DJ White Highlights Georgia Tech 2014

[Buzz776g]

DJ is probably my favorite defensive player on the entire team. @Lexjacket , thanks for those.

For those who have played and/or coached (I have not) -- How do you learn to read the play? To know where the ball is going? To tell by watching the QB what he's gonna do?

When watching highlights for DJ and players like Jamal Golden, they're not just defending their man, or their area, or performing their assignment. They're anticipating the play, foreseeing it, and breaking into it. How do you learn that? Film study? Practice, practice and more practice?

 

[4shotB]

The '13 Clemson game is what sold me on DJ. The results didn't reflect his how well of coverage he on Sammy. My biggest question going into 2014 was his ball skills and that is the biggest improvement I saw from him. Now time to turn some more of those PBUs to INT and lockdown that 1st team All-ACCC

I agree with your assessment. Over the decades of being a fan,the positions that have been an achilles heel for GT historically has been DT and CB. This guy may be as good as any we have had.
Just wish Al Ciraldo was around to give him a great nickname like the one Willie "Big Play" Clay had.

 

[tech_wreck47]

DJ is probably my favorite defensive player on the entire team. @Lexjacket , thanks for those.

For those who have played and/or coached (I have not) -- How do you learn to read the play? To know where the ball is going? To tell by watching the QB what he's gonna do?

When watching highlights for DJ and players like Jamal Golden, they're not just defending their man, or their area, or performing their assignment. They're anticipating the play, foreseeing it, and breaking into it. How do you learn that? Film study? Practice, practice and more practice?

Watching film and learning the qb helps a lot with being able to read when it comes to game time. Reading a qbs eyes is a big thing, also knowing the wide receivers routes and the offensive plays. DJ was very good at bating the qb to make a throw to a wide receiver that looked open, he is also very good at closing the gap when the ball is in the air. Remember the pick six golden had against Clemson? Golden said he knew that was coming from the way the play was developing on his side of the field because he had seen them do it on film. That's why when Clemson fans say that wouldn't have happens with their starter in is crazy, it was designed for him to fake going to the right and he turned and didn't even look before throwing it across field, so that pick was more of a good play by Golden then a bad play by the qb.

 

[Buzz776g]

Thanks. That's exactly the kind of information that I was looking for.

I could do a triple integral in school, but never play ball. Too complicated!! those guys are smarter than me.

 

[deeeznutz]

Watching film and learning the qb helps a lot with being able to read when it comes to game time. Reading a qbs eyes is a big thing, also knowing the wide receivers routes and the offensive plays. DJ was very good at bating the qb to make a throw to a wide receiver that looked open, he is also very good at closing the gap when the ball is in the air. Remember the pick six golden had against Clemson? Golden said he knew that was coming from the way the play was developing on his side of the field because he had seen them do it on film. That's why when Clemson fans say that wouldn't have happens with their starter in is crazy, it was designed for him to fake going to the right and he turned and didn't even look before throwing it across field, so that pick was more of a good play by Golden then a bad play by the qb.

Golden's break on that play was unreal. Looking back at the replays you might think he knocked the OL out of the way to get in the backfield, when in fact it was the OL falling over trying to get a hand on Jamal as he blasted past him and failing.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Watching film and learning the qb helps a lot with being able to read when it comes to game time. Reading a qbs eyes is a big thing, also knowing the wide receivers routes and the offensive plays. DJ was very good at bating the qb to make a throw to a wide receiver that looked open, he is also very good at closing the gap when the ball is in the air. Remember the pick six golden had against Clemson? Golden said he knew that was coming from the way the play was developing on his side of the field because he had seen them do it on film. That's why when Clemson fans say that wouldn't have happens with their starter in is crazy, it was designed for him to fake going to the right and he turned and didn't even look before throwing it across field, so that pick was more of a good play by Golden then a bad play by the qb.

All this, but also, just naturally great reflexes. The split second of reaction time between good reflexes and great reflexes makes a huge difference on the field.

 

[GT Man]

Considering DJ practically won us two games, I'd say hes one of the teams MVPs. Great athelete!

 

[alaguy]

DJ is a GAMER. It is really hard to believe that he is not at least 2nd All-Conf.If he progresses,he could go down as one of the best of this era.

 

[Milwaukee]

And that's the thing I love most about DJ is his progress. I remember the game he had against Clemson a couple of years back when Taj Boyd and company torched him for multiple big plays. But as I watched I saw that he consistently had good coverage and was just beat by perfect throws. The fact that he bounced back and continued to grow let me know then that DJ has a legit NFL future.

