Bill Belichick has nothing but high praise for Shaq Mason

[Skeptic]

I never said that. However Id like to see a better closing of top targets. There's a chance this year of closing on a 5* he's number 1 choice is Stanford. While I like being in the conversation Id like more if GT was his #1 choice. That is, can be, and should be a consistent possibility for GT. Top 20 to 30 classes is a realistic goal for GT. Having followed GT recruiting for a number of years now I can say if GT were to actually close on its top targets GT would be in the top 20's.

I don't want to prolong the thing, really, because I see what you're saying. But there reasons GT can't "actually close on its top targets" and almost all of them involve curriculum. I don't think anybody disputes that Tech is highly rated academically in the country, but few of those top targets have any interest at all in things technical and its alternative curriculum is, shall we say, limited. I am not a Tech guy so I have no dog in the fight, but personally I'd hate to see that expanded just to get football players. (And even if that were decided, it would be many years out in the making.)

Regardless, I hope everybody on the board, or off I suppose, has a great Christmas. Maybe GT's gift will be that 5-star?

 

[ATL1]

I don't want to prolong the thing, really, because I see what you're saying. But there reasons GT can't "actually close on its top targets" and almost all of them involve curriculum. I don't think anybody disputes that Tech is highly rated academically in the country, but few of those top targets have any interest at all in things technical and its alternative curriculum is, shall we say, limited. I am not a Tech guy so I have no dog in the fight, but personally I'd hate to see that expanded just to get football players. (And even if that were decided, it would be many years out in the making.)

Regardless, I hope everybody on the board, or off I suppose, has a great Christmas. Maybe GT's gift will be that 5-star?

I don't think majors is as much an issue as what is made to believe. These are GT targets so I'm gonna assume the recruiters know the interest and academic abilities of the recruits.
Most of these recruits will probably major in business, psychology, communications, or something that has an equivalent at GT.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I don't think majors is as much an issue as what is made to believe. These are GT targets so I'm gonna assume the recruiters know the interest and academic abilities of the recruits.
Most of these recruits will probably major in business, psychology, communications, or something that has an equivalent at GT.

GT has no equivent for over half the "majors" offered at the factories. Have you ever looked at what these guys are taking at other schools, especially the marquee players?

Even when we do, the academic rigor is not comparable.

 

[ATL1]

GT has no equivent for over half the "majors" offered at the factories. Have you ever looked at what these guys are taking at other schools, especially the marquee players?

Even when we do, the academic rigor is not comparable.

Just ignored this sentence; "Most of these recruits will probably major in business, psychology, communications, or something that has an equivalent at GT."

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Just ignored this sentence; "Most of these recruits will probably major in business, psychology, communications, or something that has an equivalent at GT."

No, I didn't ignore it, I challenged it.

GT does offer some comparable majors, but very few. And even those majors vary greatly in focus and rigor.

How many Psyche majors around the country require Calc I, Calc II, and Chem or Physics?

 

[awbuzz]

... taint many... if any...

 

[swampsting]

We ran a ton behind those guys and they got blown up.

Watching Burden move this year, I wonder if he wasn't hurt, not enough to keep him out but enough to affect him. Kid had enough to affect him this fall anyway.

 

[Skeptic]

I don't think majors is as much an issue as what is made to believe. These are GT targets so I'm gonna assume the recruiters know the interest and academic abilities of the recruits.
Most of these recruits will probably major in business, psychology, communications, or something that has an equivalent at GT.

Surely the coaches know this. But if you are saying, and I am not sure, that they should not pursue the recruit whose interests do not coincide, then recruiting grinds to a halt. They are recruiting for football players who will study, not students who coincidentally play ball. Those are academic scholarships. I don't recall reading about even one who sat down in a boy's living room and told the assembled that he should go elsewhere. We have heard the use-the-reputation-as-a-tool argument, but what else is an AD or coach going to say? If it isn't that big of an issue then several generations of head ball coaches might, in the dark, in the corner, in the dark, beg to differ. All that being said it seems to me that the emphasis to recruit the best players they can get to compete, and not whine about the what-ifs in fact does the institute proud. Tee it up.

 

[Lee]

No, I didn't ignore it, I challenged it.

GT does offer some comparable majors, but very few. And even those majors vary greatly in focus and rigor.

How many Psyche majors around the country require Calc I, Calc II, and Chem or Physics?

How many at GT have to take that? None. Well, I should say none in the Business school have to. I'm not positive on what the requirements are for Psyche majors.

Is it a lot tougher to get through GT than Bama or UNC? Yes. Is it as tough as some on this board make it out to be? No.

Most athletes at GT take Finite and Survey of Calc while doubling up on EAS. Are those still tougher than what 99% of football players across the country are taking? Most definitely, but not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[forensicbuzz]

How many at GT have to take that? None. Well, I should say none in the Business school have to. I'm not positive on what the requirements are for Psyche majors.

Is it a lot tougher to get through GT than Bama or UNC? Yes. Is it as tough as some on this board make it out to be? No.

Most athletes at GT take Finite and Survey of Calc while doubling up on EAS. Are those still tougher than what 99% of football players across the country are taking? Most definitely, but not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination.

