AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 01 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHandicapping Tech’s newcomers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Absolutely no science here, some hunches, some common sense according to me. I’m going to predict the top Tech TRUE freshmen in terms of their chances of playing this season, which is another way of saying these are the freshmen I think least likely to redshirt.
Last season, just four players made this list, and one, CB Laurence Marius (perhaps the most talented) left school in the spring home/lovesick. (When I reached him by phone two weeks ago, he had nothing to say.)
The other three were DE Robert Hall (who’s listed No. 2 at one DE spot currently), RB Jamaal Evans (an early enrollee) and LB Shane Bowen (another early enrollee who is to compete with redshirt freshman Anthony Barnes at SLB). Last season, they were almost exclusively used on special teams save action in blowouts.
Of Tech’s balllyhooed 20-man signing class, two won’t count against this year’s scholarship numbers. One, QB Steven Threet, has transferred to Michigan. He was one of two early enrollees, too. WR Tyler Melton, though in summer school now, is not planning to enroll full time until Jan., in part because he tore an ACL last season.
I will not rank all 18 players, just the nine I think have a realistic chance not to redshirt. I expect this list to shrink as I update it weekly with some players moving up/down/in/out.
I think the number of true freshman to play will be higher than four this year because Tech will graduate/lose quite a few more players after this season than last and it is therefore that much more important to get experience for some players who will return next season. Even Gailey agreed with me on that concept, although he said he won’t force freshmen into action.
I’ll update my rankings, with possible additions or subtractions, each Wednesday leading up to Notre Dame week. Let’s roll:
1a DE Derrick Morgan Only early enrollee left, listed No. 3 behind Adamm Oliver and Michael Johnson on one side (Robertson and Hall 1-2 on other side). Johnson will play a ton for a “backup” as Oliver will move inside in many situations. Morgan — the No. 1-ranked player in Pa. last year — had a decent spring and may battle Hall for No. 4 DE spot, which with Oliver’s flexibility is more like a No. 3b spot.
1b QB Josh Nesbitt Lots of reasons. He’s an athletic specimen who landed at Tech in part because the Jackets told him he could give it ago at QB while some other schools were told him they saw him as a safety/WR or something else — period. If Nesbitt is not the second-best QB on the roster the first week of camp (that’s likely to be transfer Calvin Booker), I think he will be by the end of August. Even if he’s not, Tech needs to carry three ready-to-play QBs into the season, and I see no way Nesbitt fails to finish August ahead of Ingram and Manley. Plus, Gailey has agreed that the concept of using Nesbitt in specific situations, ala Florida’s Tim Tebow, is plausible.
3 S Morgan Burnett With the return of senior S Joe Gaston, who missed last season with a knee injury, and the flexibility of CB/S Avery Roberson, depth is not a huge issue behind Ss Djay Jones and Jamal Lewis. But Burnett, whose brother played at Georgia, is a football player first, a safety second if that makes sense. He needs to be on the field helping, and almost surely will see action this season in preparation for the fact that all three top safeties on the depth chart now will be gone next season; they’re seniors.
4 OL Nick Claytor I’m not sure he’ll truly be able to compete with A.J. Smith and Cord Howard for the open offensive tackle spot, and the somewhat surprising return of OL Jacob Lonowski gives the Jackets a bit more depth on the OL than expected, but Claytor is a strong candidate to play his way into a swing spot. Three starting OL are seniors (though no tackles) so some youngsters have to begin grooming.
5 RB Jonathan Dwyer Again, not a need position THIS YEAR, but Tashard Choice and Rashaun Grant are seniors with sophomore Jamaal Evans trailing them. But Dwyer’s the real deal as a back, and next year when Choice and Grant are gone, he will have a shot to start. Better get him some playing time now. (I think fellow RB Roddy Jones will redshirt.)
6 DE Jason Peters Depth at DE doesn’t help Peters’ chances, but if he’s as good as he was made out to be in the recruiting process, when he committed to LSU ahead of Tech and Florida, and then changed his mind after a lousy visit to LSU when coaches allegedly tried to convince him to gray shirt (like Tyler Melton), he deserves to be on this list. Plus, there could be some movement on the D-line, where ends go to tackle and so forth.
