Addressing the Vad Lee situation

[Mack]

Vad told Coach Johnson on New Years eve sometime by around noon because I knew by 1:15. Coach Johnson was ambivalent as he accepted the news and commented to several people that it really didn't matter because Vad didn't fit his system anyway.

Since that point, I found out that they told Matthew Jordan when he came on his official visit to be ready because they expect him not to redshirt now but to potentially get some backup time and that the coaches have had some indication this might be coming. Vad's high school coach and his family have been in his ear quite a bit about the move all year long. His family just want him to be happy but his HS coach encouraged him to go to a school that passes the ball more.

Vad felt mislead because CPJ had told him that, once he had a passing QB, the offense would be opened up to the pass more and wouldn't be so run heavy. As a matter of fact, if you can find the video of an interview with Vad after an allstar game following his HS senior year, he commented to this effect. At the time, he was verbally committed to Tech but hadn't signed a LOI. But when the question was posed about a passing QB going to a running offense, he commented, "Coach Johnson has told me they've just been waiting for a passing QB so they can open up the passing game and throw more" or WTTE.

I don't blame Vad for leaving. If he thinks he has a legitimate shot at playing QB in the NFL, he won't get an opportunity to do that if he stays in this offense...like it or not, but a QB from this offense is not going to get serious attention at the QB spot by an NFL team. The NFL has become a passing league and a team that averages 12 passes per game isn't going to give them enough footage for them to see him throw the entire route tree.

However, I am very disappointed that CPJ knew this was a possibility and still didn't get more PT for Justin. At the very least, he knew for the bowl game that this was a possibility but I'm told he knew as far back as mid-season that it was possible. If you want your program to be successful long term, you have to get more of the valuable snaps for your future guy. We didn't do that.

This is not good.Lee took PJ word the ball would be in the air but it didnt happen.I think he is good kid and if ,and if its a big if,he gets proper qb help he may be a good one but where does he go ? I see him a good qb in another league such as a d-2 school.I am sorry he didnt get a chance to show us what he could do.He was a round peg in a square hole with this offense and Lee did best he could.Good luck to him and hope PJ didnt say what folks say he said about Lee not being important to the team or the offense.Not good.

 

[Mack]

It's going to be interesting to hear CPJ's comments after this becomes official.

I hope he cleans this up ...if he said this since this spreads like wildfire and makes players and fans wonder what is going on inside.Not good in my humble opinion.

 

[Mack]

I'm quite sure if Vad could've completed more passes whilst not throwing off his back foot and scrambling into pressure, there would've been more pass plays called. CPJ isn't the bad guy here.

Accept your opinion but will say.........hard to throw with big lineman in your face and no pocket to step into.Will say he has a backfoot problem but where is the qb coach ? Pretty clear we are not great pass blockers but yep.....put it in the air on your back foot and its not good.

 

[runnerbuzz]

First post but felt compelled to do so. Some people on here are ridiculous.

1. CPJ is not a liar. Any ability to pass in this offense is predicated on the run, period. Vad could not run the option effectively. I’m sure CPJ assumed as any of you would have that a very smart and very athletic hs qb could come in and learn the option stuff. Would you rather he recruit a raw athlete and teach him how to pass or a athletic qb and teach him how to run? If VL had picked up the option he would have passed more in this offense based on what the defense gave us. We were never going to become a pass-first team and you can be sure he never promised that.

2. 50% completion percentage in this offense would be damn good. What percentage of passes in this offense are greater than 10yds? 15yds? Hint, it’s a lot. Take a look at the following stats for the top qbs in the ncaa this year. Anything jump out at you? For the lazy, I’ll summarize: Qbs with gaudy completion stats throw a lot of passes less than 10yds. VL made some great throws this season. He’s a good qb, but he never bought in to this offense. And he was in way too many obvious passing situations. http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2244447/QBCompletion.jpg

3. Our OL is above average. Any ability to run in this offense is predicated on making the right reads, period. OL was definitely not great but for what we need them to do I thought they did a good job. You can make arguments about Sewak, false starts, etc but honestly the players there weren’t the issue. No, they’re not great in pass blocking or picking up blitzers in obvious passing situations but I’m not sure we can reasonably expect that. It was obvious the offense had bigger issues than the OL.

Looking forward to next season. Wish Vad success wherever he goes. He’s a good kid.

 

[Mack]

Vad told Coach Johnson on New Years eve sometime by around noon because I knew by 1:15. Coach Johnson was ambivalent as he accepted the news and commented to several people that it really didn't matter because Vad didn't fit his system anyway.

Since that point, I found out that they told Matthew Jordan when he came on his official visit to be ready because they expect him not to redshirt now but to potentially get some backup time and that the coaches have had some indication this might be coming. Vad's high school coach and his family have been in his ear quite a bit about the move all year long. His family just want him to be happy but his HS coach encouraged him to go to a school that passes the ball more.

