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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Hot off the field, re-ranked freshmen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Back again, for a third ranking of 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 red-shirt. This is the second re-ranking, and I may do one Sunday or Monday a.m., following Saturday’s scrimmage. Have to decide to do one last one heading into the regular season. This takes into consideration what I’ve seen in practices and combines it with roster depth parameters as I see them. Previous rankings are in order in parenthesis). I shortened the list this week as some pretty obvious red-shirts seem to be emerging.
Didn’t want to add this to the existing Wednesday blog because it’d be too long, but check that one (Injuries improving, Donley needs to D-up) out, too.
1 DE Derrick Morgan (1a/1)
Can’t imagine him red-shirting. Gailey said he’s ahead of all freshman in terms of knowledge. Hasn’t dominated in practice, but clearly is not being pushed around.
1b D.J. Donley (8/5)
Continues to make impressions. The fact he is shaping up as a near sure-fire contributor on special teams, not the mention the fact WRs coach Buddy Geis listed him as his No. 5 receiver the other day makes this increasingly obvious. His size helps, too, as evidenced by a few leaping touchdown receptions.
1c S Morgan Burnett (3/3)
Ditto. Also shaping up as a special teams contributor. If he’s not the No. 4 safety now and Blackwood is, Burnett is right on his heels. Plus, as safeties go, he covers quite well in straight man.
1d RB Jonathan Dwyer (5/4)
Prior to his leg injury, he was getting some reps in the KOR game, and showing serious talent at RB. Was quite solid in last Saturday’s scrimmage. I could see him passing Jamaal Evans as the backup to Tashard, but that hasn’t happened yet.
1e QB Josh Nesbitt (1b/2)
Still not throwing with near the authority you’d like to see as a coach (or fan), but coaches continue to work with him in a run-oriented package and as the scrimmage showed, he’s pretty darned good at that. Tebow II? Different style, and I’m not positive Nesbitt is going to be used like that, but if I had to say, I’d say he’ll find the field this season and probably more than a little.
6 LT Clyde Yandell (NR/9)
Has gotten so many reps at No. 1 LT with Andrew Gardner’s injury keeping him out, working ahead of previous backup Jason Hill. Quite impressive for a guy who played D-line only until his senior year of high school.
7 K Scott Blair (NR/6)
Walk-on from Calhoun is still in the running to kickoff, although much is to be determined.
8 RB Roddy Jones (NR/8)
Getting some work on KOR in part because of injuries to Dwyer and Correy Earls, but in my opinion still more likely to red-shirt.
9 CB Mario Butler (NR/7)
Rose last week and fell this week for the same reason: the status of senior reserve CB Pat Clark. Last week, Clark’s status seemed to be in flux, presumably for academic reasons, as he missed a couple practices and was limited other times. No evidence of that this week. Butler would be your No. 5 CB now by my count, and barring injuries or other issues with Clark or any of the others, I don’t know that coaches are hell-bent on keeping Butler active. I wonder if in a pinch they’d work a safety some at corner instead? This pick hard to call.
10 OL Nick Claytor (4/12)
Moved up this week because backup RT Cord Howard continues to be in flux as he was not at Wednesday a.m. practice and Gailey said Cord might not resolve all academic issues - for the better or worse — for a few more days. If everybody was healthy and sound academically, Claytor’s No. 4 at RT behind A.J. Smith, Lonowski and Howard, but A.J.’s been out a long time (though expected to be able to practice again before season opener) and Howard continues to fluctuate. I don’t think coaches want to skip red-shirts on both Claytor and Yandell, but what do I know? If Howard solidifies his eligibility, Smith returns to healthy and Lonowski’s shoulder holds, Claytor red-shirts.
11 DE Jason Peters (6/10)
I don’t think he’s doing poorly, but Tech has considerable depth at DE (Oliver, Robertson, M. Johnson, Hall, Morgan, Anyaibe in a pinch). Wouldn’t make sense for him to be active. Even if he started blowing people up, there are so many players ahead of him.
I see everybody else as almost a lock to redshirt.
Matt
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Injuries improve, Donley needs to D-up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Improving news on the injury front at Tech, as starting right guard Nate McManus is back in action this morning. Projected starting right tackle A.J. Smith (that might not hold up if he misses much more time) is doing more on the side than he has, and for the first time since his elbow injury he’s not in a sling.
Demaryious Thomas is running more, Colin Peek is too and today he’s doing it in cleats rather than sneakers.
Fr. LB Kyle Jackson is out with an undisclosed injury, and backup QB Calvin Booker appeared to be trying to stretch out his throwing shoulder. It hasn’t kept him out of practice though.
Tashard’s strutting. Just scored off left tackle (behind Fr. Clyde Yandell, as starter Andrew Gardner remains out) in full-contact goal-line drills.
I notice Fr. LB Brad Jefferson taking some reps with the No. 2s in goal-line, probably because Travis Chambers is still out.
With Jonathan Dwyer and Correy Earls still sidelined with injuries, Fr. RB Roddy Jones earlier joined Jamaal Evans and Rashaun Grant in taking some kickoffs.
On another topic, kind of an interesting day for Tech baseball, huh? If coach Danny Hall happens to get all four potential returning players and the three unsigned high school prospects (if they fail to sign pro contracts by midnight), his team will get a huge boost.
In the story we have on-line and in the paper, some information was trimmed from the bottom for length reasons.
With regards to the potential signing of C Matt Wieters, whom Baltimore drafted No. 5 overall, sources in the Orioles organization told the Baltimore Sun Monday that the two sides were far apart, and it is widely believed that adviser/potential agent Scott Boras and the Wieters familar rae looking for more guaranteed money than the $2.25 million bonus recommended - but not mandated - by the commissioner’s office as a guideline for that draft slot.
There is history to suggest that Boras/Wieters have a much bigger number in mind. The last Tech player to be drafted No. 5 — Mark Teixeira, in 2001 — received a $4.5 million bonus from the Rangers as part of a contract that came to be worth $10.6 million. He is represented by Boras. Plus, at least one player drafted later than Wieters has pulled $7 million in bonus.
It’ll be interesting.
Back to football, in passing drills, Taylor just lofted one into the end zone for D.J. Donley, who’s gone up and grabbed a few of those. This time, though, CB Jahi Word-Daniels went up and picked it. Donley needs to turn more defensive in that situation as the ball was slightly underthrown. Nice play by Jahi.
More later.
Matt