7 LB Kyle Jackson Kind of like the RB spot as the top two (Srs. Philip Wheeler and Gary Guyton) will be gone next year, and it wouldn’t hurt to at least get serious practice reps and perhaps a little action for a guy who might be in the main mix next season. Plus, there’s something special about Jackson’s demeanor/approach.
8/9 DBs D.J. Donley and Willie White Sure, these guys are talented, but my inclusion of them here again gets back to the future (hey, I could spin a movie title off that). The top three safeties — Lewis, Jones and Gaston — on the depth chart today are seniors. Two of the top three cornerbacks on the depth chart — Roberson and Pat Clark — are seniors, and the other, Jahi Word-Daniel, is a junior. Experience will be required real soon at all secondary positions. Next August, I guarantee the secondary at large will be the spot Tech fans will be fretting most entering the season (kind of like cornerback this season).
Remember, these are opinion-based, and I’ll update them next Wednesday — AFTER PRACTICE!
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Comments
By pdiddyGT
August 1, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this
Go Jackets! And Go Braves!
Great Tech video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbMw4tOM1Io
By David
August 1, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
I thought Willie White was going to be a WR
By Brian Kemp
August 1, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this
Red shirting these kids should not be an option. Athletes lose focus when they have to shirt and that’s when trouble starts. The football related part of this Tickle Pile scandal had it’s genesis among the kids that were red shirted several years ago.
By a tech guy
August 1, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this
willie white and dj donley are receivers as of now, it would kind of hard for them to play db this year or any year without switching, unless matt knows something i don’t.
Jarrod Tarrant is the other safety, might do punts or kickoffs as well.
By Jared
August 1, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this
White and Donley will play recevier this year, that is correct. Donley may switch after awhile, however White will not. Look for Tarrant and Mario Butler(the coaches are really high on Butler) both not to redshirt and get some time.
Matt-would you email me please.
By Play that Funky Music Whiteboy
August 1, 2007 1:46 PM | Link to this
Yes yes yes I’m back - I figure that I would begin the harassment a full month ahead of Tech’s beatdown by Notre Dame just like I did on this blog last year. Are any of you delusional Tech fans on here that were subject to my verbal thrashings last year? While Notre Dame student athletes continue to excel in and out of the classroom, Tech has a hard time getting early enrollees to stay in school (how does that happen?)
All of you were so sure Tech was going to beat Notre Dame last year - I read all kinds of nonsense on this blog back then. ND came down to Atlanta, at night, and showed a National TV audience what kind of team Tech was in 2006. As I sat in the North end zone and watched Darius Walker cut the vaunted “Tech Defense” to pieces, I went ahead and circled Sept 2nd 2007 as a win for ND.
As an ND grad, I’m sure most of you nerds work for me or another ND alum, so don’t be blogging during work hours.
Let’s get it started.
By techdude
August 1, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this
are you so sure that notre dame is going to take down tech again this year? last years game was no beatdown and could have had a very different ending had a personal foul on phillip wheeler not been called. notre dame’s love child brady quinn was, for the most part, shut down by the tech defense and if hadnt been for extremely conservative offensive play by the jackets, we could have got the extra score needed to take the game. notre dame has lost much of its key pieces and, while we did lose CJ, tech has most of our starters returning including a defense that could be better than last years. while i am not saying that beating notre dame at south bend will be easy, i think we have a much better chance at winning than we did last year. and i will be at south bend to see it.
by the way, dont put down the tech nerds that work for you. thats what the uga grads are for.
also, great video pdiddyGT. i love the notre lame bit.
By shivas
August 1, 2007 2:15 PM | Link to this
I think I’ll play along. Typical ND fan waxing about the past. Put-up or shut-up about this year white boy! You were loaded last year and barely made it out of town. This year, we are loaded, and plan to grind you down to the dirty litlle green snot that is the ND fan base. BTW, I think I saw you in the end-zone that game selling p-nuts!
By CV
August 1, 2007 2:15 PM | Link to this
Play that Funky Music Whiteboy, I guess you have fat fingers b/c you miss typed your sentence “Tech’s beatdown by Notre Dame”; it should read “Tech’s beatdown of Notre Dame!”.
I love it when people attempt to brag by saying things like “I’m sure most of you nerds work for me or another ND alum”… ha… and then can’t even get something as simple as the date right for the game… we play on Sept. 1st… the name is Dumass.
