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DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia Tech 2009 Recruiting Class: Hits, misses, rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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ABOUT THE CLASS
The bottom line The gurus are going to rank this class between 25-50 nationally. It’s not star-studded, but it’s remarkable for its balance, with a player signed at every position except kicker or punter. It’s also one of Tech’s faster classes. The 14 in-state players who signed are the most since at least 1992. It’s a blue-collar class with no glaring holes.
Among friends North Carolina, Florida State and Miami separated themselves in the ACC by a wide margin, by most accounts. Tech’s chances to join that group evaporated when quarterback Dontae Aycock of Florida and lineman Nolan McMillen decided to go elsewhere. But Tech’s grade will fall between high to middling in the conference.
The hits Stephen Hill, a wide receiver from Miller Grove, picked Tech over Georgia after having serious second thoughts. Jordan Luallen, the Indiana quarterback so well-suited for Tech’s option offense, is the centerpiece and the first player announced by Tech coaches Wednesday morning. ESPN rates guard Will Jackson and athlete David Sims as the best catches. Rivals puts defensive tackle J.C. Lanier at the top. Scout.com’s favorites are Lanier, Luallen and cornerback Roderick Sweeting.
The misses Tech signed everyone it expected. The only misses would be guys who were pursued hard in January but decided to go elsewhere. They were offensive lineman McMillan (Iowa) and defensive back Darren Myles Jr. of Carver-Atlanta (Tennessee). Aycock, the Tampa quarterback, was committed to Tech until he visited Auburn last week. Paul Johnson then pulled the scholarship offer.
The surprises None. The best surprise Tech got this recruiting season happened in November, when Sims, a quarterback who can play other positions, switched from Kentucky to Tech. Tech wants him at quarterback.
Filling holes The most urgent need was the defensive front, which is losing three starters. Tech signed three defensive ends in Chris Crenshaw, Euclid Cummings and Izaan Cross, and a defensive tackle in Lanier. Another end, Emanuel Dieke, signed early and is enrolled. Tech could’ve used another offensive lineman.
In-state success The 14 in-state signees are the most in more than 15 years. Tech signed 13 in 1999, but among a class of 26. Tech didn’t get any of the AJC’s Super 11 players for the second consecutive year.
Size/speed Tech’s class is faster than it is big. The Jackets signed 10 or more guys with 4.6 speed or better. Fitzgerald defensive back Jemea Thomas is the fastest. Coaches believes he’s quicker than the 4.5 time listed for him on recruiting sites. Lanier is 325 pounds - down from 345. But otherwise, this is not a big class. Defensive linemen Crenshaw, Dieke, Cross and Cummings average less than 235 pounds.
Did you know? Tech has one commitment for the 2010 class. Collins Hill running back Charles Perkins announced his decision Saturday at Tech’s junior day. … Scout.com has rated Tech’s classes higher than Rivals.com for each of the past five seasons and by an average of 12 spots in the national rankings.
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By yellowblood
February 4, 2009 6:27 PM | Link to this
Two big advantages with this class. They are all Tickle Pile tested and there are no thugs in the group like the cow college in Athens recruits. THWG
By All Tech athletes are Engineering Majors
February 4, 2009 6:46 PM | Link to this
yellowblood - you forgot to mention they are ALL straight A students, were All the Valedictorians of their High School Class, are ALL very smart at “calculus”, are ALL majoring in Engineering, are ALL fluent in 5 languages, they ALL turned down scholarship offers from EVERY top 25 team from the past 7 years, and will ALL out earn EVERY UGA athlete for the remainder of history.
By Danny G
February 4, 2009 7:24 PM | Link to this
Really, there is no one that you got that we really wanted. Sorry.
By Charles T
February 4, 2009 8:43 PM | Link to this
Congratulations to GT on a solid class.
Yellowblood, blowing out someone else’s candle to make yours shine a little brighter doesnt help in the long run.
By Chuck Allison
February 4, 2009 9:07 PM | Link to this
Correction, Dieke, Cross, Crenshaw, and Cummings average over 246 pounds, not under 235#. It is important to do your homework when you try to write an article about a recruiting class.
