A look at offensive line recruiting

Boaty1

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,104
Working off of the roster found here, these are the OL recruits inherited in '08:

Nick Claytor (4-star) - By far the best recruit. Offers from Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State

Andrew Gardner (3-star) - Offers from Duke, Furman, Navy, Wake Forest
Clyde Yandell (3-star) - Offers from Northwestern, N.C. State, Maryland (seems Connecticut chose not to offer)
Joseph Gilbert (3-star) - No other reported offers; interest from Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Vanderbilt
Jason Hill (2-star) - Offers from Kentucky, UNC, South Carolina, Ok State.
Cord Howard (2-star) - Offers from UAB, Louisville, Ole Miss
Dan Voss (2-star) - Offers from Princeton and Vanderbilt
Zach Krisch (unranked) - No additional offers reported

Walk-on/Info not listed:
Andrew Folkner - Walk-on
Chase Hudson - Walk-on
Michael St. Denis - No ranking or offers listed.
Drew Brannon - No ranking or offers listed.
Alex Paqutte - No ranking or offers listed.
Jeff Lentz - Long Snapper

Converted to OL from another position:
David Brown (3-star) - 255 lbs. converted to OL. Offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia, and Vanderbilt at DE.
A.J. Smith (2-star converted DE) - 235 lbs. converted to OL. Offers from BC, Connecticut, USF at DE.
Austin Barrick (3- star TE) - 242 lbs. converted to OL. Offers from Clemson, Colorado, Duke and UAB at TE.
Brad Sellers (2 star DE) - 255 lbs. converted to OL. Offers from Nebraska, Miami, Duke at DE.

Not sure of any transfers that took place on the OL between '07 and '08.

CPJ brought in the following OL recruits in his first year:
Omoregie Uzzi (4-star) - Offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Duke
Nick Mcrae (3-star) - Ole Miss, Maryland, NC State
Phil Smith (2-star) - Offer from Penn State

So it's easy to see that our recruiting was much stronger than currently as 11 of 12 the OL on the 08 team had offers from other power 5 schools.

I would also argue that the first class Johnson brought in was unaware of the specifics of the offense. Most people assumed he would adapt his offense to the talent on the team.
 

Boaty1

Helluva Engineer
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1,104
I might add that we often recruit players who blow up in their senior year and who play in spread option offenses (Clark). We take projects too (Jump), largely because we think they'll work out. Sometimes they do (Andrew Gardener); sometimes they don't. Unless you are OSU or Bammer, that's what you end up doing. Recently, we've been recruiting a lot of DLs that we turn into OLs. That slows down development - a lot of those people need a redshirt year just to get their minds right about their new role. Oth, it also means that we get some pretty good athletes.

I think our main problem on the OL has been career ending injury. Stickler is just the latest example. We've also had transfers, usually by people who get beat out (duh). This year we have the same problem we had last year - nagging injuries that prevent developing continuity on the OL. Oth, Hansen did ok against the Tiggers - I was watching him - and we have a lot of real big people coming up. Long term I don't think we have a problem here.


Big difference between the recruitment of Gardener and many OL on our current roster.
 

iceeater1969

Helluva Engineer
Messages
9,796
Great content.

Do we really recruit the big names we offer? I think Andy is overall recruiter and coach coach gas an area. Decisions on players offer is by position coach.



I know Andy because our seats at bds happened to be near family and friends. He shared that he is now going to come to Pensacola when he comes to niceville (#28) . I am a member of my old high school and he told me about our offers to kids at that school. . One had grade issues (bb)= no offer yet , one he got approval to offer (see Adrian Medely (ol) ) , and the other sewak says no offer Radford( ol)
Medley has been on every ones radar and Radford eho transferred to Phs was just getting know. Both are 6 5 300 - medley us at tackle and Radford was at guard but moved to center . The oc at school is my friend and Andy know head coach. Andy made 2 trips . The hs guys suggested we offer both kids (who visited gt together.)
As the power 5 offers and coaches kept rolling in and i heard they were going to announce together. Called andy. At a scrimmage coach west came down for visit. Both kids have great families, good grades (radford 3.85 and 29 act), said they want a engineering school. The oc confirmed the finals for both were texas a & m , clemson, auburn, Florida, gt.
Medly picked TAM where they project him as a tackle and Radford picked Clemson where they want him to play center.
I think we had and still have a chance.

Medley as Home coming king.



20180914_203757.jpg



Andy will keep coming by and on next one we will get started way earlier. Got to show genuine interest..
 

year_of_the_swarm

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
360
Sorry, I joined this conversation late, but...the QBs look great? OUR QBs?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I believe that CPJ made a tactical error in not going with Lucas Johnson... He made the switch on TQM last year (when he probably should have been an Aback) and he has stuck with it, but I believe this was a mistake. It is clear that Lucas Johnson and Tobias Oliver are:

Better passers
Bigger players
Equally capable of rushing the football

This is a bizarre mistake. TQM couldn't even make the pitch reads and stuff last year. He has gotten better but he is essentially a DB trying to throw the ball.

In limited action you can clearly see Tobias is just as good running the ball, if not better because he is bigger. In the spring game you can clearly see Lucas Johnson can sling the ball all over the place... Teams can't totally sell out to stop the option with Lucas Johnson in the game.. There are all sorts of big plays being left out there because TQM can't throw the ball. Just this season I have seen lots of 50+ yard big plays not be connected on because of the passing game.

Watch #7 here.... enough said.



Also....

 
Messages
746
Cut blocks are legal and used in pretty much every offense at some point. It's not a difficult concept for most people to understand.