By Davey
August 1, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this
Haha whiteboy is back with his bs comments. Well Whitey I will admit you guys got the best of us last year. You guys sure didn’t destroy us like you so predicted. You beat us by 4 for christ sakes. I’ll tell you right now Tech will beat the domers sept 1. Why well you don’t have any of the “superstars” you had last year(minus Zibi). Tenuta does good against inexperienced qb’s so it should be a win.
Also last year you witnessed T Choice worst game at RB and NO it wasn’t because your D is good. Things did happen they way they should but all will be right this year because the domers will flounder and die.
PS. I got a bottle of Whiskey and some Mackarol with your name on it. I suck at spelling too.
By hiveredtech
August 1, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this
Donley and White are starting out as WR’s. I also hear that Mario Butler and Jerrard Tarrant have legitimate shots at playing as a freshman.
By Matt Winkeljohn
August 1, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
All,
Correct on Donley and White. My mistake as the chart I referred to was from the middle of the recruiting process and before Gailey and the staff slotted them as WRs.
I won’t be surprised to see a freshman or two move from WR to DB, though, kind of the way Martin Frierson did after last regular season (he’s listed as a safety now). Not a single senior WR on the team, and two more already committed.
By K-Dogg
August 1, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
Mario Butler will see the field this year…take it to the bank.
By gte578e
August 1, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this
I hope the whole class redshirts! Why? We don’t have any CJ’s in here. We’re going to get 4 years out of all these kids. Why should we lose a year just to get them in on 10% of the plays. There isn’t a need position. Discipline to redshirting this class will pay off 100 fold over the next four years. If I were the coach, and I already had two great RBs and a so-so RB, I’d keep Dwyer on the bench and bring in Jones, but only if I had to.
Now, white boy, just so you know, Scout.com said the only thing that will keep us from blowing out the domers is the fact that it’s a home game for you all (24-10, GT is Scout’s prediction). Check it out for yourself, 50 biggest games of the year, #39
Remember all those times that Quinn was picking himself up off the ground last year? Now, imagine an 18-year old kid dealing with that. Imagine that 18-year old has a less experienced OL. That’s what you’ll see this year. Brady was great (better than Russell). An 18-year old kid is not going to have enough poise to stand up to that kind of pressure. I don’t care who he is. Good luck the rest of the year though.
By pdiddyGT
August 1, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this
Before I begin owning white boy’s n00bish comment, I need to make a few comments regarding some other comments.
gte578e, Quinn was in NO way better than Russell. One year’s more worth of experience MAYBE. But i do like the rest of your comment.
CV, you’re right it was a typo. he meant to put “of” instead of “by”, but they don’t teach spelling at ND.
techdude, great comment. and it is a great video.
ok white boy, are you sure you don’t mean notre dame high school alum? cause a lot of schools have notre dame in their title. and i presume by “people that work for you”, you’re implying that you own a hotdog stand in south bend, and that the “people who work for you” are 2 middle schoolers.
but back to the game…i love how you bring up last year to justify this year. there are exactly two reasons we lost (ND didn’t win). 1) Gailey and Nix got stupid at halftime and stopped throwing it to CJ. If we continued that, we would have won 31-14 easy. 2) The personal foul call for helmet-to-helmet against quinn was completely bogus. Quinn leaned in for the hit, just as Wheeler did. So it’s really Refs 1, GT 0.
and back to this year. I don’t think you realize that yall are only returning 9 starters (out of 22; you probably didn’t know that either though). We have 4/5 OL back, plus TC and Mike Cox. So even if Taylor Bennett doesn’t complete a pass we will win. Not to mention our defense, which is returning 8/11 starters, and this time, there will be no bad calls on Philip Wheeler for having 10 sacks against Clausen, or whoever you choose at QB.
By GT_JJ
August 1, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this
Matt, You mentioned him gatting a ton of “backup” play, but any other thoughts/buzz about Michael Johnson? Like P. Wheeler, Johnson seems like an athletic freak! His effort on the last two plays against Maryland to secure the win were unbelievable. Should we expect any breakout year from him?
Also, are we going to spend another year watching Bell and Yaihoui (sp?) switching off trying pathetically to kick-off to the other team, or has Gailey done anything about that weakness from last year?