By RealityYech
February 4, 2009 9:08 PM | Link to this
LOL!!!! Talk about one giant contradiction of a headline!!! The misses??!?! Hmmm….try the entire class, LOL!!!! Hits? Yeah, they got a decent WR that they stole from UCF (yet scumbag Johnson takes away scholarships from kids that do the exact same thing to him) that they’ll use for blocking. Wow!!!! What a great class!!! LOL!!!!
Best season Yech has had in nearly two decades and they laid a huge stinky egg!! Not to mention managed to chase at least 40 HIGH CHARACTER, WELL ROUNDED, STUDENT ATHLETES to the SEC. But now they’re no longer STUDENT ATHLETES LOL!!!! Jealous douchebag Yech fans make me laugh my arse off!!! BAWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!
By Weight Not
February 4, 2009 9:13 PM | Link to this
H3ll, I weigh 260. Does that count toward this class?
By Tokyo jacket
February 4, 2009 9:16 PM | Link to this
What I love is that all the lineman have “nasty” used as an adjective. That is better than talent on the O-line.
By Coach BoBo
February 4, 2009 9:25 PM | Link to this
Realitypup,
45-42
By RealityYech
February 4, 2009 9:59 PM | Link to this
GUESS WHAT GUYS??? Im a huge PHAGGOT! NO one likes me, anywhere. ANd im also a coward, b/c i talk trash on a blog, under MULTIPLE names, and even DEFEND myself, from other names. I would pee my wittle pants if ever confronted, b/c im 5’6, 200 lbs of pink phaggot power. Im the biggest sissy on these blogs, and i just can’t get over the fact that YECH beat my great ugay. I can’t wait to watch this mentally retarded class (30% SPECIAL ADMITS LMAO) to under achieve just like LAST YEAR!!!!
PS> I JUST saw my moms BUSH!
By RealityYech
February 4, 2009 9:59 PM | Link to this
GUESS WHAT GUYS??? Im a huge PHAGGOT! NO one likes me, anywhere. ANd im also a coward, b/c i talk trash on a blog, under MULTIPLE names, and even DEFEND myself, from other names. I would pee my wittle pants if ever confronted, b/c im 5’6, 200 lbs of pink phaggot power. Im the biggest sissy on these blogs, and i just can’t get over the fact that YECH beat my great ugay. I can’t wait to watch this mentally retarded class (30% SPECIAL ADMITS LMAO) to under achieve just like LAST YEAR!!!!
PS> I JUST saw my moms BUSH!
By PMC
February 5, 2009 12:10 AM | Link to this
All these guys are system fits, Paul Johnson has never had more talent and speed at his disposal.
I still think Lanier would be able to play offense should they need him but Uzzi will be stepping in this year too.
Drummond should fill the role the Coxs’ have the last several years.
Really Really nice class for Tech.
By KwC
February 5, 2009 12:44 AM | Link to this
Hey RealityYech…do you actually have enough functioning brain cells to make a point here or are you just going to sort of “shock blog” your way through this?
I mean…if talking about your mother’s privates somehow elevates UGA’s football status within the state…….
Anyway…more to the point. Tech had a very solid recruiting class. The annoying need for literacy will always keep GT a notch below schools like UGA in pure talent. However that is not all there is to building a successful program. The kids CPJ is bringing in all fit the system all have good backgrounds in solid HS programs and all are committed to the Old Gold and White. When Ohio State et. al are recruiting for the triple option we’ll compare apples to apples. Until then just win games and let that do the talking.
Have a great day everybody. And RealityYech…enjoy your Oedipus complex. If you need to know what that is perhaps you can find a Tech grad to explain it.
By TechFan
February 5, 2009 8:38 AM | Link to this
Last year Tech beat UGA with so called inferior talent. Hey stupid UGA fans, what does that say about your program?! If you couldn’t win with superior athletes, what is Richt going to do as the talent begins to equalize? Fact is, UGA can’t win the big one with top 5 recruiting classes, so maybe the coaching staff needs some serious overhauling!