It's still calculus. You still have to have the prerequisite math classes to take the calculus (even if it's a survey level class). They still have to take a lab-based science sequence (not just random EAS classes). None of this is unbearable if the student chooses to put the time in and has the necessary help (some will need more, some will need less). This combination (calc and lab science) is used against us every single day in the recruiting wars, by any and every coach out there trying to keep kids from coming to Tech.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

It's still calculus. You still have to have the prerequisite math classes to take the calculus (even if it's a survey level class). They still have to take a lab-based science sequence (not just random EAS classes). None of this is unbearable if the student chooses to put the time in and has the necessary help (some will need more, some will need less). This combination (calc and lab science) is used against us every single day in the recruiting wars, by any and every coach out there trying to keep kids from coming to Tech.

It's not only a hurdle in recruiting, but also everyday after that until they leave school. Read the thread about S&C and how 'beastly' Bama players are, then ask yourself how many hours a week they have to train compared to GT S/A's. It's a little different when you can devote nearly every waking hour to football and not worry about tests, projects, midterms and finals.

I read an article about a ND player who switched out of a major he loved not because he couldn't hack the classes, but because it took too much time away from football. He said he couldn't reach his full potential in football because he was spending too much time on school work.

Our players spend waaaaay more hours a week on academic activities than the Clemson/FSU/mutt players and if folks don't think that makes a difference, they're either idiots or have their heads buried in the sand.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

CPJ to recruit "GT will set you up with all of the academic support and tutoring you will need for your coursework."

Coach Saban to recruit "Tutors? For a PE major? You need a tutor to show you the way to the team weight room? Ok...we can provide that."

 

[Lee]

It's still calculus. You still have to have the prerequisite math classes to take the calculus (even if it's a survey level class). They still have to take a lab-based science sequence (not just random EAS classes). None of this is unbearable if the student chooses to put the time in and has the necessary help (some will need more, some will need less). This combination (calc and lab science) is used against us every single day in the recruiting wars, by any and every coach out there trying to keep kids from coming to Tech.

Trust me, I know. I went through it, albeit in a different sport. I know exactly what it entails, not only in difficulty, but in terms of time spent as well. It's not easy. I never said it was. I also said that it is tougher than what 99% of other student athletes in the country have to go through.

Academics were actually a little more important in my sport because we only had 12 scholarships to spread out between ~30 players. I, like many other of my in-state teammates, had to keep a 3.0 or higher to keep Hope or we lost the biggest portion of our scholarship. We couldn't get a 1.85 or whatever the requirement is just to stay eligible and be okay.

Also, I admitted that academics are a limitation, but the perception by outsiders and some on this board is way worse than it actually is. Our offense is just as big of a limitation, in my mind, as the academics in terms of who we bring in. Again, perfect example is Josh Dobbs. I guarantee you the academic rigors of GT did not scare him away, but he didn't even consider us. The people that refuse to acknowledge this are what bother me. Both limit who we can recruit. Both are overblown by some.

 

[GlennW]

Watching Burden move this year, I wonder if he wasn't hurt, not enough to keep him out but enough to affect him. Kid had enough to affect him this fall anyway.

It may have been more of the fact his thoughts were on his Dad's illness than anything else.

 

[Lee]

Our players spend waaaaay more hours a week on academic activities than the Clemson/FSU/mutt players and if folks don't think that makes a difference, they're either idiots or have their heads buried in the sand.

Not sure if this is directed at me since it's a response to a response to me, but if you read what I wrote you would see that I already acknowledged such. I actually went through it.

This is a good argument for performance on the field, not so much on recruiting. I'm sure recruiters from other schools talk about how hard GT is, but I'm willing to bet they aren't saying: "it's so easy here you won't have to spend any time in the classroom, but at GT you will spend too much time in the classroom you won't reach your potential as a player."

I have fully admitted that we have limitations in recruiting due to academics. All I have said is its not as tough as you and some others make it out to be. Can you admit that our offense limits us in recruiting as well?

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Can you admit that our offense limits us in recruiting as well?

With certain recruits, yes, but we can't compete doing what everybody else does, we've tried it for years. We have a system that allows us to compete with the factories with lesser players. That's gonna come with a downside, but to me, it's plenty worth it.

 

[Lee]

With certain recruits, yes, but we can't compete doing what everybody else does, we've tried it for years. We have a system that allows us to compete with the factories with lesser players. That's gonna come with a downside, but to me, it's plenty worth it.

I agree we can't compete with a pro style offense, but there are other systems that would allow us to compete as well. Look at TCU and Baylor. Im not saying I want us to completely abandon what we are doing either because I agree that it gives us an edge against the factories. I would like to see us implement some things that allow us to be more multiple and dynamic, which I think is very doable with the players we have.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I agree we can't compete with a pro style offense, but there are other systems that would allow us to compete as well. Look at TCU and Baylor. Im not saying I want us to completely abandon what we are doing either because I agree that it gives us an edge against the factories. I would like to see us implement some things that allow us to be more multiple and dynamic, which I think is very doable with the players we have.

Another huge benefit that comes with our O is it keeps the D off the field and limits possessions. That's huge when you can't recruit the blue chips.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Burden is good
Shamire is good and CPJ should have called more plays running right behind that combo.

Why didn't he?

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Academis may not scare off some blue chip recruits, but GT's perception among recruits, which is driven by academics, does.

Name one thing other than O scheme that turns off recruits that's not tied some how to being a STEM school.