post throwing out the "It will be much tougher recruiting kids to GT due to grades and the Hill", I'm sorry if I find that a little ridiculous.
 
BarrelORum said:
"It will be much tougher recruiting kids to GT due to grades and the Hill", I'm sorry if I find that a little ridiculous.

Lets see...you put that in quotes...but I do not see that statement quoted ANYWHERE.

I said it was a combo of kids interested in GT that were in good academic shape...and we could take less passes...passes that 3 in-state kids got last year and 1 from Florida. Last year the top athletes that also wanted to listen to GT also happened to be in good shape...and I listed them.

You really have trouble with facts...still looking for that quote you have placed above...I cannot find where I said it.
 
hiveredtech said:
passes that 3 in-state kids got last year and 1 from Florida.

This is the same information that I have. I have also been informed that we will only be granted one exception by The Hill this year.
 
Well, either somebody out there is fabricating a complete lie or hiveredtech and mustang are telling the truth. The latter is very plausible, considering the following:

1. Georgia had a ton of talent last year. A year before signing day, UGA fans were saying that the state was going to be extremely deep. More exceptional prospects in-state means more exceptional prospects committed to Tech and Tech would use more exceptions to accept these exceptional athletes.

2. The Hill does have an interest in limiting the total amount of exceptions. Their big thing is to raise the overall academic performance of the football team, with fewer players flunking out of school. More exceptions means more strain on the tutoring program, likely leaving those "reaches" without the academic support they need. (At least this is probably how they see it).

One exceptions instead of four may be an "excuse," but many things did line up well for us last year. Dave Wilson leaving was only one of many things that contributed to last year's class.

But again, this year's class will not fall to the level of the 2004 and 2005 classes. It will only fall a bit due to less talent in Georgia and, very likely, one exception to give instead of four.
 
"It will be much tougher recruiting kids to GT due to grades and the Hill"

hiveredtech said:
Lets see...you put that in quotes...but I do not see that statement quoted ANYWHERE.

Hivered, its a General Summary quote of what many people have expressed especially on the Hive. Have you not said the same?
 
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