Thanks for ramping up the blog chat, JJ
By stinGTime
August 1, 2007 7:02 PM | Link to this
Hello music boy. Made a ton last year on your stock tips—-but last week ….what happened?
Hopefully Chan will be different up nawth this year and finish what was started…and only punt when appropriate!
Glad to see you optimistic. Too bad you will fall!
By Super Chill
August 1, 2007 9:35 PM | Link to this
At least call 2006 what it was - the ND game was no game GT “should have won” if you really look at it -
Facts:
(1) ND put up 384 yards on GT - but only had 33/total until the last drive of the first half. Isn’t that nearly 350 yards of offense in just over one half of football against one of the most vaunted defenses in the country? Wow, aint that something?
(2) When ND figured out what to do against a small but quick defense with reckless blitzing schemes they took control of the game and the clock. Drives of 80, 65, 62, 40 & 52 yards that gave them a T.O.P. advantage of over 10/minutes and produced 2/TD’s and 2/MFG that could have lead to more points. Perhaps most shocking was that ND got their game going on the ground and not with their all-world QB and receivers.
(3) ND had double the mistakes (11 penalties to 5) in the game. While it is nothing new for ND to play in front of strange ref-crews it is a fact that this crew was from the ACC. Probably means nothing - but - it is a fact none the less.
Anyway - just something to think about. In 2007 GT should win - hands down - but we won’t really know until the game is played. In 2006 - however - please stop saying GT “should have won” b/c it is pathetic.
By Texas Wreck
August 1, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this
Play them all as soon as possible. Odds are only 50-50 at best that they will be around to play 4 years anyway. Transfers, injuries, early outs, flunk outs- play them all now.
By GT4Life
August 1, 2007 11:40 PM | Link to this
ND has no chance to win b/c 1 they are overrated and 2 they are not what they ranking suggest and 3 they are playing in south bend which means they will probably take what they hear about theyre rating and think tech has no chance and overlook them
By 1_B4_60
August 1, 2007 11:46 PM | Link to this
I just hate that everyone assumes the entire class won’t make it academically. Remember, this is a different class we are speaking of… have faith in these kids that they’ll do well in the classroom also.
By techman
August 2, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this
While redshirting would seem to be a good idea for all, it does have its drawbacks 1.!) you know kids ask the coach will they be redshirted during the recruitment process and 2) I saw us redshor Marco Coleman and then he left after is junior year. Wake redshirts everyone and it has worked for them but they don’t get many highly rated recruits so its easier to do. I think redshirt as many as you can but some must play - Nesbitt will be particularly interesting.
By 6NAROW
August 2, 2007 12:21 AM | Link to this
They must be handicapped if they play football for Tech.
By jacketnation
August 2, 2007 2:19 AM | Link to this
Kick Vick, the next Michael Moore movie
By ND ATL
August 2, 2007 7:27 AM | Link to this
Oh, you Tech fans. It is always we “almost” beat you. A loss is a loss. It doesn’t matter how many points that you loss by….unless you had a little $ on the game. You are losers and always will be. I am glad that you get to “mooch” a little national attention to yourselves via our game, though. Now, get back to work. I didn’t say you could read the paper while working.
By pdiddyGT
August 2, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this
ND ATL = n00b
get out of our city. we have enough homeless people already.
in case you didn’t get it the first time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbMw4tOM1Io
you’re right, notre lame fans, last year is over. yall won. at least we didn’t get thumped in our bowl game by the superior team that we played. “all world receivers”? are you kidding? you nd fans must be blind.
By ND ATL
August 2, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this
We “mooched” national attention because you came in here ranked #2 in the nation, and little ol Georgia Tech gave you all that you could handle. How did last season turn out for you by the way with all those superstarts on offense? This year all of the attention will be on Choice and our defense when its a blowout early in the third quarter. You had your year and you blew it. You will be lucky to go to a bowl this year, even the guys on College Football Live agree.
By josh
August 2, 2007 9:44 AM | Link to this
Nice post Super Chill. Agreed that the 2006 season is over. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
Looking forward to a good ND vs. GT matchup, and rooting for the jackets :).
By rocket
August 2, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this
How on earth can you rate these freshman at this point? With theexception of Derrick Morgan, none of these guys have had their first practice yet! Don’t let the hype of high school accomplishments fool you…ALL of these boys need to wipe the slate clean and realize that college ball is different. My question is: How many of these boys came in with the physical conditioning to even compete at the college level? This make for a good read and a good debate, but it should be noted that evereyone’s assessment is based on a VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF FACTS, and only speculation based on yesterday’s news!