Great post. I remember thinking "Damn, can't be mad at DJ for that" on both of the scores he was beat on. Just great throws.

 

[Lexjacket]

I would love to see us use DJ as a return man. He was the kick return guy in high school.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I think he'd be very good on returns....wouldn't want to risk injury there tho

 

[chewybaka]

Returning kicks ruined ken swillings career after a high ankle sprain. lets not recommend this...

 

[danny daniel]

Returning kicks ruined ken swillings career after a high ankle sprain. lets not recommend this...

I agree, and Lenny Snow had this same ill-fate and that cost him and the team dearly.

 

[GTonTop88]

Not only is he a playmaker but he is a perfectionist at his position. One of the most fundamentally sound CBs that I've seen at tech in a long time. I believe he could go as high as the 2nd round if scouts really look at him. He'll get to go against some pretty good WRs this year to make a case. We should also have a little more pressure from the DL to help him out some this year.

 

[Techster]

Not only is he a playmaker but he is a perfectionist at his position. One of the most fundamentally sound CBs that I've seen at tech in a long time. I believe he could go as high as the 2nd round if scouts really look at him. He'll get to go against some pretty good WRs this year to make a case. We should also have a little more pressure from the DL to help him out some this year.

A lot of fans don't get that. It's amazing how good the secondary looks if the DL can get pressure on the QB. We've actually had some decent talent in the secondary the past few years, it's just that our DL has been less than mediocre and the back end got exposed. Rod Sweeting, Jemea Thomas, Louis Young all shared the same backfield. All spent time in the NFL. Yet our secondary looked attrocious with them because we just couldn't get to the QB or put any pressure on him.

Our DL wasn't great last year, but it was probably the best DL we've had since 2008. When we get Jabari back, add him to Gotsis in the middle and together with our VERY talented DEs....should be a lot of QBs picking themselves off the ground next year after watching our secondary fly by them on pick 6's.

 

[AE 87]

A lot of fans don't get that. It's amazing how good the secondary looks if the DL can get pressure on the QB. We've actually had some decent talent in the secondary the past few years, it's just that our DL has been less than mediocre and the back end got exposed. Rod Sweeting, Jemea Thomas, Louis Young all shared the same backfield. All spent time in the NFL. Yet our secondary looked attrocious with them because we just couldn't get to the QB or put any pressure on him.

Our DL wasn't great last year, but it was probably the best DL we've had since 2008. When we get Jabari back, add him to Gotsis in the middle and together with our VERY talented DEs....should be a lot of QBs picking themselves off the ground next year after watching our secondary fly by them on pick 6's.

This should be right, but we should also add that Izaan Cross, Euclid Cummings, and J Attaochu also signed NFL contracts.

Hopefully, this year it comes together.

 

[Techster]

This should be right, but we should also add that Izaan Cross, Euclid Cummings, and J Attaochu also signed NFL contracts.

Hopefully, this year it comes together.

True. But outside of JA, those other guys didn't do anything to raise the DL play. Of course, a lot of it had to do with Groh...

 

[dressedcheeseside]

A lot of fans don't get that. It's amazing how good the secondary looks if the DL can get pressure on the QB. We've actually had some decent talent in the secondary the past few years, it's just that our DL has been less than mediocre and the back end got exposed. Rod Sweeting, Jemea Thomas, Louis Young all shared the same backfield. All spent time in the NFL. Yet our secondary looked attrocious with them because we just couldn't get to the QB or put any pressure on him.

Our DL wasn't great last year, but it was probably the best DL we've had since 2008. When we get Jabari back, add him to Gotsis in the middle and together with our VERY talented DEs....should be a lot of QBs picking themselves off the ground next year after watching our secondary fly by them on pick 6's.

I think our middle defense was more exposed than our back end. Our linebackers really suck in coverage.

 

[Techster]

I think our middle defense was more exposed than our back end. Our linebackers really suck in coverage.

Yeah, Nealy was actually good in coverage, but for the most part our overall coverage from the LB group wasn't that great. PJ is great at covering ground in terms of getting to the ball, but he's a bit of a liability in coverage.

GT needs to get back to the days when we were a bit of a LB factory. I wouldn't be surprised to see AJ Gray play a bit of a LB/SS role on defense with his ability to cover and his size. From the AJC write up, he's up to 6-2 210+...not bad size for someone in that role.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Chris Milton gives way too much cushion also.