Vad felt mislead because CPJ had told him that, once he had a passing QB, the offense would be opened up to the pass more and wouldn't be so run heavy. As a matter of fact, if you can find the video of an interview with Vad after an allstar game following his HS senior year, he commented to this effect. At the time, he was verbally committed to Tech but hadn't signed a LOI. But when the question was posed about a passing QB going to a running offense, he commented, "Coach Johnson has told me they've just been waiting for a passing QB so they can open up the passing game and throw more" or WTTE.

I don't blame Vad for leaving. If he thinks he has a legitimate shot at playing QB in the NFL, he won't get an opportunity to do that if he stays in this offense...like it or not, but a QB from this offense is not going to get serious attention at the QB spot by an NFL team. The NFL has become a passing league and a team that averages 12 passes per game isn't going to give them enough footage for them to see him throw the entire route tree.

However, I am very disappointed that CPJ knew this was a possibility and still didn't get more PT for Justin. At the very least, he knew for the bowl game that this was a possibility but I'm told he knew as far back as mid-season that it was possible. If you want your program to be successful long term, you have to get more of the valuable snaps for your future guy. We didn't do that.

Agree with you on all points.Hope PJ didnt say what is reported but who knows ? One thing for sure kids playing are wondering what is going on and looks like desertion has raised its head again.Yep with the wins we have had JT shoujld have played more.Yet I remember Vads first year and he didnt play much either.Hard to run the offense with no gametime experience.This is not good news no matter how you spin it.Good thing is first three games next year are games in which we should be favored to win...

 

[bke1984]

I think the biggest thing about Justin is that if he gets in the open field nobody is touching him. If he can get the decision making down and add himself as a home run threat I think that opens so many things back up.

JT's decision making ability will be the make or break point for us and CPJ IMO.

The JT home run threat would be huge...as would adding a home run threat at B-back. This year our only long play threats where at A-back. When that's the case, the defense will just force the QB to keep the ball and it's very tough on the offense. If Justin can get his reads down and work on ball security, he's going to be a very special player. Furthermore, if Custis turns out to be a serious threat at B-back, we're going to be much better on offense than we were this season.

 

[Hunter513]

I don't think Vad leaving is anything shocking. I have been a Tech fan since the 1950s and to be honest, this year ranks as high as I have seen in disappointments. I believe CPJ has one more year at Tech to get it done. Get it done has different meanings to some but to me it must be better than 7 and 5 with a win against the mutts. Unfortunately, the Georgia Tech fan base is falling like a rock.

 

[wuzjrbuzz]

I don't think Vad leaving is anything shocking. I have been a Tech fan since the 1950s and to be honest, this year ranks as high as I have seen in disappointments. I believe CPJ has one more year at Tech to get it done. Get it done has different meanings to some but to me it must be better than 7 and 5 with a win against the mutts. Unfortunately, the Georgia Tech fan base is falling like a rock.

Yep, it was either change the offense to suit Vad's skillset, or find a QB that can run the option. Otherwise, it would be more of the same. This transfer is not a surprise at all, and a reason for some optimism.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Does anyone know if there were any other schools recruiting Vad as a passing QB? Thought I remembered him being looked at as a WR at most places and GT was the only one that thought he fit the "dual threat" role. To me that means you have a QB that runs and occasionally he can heave up a pass in the general vicinity of a wide open WR because the opposition wants him to throw as much as possible.

 

[daBuzz]

Does anyone know if there were any other schools recruiting Vad as a passing QB? Thought I remembered him being looked at as a WR at most places and GT was the only one that thought he fit the "dual threat" role. To me that means you have a QB that runs and occasionally he can heave up a pass in the general vicinity of a wide open WR because the opposition wants him to throw as much as possible.

I know he had offers as a QB at UNC, NC State, WF, and Duke. Cutcliffe wanted him pretty badly.

 

[56JacketDE]

CPJ will sit down with each player starting next week...that is when things will start to happen.

Yes that is when "things" could happen

 

[Eric]

It is when things will happen.

 

[33jacket]

It is when things will happen.

yeah i think we are looking a 4 maybe 5 transfers or team leaves (may not transfer just stop playing)

 

[CuseJacket]

Drew,

This offense is not built to be a passing offense. Why would you recruit a passing QB?

Vad Lee was not considered a passing QB out of HS. That is revisionist history. He was a dual threat QB and not a highly recruited one at that. He had only a handful of high major QB offers. And I don't recall a single post on any boards questioning CPJ's decision to recruit Vad.

No one considered Vad incapable of adapting to CPJ's offense until this year. The results on the field in 2013 (i.e., not 2011 or 2012) proved it didn't work out. But it's not fair to state that he had a magical arm that was underutilized. That is completely conjecture and there is no proof one way or the other at this point.