Oh yeah…Ryan Leaf will be a GREAT pro QB, too!
By Bradley
August 2, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this
What is this Tickle Pile stuff I keep hearing about?
By Matt Winkeljohn
August 2, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
Rocket,
These freshmen have been training at Tech under the auspices of strength and conditioning coaches since mid-June, about 6-7 weeks. So they’re not walking in off the street. Morgan, of course, has more than that.
Another observation relating to my mistake in listing Donley and White as DBs. They’re WRs, at least for now, and some folks think Donley in particular is a candidate to play, or at least not red-shirt.
I think freshmen WRs are more likely to redshirt than freshmen DBs because Tech has four starting senior DBs, and one key senior backup (Pat Clark). Therefore, building experience is more important at that position.
On the flipside, not only does Tech not have a senior WR, nor any expected to leave school early, but two of the WR in the running for playing time (Demaryius Thomas and Corey Earls) are redshirt freshmen. Thomas may start.
Why do I point this out? Say Donley and White play, or don’t redshirt. Then, they’re effectively in the same class as Thomas and Earls — freshmen — and you have this big chunk of talent at one position all on track to leave the program at the same time. Don’t bet on that.
Revised rankings next week.
By TechIsGayl-ey
August 2, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this
Typical Tech losers. All you ever do is claim that people who you disagree with “work for you,” but when someone else makes the same baseless claim you go ballistic. I love it! Can dish it but can’t take it. Enjoy the bottom rung of society, nerds. You’ll never make it into the upper echelon. Face it, you’re just bitter, unhappy, and most of all jealous, dorks.
By shivas
August 2, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this
My hope is to see Dwyer get 5 touches a game this year. It would also be nice to see Jamaal Evans catch some balls out of the slot or backfield, and let him create some space and yards. I do not know much about Bond’s offensive philosophy, so I’d like to hear from anyone with some knowledge. That, of course, excludes the green snotted white boy of ND.
By Play that Funky Music Whiteboy
August 2, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
stinGTime - glad to see you again on here. Also glad you had the foresight to follow the wisdom of the Notre Dame Cabal and made some $$ last year.
pdiddyGT - Oh where oh where do I start with this one? Are you going to be watching the game from “Justin’s”, Diddy? Why not just make your moniker Michael Jackson GT or some other whacked out music has been? Everyone knows you rode Biggie Smalls coattails and haven’t done anything of substance since then except showing America how insane you are on MTV.
CV - You didn’t get the memo? We control both space and time from South Bend - We have taken a day from August, leaving them with only 30 - therefore my date is correct. (It’s not, but I’m not losing face here yet okay?)
Shivas and Davey - Georgia Tech’s answer to Jay and Silent Bob. You two stoners still working on those “special projects” from your momma’s basements? Bringing to light the conspiracy involving Sonny Perdue, Reggie Ball and the 2004 elections?
Oh, I got to go, the Cabal is meeting now via conference call to decide how we want this Mike Vick thing to turn out.
Tech gets drilled in 30 days.
By pdiddyGT
August 2, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
well whiteboy, at least you are respectable, unlike your boy ND ATL. maybe you could knock some sense into him.
we can talk all day about what we think is going to happen, but at the end of the day, all ND has is its history and tradition to fall back on. that’s the only reason quinn was a heisman candidate last year and the only reason they were ever ranked last year. hopefully, the voters won’t make the same mistake this year. but then again, troy smith won the heisman last year, so maybe they will make the same mistake.
i do look forward to seeing notre dame’s campus/stadium/Touchdown Jesus on the 1st though.
By gthog61
August 4, 2007 6:13 PM | Link to this
Hey ND fans, is this the year your team finally beats somebody who ends up with less than 4 losses? ND is just a mid-tier big 11 team that gets to play outside the conference to get byes into BCS bowls. You have your own natl network, all these zillion star recruits, a coaching “genus”, and you can only beat an engineering school by 4 pts. If I were an ND fan I wouldn’t be on other fans’ boards trash talking, I’d be considering a bullet to the brain pan because the best days are obviously long gone.