So why do we have the bad reputation across all of college football? Most of the "Extra Practice" by other teams is dedicated to teaching their Defenders how to avoid getting ACL'd by CPJ's dirty blocking.

We've earned this reputation and it's garbage football and one of several reasons we don't attract top OL talent.
 

jacket71

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
19
Of course he has no worries - he's doing exactly what CPJ wants him to do. It's why Sewak doesn't get fired. These dirty blocking techniques aren't on Sewak - they're on CPJ.

If we employ such dirty blocking techniques, why do we not get flagged for them?? If your argument is that we could be more effective, I would agree but not that we play dirty.
 
Messages
746
If we employ such dirty blocking techniques, why do we not get flagged for them?? If your argument is that we could be more effective, I would agree but not that we play dirty.

We do get flagged for 'em. Though this year, "targeting" seems to be our new Favorite Penalty.

We have a bad reputation for dirty blocking. Don't shoot the messenger here!
 
Messages
746
https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/...sing-dangerous-blocks/gWEF8W6CrmF0iEMRTfgI7O/

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/k...ech-head-coach-paul-johnson-cut-block-injury/

https://www.tigernet.com/forum/thread/Georgia-Tech-dirty-blocks-1744142

https://syracusefan.com/threads/georgia-tech-cut-blocks.112743/

It's bull**** football and it's what CPJ is known for. Time to stop blaming Sewak.
Yeah I know, "The PITT coach is a whiner!!"

But PITT has owned CPJ the past 5 years and, if this guy is saying it, most everyone else is too. Perception is reality esp. on the Recruiting trail.
 

stech81

Helluva Engineer
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8,962
Location
Woodstock Georgia
https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/...sing-dangerous-blocks/gWEF8W6CrmF0iEMRTfgI7O/

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/k...ech-head-coach-paul-johnson-cut-block-injury/

https://www.tigernet.com/forum/thread/Georgia-Tech-dirty-blocks-1744142

https://syracusefan.com/threads/georgia-tech-cut-blocks.112743/

It's bull**** football and it's what CPJ is known for. Time to stop blaming Sewak.
Yeah I know, "The PITT coach is a whiner!!"

But PITT has owned CPJ the past 5 years and, if this guy is saying it, most everyone else is too. Perception is reality esp. on the Recruiting trail.
Cut blocks are fine every team does it if you watch football. Everyone on here knows you hate CPJ , you can talk about something else once in awhile.
And if it rains tomorrow yes we know you think CPJ is to blame.
 
Messages
746
Cut blocks are fine every team does it if you watch football. Everyone on here knows you hate CPJ , you can talk about something else once in awhile.

Fine, shoot the messenger. We're known as a dirty team and CPJ is known to be a dirty coach. Everyone on here knows you're a big fan of the guy so there's no need to keep advertising it. "Every team" may do it but we're the only ones with the bad-reputation for doing it all the time.

PS: The topic is OL Recruiting, which is adversely affected by CPJ's dirty blocking and our bad reputation. I'm just discussing the topic rather than trying to focus on individual posters, as you are doing.
 

stech81

Helluva Engineer
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8,962
Location
Woodstock Georgia
Fine, shoot the messenger. We're known as a dirty team and CPJ is known to be a dirty coach. Everyone on here knows you're a big fan of the guy so there's no need to keep advertising it. "Every team" may do it but we're the only ones with the bad-reputation for doing it all the time.

PS: The topic is OL Recruiting, which is adversely affected by CPJ's dirty blocking and our bad reputation. I'm just discussing the topic rather than trying to focus on individual posters, as you are doing.
First you don't know what I like. after the Pitt game I was ready to see CPJ go back to last week and see, but with you and a few others I have changed my mind again. And I'm not the only one who is sick of hearing about firing CPJ all the time.

If you really want CPJ gone it's not going to get done on here , get your check book go down to the school write a check and tell them if they fire CPJ for you they can cash it.
And I have not named a player . And I can say the one good thing I don't remember you name a player and thanks for not doing it,
 

ibeattetris

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,606
Fine, shoot the messenger. We're known as a dirty team and CPJ is known to be a dirty coach. Everyone on here knows you're a big fan of the guy so there's no need to keep advertising it. "Every team" may do it but we're the only ones with the bad-reputation for doing it all the time.

PS: The topic is OL Recruiting, which is adversely affected by CPJ's dirty blocking and our bad reputation. I'm just discussing the topic rather than trying to focus on individual posters, as you are doing.
I don't really care what the reputation is. Why do you care what people think about a legal football maneuver?

Heres a cut block from USC on one of those fancy passing plays:


Heres a Miami receiver cut blocking (I think this is illegal now? Still an example):


Heres a cut block in the NFL:


Heres another NFL cut block (poorly executed):


Here is CAL practicing cut blocks:
 
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Squints

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,259
So why do we have the bad reputation across all of college football? Most of the "Extra Practice" by other teams is dedicated to teaching their Defenders how to avoid getting ACL'd by CPJ's dirty blocking.

We've earned this reputation and it's garbage football and one of several reasons we don't attract top OL talent.

That's a pretty easy answer. Generally speaking, sports fans are a lot dumber than they think they are and don't know as much as they think they do. They'd rather believe some narrative they heard from someone who heard it from someone else than form their own opinion.

Try thinking for yourself instead of regurgitating what your buds who went to UGA tell you.
 

Whiskey_Clear

Banned
Messages
10,486
Of course he has no worries - he's doing exactly what CPJ wants him to do. It's why Sewak doesn't get fired. These dirty blocking techniques aren't on Sewak - they're on CPJ.

You two geniuses most find the sport of American football to be barbaric. Y’all should take up badminton instead.
 
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