Football recruiting

By GA Tech insider

January 25, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

In case anyone is interested, Jared was originally committed to Iowa State but has decommitted and will probably commit to Tech while visiting this weekend. He is still growing and can easily put on about 40 pounds of muscle. Evan should also commit when visiting Atlanta the following weekend.

Speaking of Evan, while he is listed as a center and long snapper, since he is 6’4” and 285 lbs, and runs about 4.8 40, he is also known for his enormous strength and agility due to a wrestling background. He sounds perfectly suited as a guard in the new offense as he is so mobile.

Looks like Coach Johnson and Giff are finding some diamonds in the rough…

By Buzz Belle

January 25, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this

Insider - There you are! Missed your insights - it’s been real quiet until a couple of days ago. I’m thrilled with the news I’m hearing. This is going to be fun!

By Paddy

January 25, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this

given the chance this coaching staff is going to get some really good player on campus. coach johnson’s rep is getting around and players are getting excited to play for him. if he can find enough defensive players to hold the opositon to just a reasonable amount of points, the jackets will out score almost every team they play. it won’t be long before there will be fear in the eyes of acc teams.

By Wow

January 25, 2008 4:10 PM | Link to this

OH boy thats good news for Tech. A couple more two star prospects would really complete this awesome class of 2008. If Iowa State and Air Force wanted these kids that must mean they are really good. They are sure to commit after a fun filled trip to Atlanta. These kids will really love the Tech experience. After enjoying some authenic Atlanta cuisine at the Varsity, they will play World of Warcraft for a few hours then facebook stalk that really hot asian chick from Chem Lab( Man she would be a 10 if she waxed her unibrow), and then finish a great day by polishing off a six pack of Zima while watching a pirated version of Jumper they downloaded. A two star recruit could never turn us down after such a great weekend. My only worry is that Fresno State is making a strong push as well. They have a lot of momentum after that huge win in the Humantitarian Bowl.

By kluttz13

January 25, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

WOW, you’re great with the stereotypes. You’re also a hat.

By Jack G

January 25, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this

Insider

Welcome back—-Missed your insight

By Chris

January 25, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this

Wow. What a terrible recruiting class.

By GA Tech insider

January 25, 2008 5:55 PM | Link to this

Buzz Belle and Jack G, thanks for the kind words. I have been laying low after some potshots on these blogs. I actually got an e-mail from Matt W. from the AJC asking me to keep posting, but I got tired of the insults with the holidays.

Anyway, you should be happy to hear that the coaches have been doing a great job finding talent that will qualify academically as well as start to work towards the new schemes.

I’m most impressed with the fact that the coaching staff keeps their mouth shut and heads down, working hard for the right players, and lets everyone else do the talking. They really don’t care what anyone else thinks because they have their plan in place and are moving forward.

It has started a little slow, and we lost a few recruits and some players have decided to transfer out, but at the end of the day, things will calm down and the ship will be righted. Give Coach Johnson and his staff a couple of years and I think everyone will be very happy with where the program is going.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

By XXXX

January 25, 2008 8:01 PM | Link to this

Wow: Just bail your drunkdawgs out of jail before the first game, dimwit.

By hiveredtech

January 25, 2008 10:55 PM | Link to this

What insights did you miss?

Jared Edwards is not being recruited as an offensive tackle as mentioned in this article. He is being recruited as a DE. Also…he is currently committed to Iowa State. he is visiting right now.

Derek Winter is fresh off a visit to Auburn last weekend. He is also looking at Iowa and South Florida. He has been a highly productive receiver for talent-laden Plant high school. He visits 2/1.

Evan Epstein is the longest shot of the three. This OT or OG prospect is visiting California and it will likely come down to a GT/Calif battle.

By jfjfj

January 25, 2008 11:38 PM | Link to this

Where is Ruben Houston these days?

By roddy

January 26, 2008 1:47 AM | Link to this

I know this isn’t a fair comparison, but where a recruit is ranked nationally doesn’t really indicate the success he will have in college.

Look at Brady and the NFL. He was an after thought in the draft and really didn’t do much at Michigan. But w/ the right coach and system, he’s now considered one of the greatest QB’s in NFL history.

I’m just making a point here. Let’s not get our panties in wad b/c we aren’t pulling in 4 or 5 star recruits. If they have talent, Johnson will extract every once and then some.

By J

January 26, 2008 3:04 AM | Link to this

hiveredtech is right. edwards is going to be a DE. Also Winter will be in Iowa now this week. He’ll visit Tech next weekend.

Go subscribe to the Insider board at Gojackets.com if you want the real and latest info guys.

This place won’t tell you anything new, much less correct.

By TDone

January 26, 2008 8:16 AM | Link to this

Personally, I would rather be a two-star recruit and go to a place where I have the chance to play as a freshman, that be a four-star recruit at some Big State School and not play until my red-shirt junior year.

All these star-rankings mean is to show how soon the kid is expected to play. But if you get options to play early, one is better off than riding the bench.

And never forget, the same thing they are telling the kids this year, they told the same things to the kid in previous years and will say to kids the next year too.

Again, all recruiting does is build depth. No more, no less.

By DecaturTechFan

January 26, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

Being a native Atlantan, My two hometown football teams have a lot of work to do. I will wait and see with Tech. I think If we can go 1-10 the next four years, with the one win being against Ga, I will be happy. I’ll trade a loss to Duke for a win against the Athens pig-farmers any day and twice on Sunday. Go Jackets!!!

By steve

January 26, 2008 11:43 AM | Link to this

We definitely don’t need to get caught up in how many “stars” a recruit is, just take a look at some previous recruiting classes and look at how some of todays player were ranked coming out of high school. Knowshon Moreno at UGA was only a 3 star recruit coming out, and by the end of last season he was as anybody in the country.

By buzzkey

January 26, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this

Thanks J, I had’nt heard of Gojackets.com before. Great site..

By RealFootballFan

January 27, 2008 3:05 AM | Link to this

Will Bynum would have run our drunk player over. Lucky for him he wasnt cruising the streets smokin blunts with Rueben… Want to take a look at who wins championships and how they recruit? Yes, the major powers find a hidden gem every once in a while but they are not making a living off the Jaybo Shaws and Evan Epstiens of the world, you guys sure thought rankings meant a ton last year when you had that good class. Now those kids are dropping like flies. The defense will have to carry you until the offense and the personel needed catch up. It will take until year 3 plus to turn it around, but you guys will struggle for the immediate future and by the way, Knowshon Moreno was a 4 star and a top 10 back go look at the rankings. All those 4 stars redshirt fresh and sophs at the big state school will be starting this year by the way. I am sure they are bitter they had to sit 1 or 2 years to play for a top 3 team.