By yellowblood
February 5, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this
I just cannot carry on this charade any longer. It is time for me to come out of the closet. I am not really a Tech fan and I know that Tech doesn’t have Tickle Piles. I am really a gay Dawg fan! There are a lot more of us (gay Dawg fans) than you might think. I thought that by making fun of Tech I could get in good graces with my Dawg friends. But it is simply not working, and I cannot continue living a lie. Please forgive me.
By Like clockwork
February 5, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this
Nice post “KwC” ……
Yep, “RealityYech” and “yellowblood” are perfect examples of the typical ga fan; as opposed to more intelligent, GA grads.
But this blog wouldn’t be nearly as fun if it weren’t for their insightful, informative posts.
Paul Johnson is a winner! He’s won everywhere he’s been. With this class he’s getting more & more players that fit his system. A system that wasn’t too shabby in its FIRST season, with probably 95% of its parts having little or no experience running it. And even those guys will do nothing but get better and more precise at running this “joke of an offense.”
Yeah, I’d say that worries the Ga fans.
Nice incoming class Jackets!!
By Tech Man in Dawg Country
February 5, 2009 2:37 PM | Link to this
Before we get too carried away saying we need “system” guys and not highly ranked or highly recruited guys, lets remember that the stars of this year’s team were all highly rated. Nesbit, Dwyer, and Burnett all came in the only year a Tech class a whole has been highly rated. So this “ratings and rankings don’t mean a thing” statement may or may not be true. When we get to a point that WE are signing all 4 star and 5 star players to go along with CPJ coaching, then we will have something.
By JIm Bob
February 5, 2009 3:57 PM | Link to this
This is just fine. PJ coaches better than the rest so the class rating just got higher. I say that PJ will make better football players with the talent he has and will continue to kick patootie next year in spite of the “gurus.” The ACC and UGa got all they wanted last year and the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades.
By NRBQ
February 5, 2009 9:06 PM | Link to this
Priceless, Jim Bob!
“The ACC….got all they wanted.”
Yes, they didn’t want Tech to be conference champs, or even to play in the championship game.
But you did look good against LSU!
By The '85 BIRD-DAWG
February 6, 2009 3:45 AM | Link to this
Hey yellowblood, So what if Georgia is a COW College as you so eloquently put it. Lets see you EAT a computer program! F******* 1 N G ! D ! O T .
By YELLOWJACKETS REQUIRED
February 6, 2009 3:58 AM | Link to this
Really makes no difference if our class was top 10 or top 39. What makes the difference is the COACH. And now we have a coach that is as good as any highschool coach in the nation. We will run that option this year till the cows come home. Running a high school offense is what we need because these guys are right out of highschool. Who knew? Anyway, I say to all my UGA friends 45-42! Why doesn’t CMR try running a highschool offense?
By YELLOWJACKETS REQUIRED
February 6, 2009 3:59 AM | Link to this
Really makes no difference if our class was top 10 or top 39. What makes the difference is the COACH. And now we have a coach that is as good as any highschool coach in the nation. We will run that option this year till the cows come home. Running a high school offense is what we need because these guys are right out of highschool. Who knew? Anyway, I say to all my UGA friends 45-42! Why doesn’t CMR try running a highschool offense?
By YELLOWJACKETS REQUIRED
February 6, 2009 4:02 AM | Link to this
Really makes no difference if our class was top 10 or top 39. What makes the difference is the COACH. And now we have a coach that is as good as any highschool coach in the nation. We will run that option this year till the cows come home. Running a high school offense is what we need because these guys are right out of highschool. Who knew? Anyway, I say to all my UGA friends 45-42! Why doesn’t CMR try running a highschool offense?
By YELLOWJACKETS REQUIRED
February 6, 2009 4:06 AM | Link to this
Really makes no difference if our class was top 10 or top 39. What makes the difference is the COACH. And now we have a coach that is as good as any highschool coach in the nation. We will run that option this year till the cows come home. Running a high school offense is what we need because these guys are right out of highschool. Who knew? Anyway, I say to all my UGA friends 45-42! Why doesn’t CMR try running a highschool offense?