 

[Animal02]

Vad Lee was not considered a passing QB out of HS. That is revisionist history. He was a dual threat QB and not a highly recruited one at that. He had only a handful of high major QB offers. And I don't recall a single post on any boards questioning CPJ's decision to recruit Vad.

No one considered Vad incapable of adapting to CPJ's offense until this year. The results on the field in 2013 (i.e., not 2011 or 2012) proved it didn't work out. But it's not fair to state that he had a magical arm that was underutilized. That is completely conjecture and there is no proof one way or the other at this point.

I feel sorry for all these kids that are led to believe they are just one step from the NFL I can understand the ones that just stop playing. It is a lot of work for not that much in return for a lot of people.

 

[KlausMikaelsonTheOriginal]

First post but felt compelled to do so. Some people on here are ridiculous.

1. CPJ is not a liar. Any ability to pass in this offense is predicated on the run, period. Vad could not run the option effectively. I’m sure CPJ assumed as any of you would have that a very smart and very athletic hs qb could come in and learn the option stuff. Would you rather he recruit a raw athlete and teach him how to pass or a athletic qb and teach him how to run? If VL had picked up the option he would have passed more in this offense based on what the defense gave us. We were never going to become a pass-first team and you can be sure he never promised that.

2. 50% completion percentage in this offense would be damn good. What percentage of passes in this offense are greater than 10yds? 15yds? Hint, it’s a lot. Take a look at the following stats for the top qbs in the ncaa this year. Anything jump out at you? For the lazy, I’ll summarize: Qbs with gaudy completion stats throw a lot of passes less than 10yds. VL made some great throws this season. He’s a good qb, but he never bought in to this offense. And he was in way too many obvious passing situations. http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2244447/QBCompletion.jpg

3. Our OL is above average. Any ability to run in this offense is predicated on making the right reads, period. OL was definitely not great but for what we need them to do I thought they did a good job. You can make arguments about Sewak, false starts, etc but honestly the players there weren’t the issue. No, they’re not great in pass blocking or picking up blitzers in obvious passing situations but I’m not sure we can reasonably expect that. It was obvious the offense had bigger issues than the OL.

Looking forward to next season. Wish Vad success wherever he goes. He’s a good kid.

Every time a play is blown the h3ll up doesn't mean that VL made a "bad read", that has become an easy cop-out for a very predictable Offense that has not passed the ball well in the entire CPJ era, nor have we played well vs. better defenses.

Also, there are some folks back around Vad's hometown that think that CPJ lied to Vad during his recruitment:

1. Pack Pride ‏@PackPride14h
   Wish Vad Lee the best at his next school. Remember during his recruiment he commented that GT said they were changing the offense.
   
   Pack Pride ‏@PackPride14h
2. This happens when lies are told RT @schadjoe: GT QB Vad Lee said he will transfer. "The triple option was never really my thing," Lee said.

Here's the link if you choose to visit:
https://twitter.com/PackPride

 

[56JacketDE]

Did he sign his release

 

[Squints]

Accept your opinion but will say.........hard to throw with big lineman in your face and no pocket to step into.Will say he has a backfoot problem but where is the qb coach ? Pretty clear we are not great pass blockers but yep.....put it in the air on your back foot and its not good.

One of my issues is that even when there was a pocket he didn't step into it and had happy feet. And I would guarantee that the QB coach and probably CPJ talked to him about it. You don't get to be a QB coach at this level without atl least telling kids to step into a pocket. He's gotta actually do it.

Every time a play is blown the h3ll up doesn't mean that VL made a "bad read", that has become an easy cop-out for a very predictable Offense that has not passed the ball well in the entire CPJ era, nor have we played well vs. better defenses.

Also, there are some folks back around Vad's hometown that think that CPJ lied to Vad during his recruitment:

1. Pack Pride ‏@PackPride14h
   Wish Vad Lee the best at his next school. Remember during his recruiment he commented that GT said they were changing the offense.
   
   Pack Pride ‏@PackPride14h
2. This happens when lies are told RT @schadjoe: GT QB Vad Lee said he will transfer. "The triple option was never really my thing," Lee said.

Here's the link if you choose to visit:
https://twitter.com/PackPride

Are you serious man? That's basically an NC State message board. I'm sensing a lot of sour grapes.

 

[UgaBlows]

I feel like CPJ gave him every opportunity to prove himself this year

 

[KlausMikaelsonTheOriginal]

One of my issues is that even when there was a pocket he didn't step into it and had happy feet. And I would guarantee that the QB coach and probably CPJ


Are you serious man? That's basically an NC State message board. I'm sensing a lot of sour grapes.

No need for sour grapes from NC State.

At the time he came out of HS they had Russell Wilson and Mike Glennon, both NFL QBs that were drafted by the 3rd rnd. in the years they came out.

NC State wanted Vad as a WR, they only mentioned Vad as a QB after he got offered as a QB by GT.